Replacement cattle prices

In USDA AMS livestock auction reports, replacement cattle are breeding stock — bred heifers, cow-calf pairs, heifer pairs — not young feeders headed to a feedlot and not cull slaughter cows. Many of these lots are priced per head, not per cwt. This page shows how to read those lines.

What “replacement cattle” means in AMS reports

AMS groups auction lots into categories such as FEEDER CATTLE, SLAUGHTER CATTLE, and REPLACEMENT CATTLE. Replacement lines are breeding stock buyers use to rebuild or expand a herd. Compare them to feeder or slaughter lots only with care: different product, different unit, different buyer.

Why the unit often differs

Feeder and slaughter lots are usually Per Cwt / Actual Wt. Many replacement lots are Per Unit / Actual Wt — meaning per head. A $4,000 replacement price is not $4,000/cwt. Always check the unit column before you compare numbers or multiply by weight.

Common classes, grades, and comments

• Class — BRED HEIFERS, COW-CALF PAIRS, and HEIFER PAIRS are typical.
• Grade — often Medium and Large 1 (same frame/muscle language as feeders).
• Unit — frequently Per Unit / Actual Wt (per head). Confirm before comparing to feeder $/cwt.
• Comments — often include age= and stage= notes (e.g. age=2-4; stage=T2).

For PDF layout, see how to read cattle auction reports. For cwt math, see cattle price per cwt. For feeder weight bands, see feeder cattle prices. For cull cows and slaughter grades, see slaughter cattle prices. For cow-calf pairs in more detail, see cow-calf pair prices. For dairy-area calves and Beef Cross comments, see dairy / beef-cross calf prices. 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 Burwell Livestock Market (NE) on Nov 6, 2026, one replacement lot in our API:

{ "auction_name": "Burwell Livestock Market",
  "state": "NE", "report_date": "2026-11-06",
  "category": "REPLACEMENT CATTLE", "class_name": "BRED HEIFERS",
  "grade": "Medium and Large 1", "head_count": 174,
  "weight_avg": 1046, "price_avg": 4069.08,
  "unit": "Per Unit / Actual Wt", "comments": "age=2-4; stage=T2" }

Reading it: 174 Medium and Large 1 bred heifers, about 1,046 lb average, sold at about $4,069 per head (not per cwt). Rough lot value ≈ 174 × 4069 ≈ $708,000. Same sale also had heifer pairs and cow-calf pairs priced per unit. 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?category=REPLACEMENT%20CATTLE&limit=5"

Pull more replacement 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.