Port City Stockyards pledges to provide you with a professional, actual, factual, and correct market report so that you can make informed, intelligent marketing decisions.  We will not embellish our reports and inflate prices just to have the highest report in the area or use our market report as an advertisement.  Port City Stockyards' Weekly Markets is extremely  competitive and take a back seat to no one in the area.

Port City Stockyards will use the tried and true USDA reporting standards and grades for all cattle including calves, yearlings, and slaughter cows and bulls.  In order to keep everyone on the same wavelength we do not use slang terms such as common, choice, #1's, etc..

Our report begins with a narrative indicating the Market Trends and Prices Reported.  The Market Trends indicates the price movements from a previous period and the level of market activity, while the Prices Reported includes a "range of prices" to account for different fill conditions and variations in flesh conditions for animals within a particular grade and/or range of weights.

Feeder Yearlings and Calves are evaluated by a combination of Frame Size and Muscling.  Under ordinary development & feeding conditions, different framed animals reach slaughter potential at different weights.

FEEDER CATTLE FRAME SIZE as a FINISHED ANIMAL

FEEDER CATTLE MUSCLING

#1 Muscling. Moderately thick throughout; showing a rounded appearance through the back & loin with moderate width between the legs.

#2 Muscling. Slightly thick throughout; showing a rounded appearance through the back and loin with slight width between the legs.

#3 Muscling. Thin through the forequarter and the middle part of the rounds; back and loin have a sunken appearance; legs are set close together.

#4 Muscling.  Less thickness than the minimum requirements for #3.

Shelly Canner Cow - An emaciated cow with not much meat on her.

Canner Cow - A thin cow, expected to dress approx. 38-43% with a boning yield of 63-68% of 90-95 % lean red meat.

Cutter Cow - A moderately fleshed cow expected to dress 41-46% with a boning yield of 67-72% of 85-90% lean red meat.

Utility Cow - A fleshy cow, expected to dress 46-52% with a boning yield of 70-74% of 75-85% lean red meat.

High Yielding Utility Cow - A well shaped cow with above average weighing condition, indicating very little internal as well as outside fat.