CLARA LIVE:  8-Weight Dominance as Unionville Livestock Sets Records and Breaks $300 Barrier on 9-Weights 

Rob Cook, RobCookKC@gmail.com

📌 CLARA LIVE - Wednesday, April 29th

• 🐄 CME Feeder Cattle (MAY): $292.575  (-1.45) 
• 📊 RTI Feeder Index (7-Day): $295.05  (-0.05) 
• 🏆 National Steer Price: $297.84  (+3.65)  

Feeder cattle markets surged Wednesday morning (April 30, 2025), with multiple barns reporting record-setting sales and intense demand for top-quality feeders. 9-weight steers are dominating early trade, accounting for 37% of total steer receipts and averaging $278.88/cwt, a record pace. At Stockmen’s Livestock in Yankton, SD, two standout groups—97 head at 942 lbs sold for $289.00/cwt and 273 head at 966 lbs at $285.00/cwt—ranked as the 1st and 4th highest 9-weight prices ever at the barn. OKC West in El Reno, OK also posted historic sales, with 147 head at 733 lbs bringing $317.00/cwt, the highest 7-weight price ever for a group over 100 head, and 52 head at 827 lbs selling for $301.00/cwt, the 2nd highest 8-weight sale in barn history.

Out West, Torrington Livestock in Torrington, WY joined the action with a banner Wednesday of its own. The barn saw 104 head weighing 715 lbs bring $337.00/cwt, setting a new all-time high for 7-weight steers, and another group of 116 head at 752 lbs reach $328.50/cwt, the second highest on record for that class. Additionally, 87 head at 817 lbs sold for $314.50/cwt, marking the second highest 8-weight price ever at the barn. These exceptional sales across regions reflect a powerful combination of tight supply, early grazing demand, and aggressive buying from feeders chasing performance-ready cattle.

📈 Historic 8-Weight Dominance Rewrites the Record Books

The standout market news from Tuesday was the explosive performance of 8-weight steers, which not only accounted for 29% of all steer receipts but also outpaced 7-weights by a staggering 170% in volume. These heavier feeders posted an all-time record average of $293.31/cwt, shattering previous benchmarks and sending a clear signal of robust demand. Leading the charge was Unionville Livestock Market (Unionville, MO), which set the tone with multiple historic sales:

• 63 head at 866 lbs sold for $331.00/cwt

• 63 head at 857 lbs sold for $330.00/cwt

• 62 head at 856 lbs sold for $325.00/cwt

These three transactions now rank among the top five all-time sales for 8-weights nationwide, firmly establishing Unionville as the premier market for high-performance feeder cattle.

🏆 Flint Hills and Unionville Redefine Market Highs

Not to be outdone, Flint Hills (Saint Marys, KS) also delivered a record-setting performance in the 8-weight category:

• 62 head at 837 lbs brought $306.00/cwt

• 124 head at 835 lbs brought $305.00/cwt

• 62 head at 878 lbs brought $298.75/cwt

These three trades now stand as the top 8-weight sales in Flint Hills’ history, underscoring a day of extraordinary market momentum. This dual-market strength from both Unionville and Flint Hills has sent ripple effects across the feeder cattle sector, with buyers pushing premiums to historic levels for high-quality, heavy feeders.

🔥 New National Records Across Multiple Classes

What makes Unionville's April 29th sale even more remarkable is its breadth. The barn set new all-time national records for 4-, 5-, 8-, and 9-weight steers, making it one of the most significant single-day auctions in U.S. history. The headline-grabbing moment came with the first-ever 9-weight steer trade to break the $300/cwt threshold nationally:

• 64 head at 910 lbs sold for $308.60/cwt

This not only represents the highest 9-weight price ever recorded but also solidifies Unionville’s April 29th sale as a landmark event in the feeder cattle market, rewriting price ceilings and resetting expectations for what’s possible at the upper end of the weight spectrum.