Heifer prices

In USDA AMS livestock auction reports, HEIFERS under the FEEDER CATTLE category are young females sold to be finished — not bred replacements and not dairy calves. Most lots are still priced per hundredweight (cwt) on actual weight. This page shows how to read those lines and why heifers often print a different $/cwt than steers.

What HEIFERS means under FEEDER CATTLE

Filter with class=HEIFERS and category=FEEDER CATTLE. Class tells you heifers vs steers; category keeps you in the feeder market (not slaughter cows, not replacement breeding stock). Grades are often Medium and Large 1. Comments can be empty or note things like Fancy or Thin Fleshed.

Heifers vs steers on $/cwt

At a similar weight band, feeder heifers often print a lower $/cwt than steers of the same grade. Buyers discount for expected gain and end product differences. Always compare same barn, same day, similar weight — do not mix a light heifer lot with a heavy steer lot and call it “the heifer discount.”

Still usually per cwt

Like other feeders, heifers are usually Per Cwt / Actual Wt. A $432 price is per hundredweight, not per head. Check the unit every time.

Replacement comment vs feeder heifers

Some heifer lots carry a Replacement comment (or sit in REPLACEMENT CATTLE). That signals breeding intent — often priced differently, sometimes per head. For bred heifers and pairs priced per head, see replacement cattle prices.

• Category — FEEDER CATTLE for finishing heifers.
• Class — HEIFERS.
• Grade — often Medium and Large 1.
• Unit — usually Per Cwt / Actual Wt.
• Comments — empty vs Fancy / Thin Fleshed / Replacement can explain gaps.

For feeder weight bands in general, see feeder cattle prices. For cull cows, see slaughter cattle prices. For breeding stock priced per head, see replacement cattle prices and cow-calf pair prices. For dairy-area calves, see dairy / beef-cross calf prices. For PDF layout, see how to read cattle auction reports. For cwt math, see cattle price per cwt. For feeder vs slaughter bulls, see bull prices. For a national weight-band snapshot of feeder steer prices, see feeder steer prices. For lighter feeders bought to graze (often called stockers), see stocker cattle prices. For a state-by-state snapshot of feeder steer prices, see cattle prices by state.

Worked example from a real sale

From St. Onge Livestock Auction (SD) on Nov 6, 2026, one feeder heifer lot in our API:

{ "auction_name": "St. Onge Livestock Auction",
  "state": "SD", "report_date": "2026-11-06",
  "category": "FEEDER CATTLE", "class_name": "HEIFERS",
  "grade": "Medium and Large 1", "head_count": 382,
  "weight_avg": 470, "price_avg": 431.99,
  "unit": "Per Cwt / Actual Wt", "comments": "" }

Reading it: 382 Medium and Large 1 heifers, about 470 lb average, sold at about $431.99 per cwt. Rough lot value: (470 ÷ 100) × 431.99 × 382 ≈ $77,600. Same sale, nearby STEERS in a similar weight band (220 head, ~429 lb, Medium and Large 1) printed about $543.18/cwt — a clear heifer-vs-steer $/cwt gap at one barn on one day. Source: USDA AMS; we are not affiliated with USDA.

curl -s -H "X-API-Key: kl_free_demo_2026" \
  "https://api.kossinlabs.com/v1/prices?class=HEIFERS&category=FEEDER%20CATTLE&limit=5"

Pull more heifer lots as JSON

Free demo key (no sign-up): kl_free_demo_2026. Docs: api.kossinlabs.com. Product page: cattle auction prices API. Starter is $29/mo for higher limits — subscribe. 30-day money-back guarantee.