Slaughter cattle prices

In USDA AMS livestock auction reports, slaughter cattle are animals sold for harvest — often cull cows and bulls, sometimes steers — not young feeders headed to a feedlot. Most lots are still priced per hundredweight (cwt) on actual weight. This page shows how to read those lines.

What “slaughter cattle” means in AMS reports

AMS groups auction lots into categories such as FEEDER CATTLE, SLAUGHTER CATTLE, and REPLACEMENT CATTLE. Slaughter lines are the cull / harvest market. Compare them to feeder lots only with care: different product, different buyer, different price level.

Common classes and grades

• Class — COWS and BULLS are typical; STEERS can appear when sold for slaughter.
• Grade — cow dressing grades such as Boner, Breaker, and Lean (often with a percent range like 80-85%).
• Unit — usually Per Cwt / Actual Wt; some specialty lines are per head. Always check the unit column.
• Comments — High, Average, or Low often note how the lot compared within that grade.

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 bred heifers and cow-calf pairs, see replacement cattle prices. For cow-calf pair lots (per head, calf weight band in grade), 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 Blue Grass Stockyards (KY) on Nov 6, 2026, one slaughter cow lot in our API:

{ "auction_name": "Blue Grass Stockyards",
  "state": "KY", "report_date": "2026-11-06",
  "category": "SLAUGHTER CATTLE", "class_name": "COWS",
  "grade": "Boner 80-85%", "head_count": 4,
  "weight_avg": 1478, "price_avg": 119.85,
  "unit": "Per Cwt / Actual Wt", "comments": "High" }

Reading it: 4 Boner 80-85% cows, about 1,478 lb average, sold at $119.85 per cwt (High). Rough lot value: (1478 ÷ 100) × 119.85 × 4 ≈ $7,090. Same sale, nearby Breaker 75-80% cows (2 head, ~1,508 lb) printed $114.97/cwt Average. Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News (public). Not affiliated with USDA.

curl -s -H "X-API-Key: kl_free_demo_2026" \
  "https://api.kossinlabs.com/v1/prices?class=COWS&limit=5"

Pull more slaughter 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.