Name: Buckhannon Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-03-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Bred hair ewes $315-$410 per head

Hair ewes with kids $345-$395 per head

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $360.00/cwt on 5 head. That ranks 2 of 1 comparable sales and sits +0.54 against this barn's trailing median of $359.46.

Average price

$360.00

5 head · 576 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,074

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$495

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2

$75.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−35.34

vs WV average

−56.12 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	580	375.00	2,175	4thin
Medium and Large 2	560	300.00	1,680	1thin

One grade step is worth $75.00/cwt here — about $495 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale5 hd

360.00

—

WV average3 barns · 56 hd

395.34

−35.34

National average164 barns · 8,069 hd

416.12

−56.12

This barn, trailing median1 sales

359.46

+0.54

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,704	190.52	3,246	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	969	206.07	1,997	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,501	148.70	2,232	5thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,505	$2,900	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	900	$2,750	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,150	$2,400	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,033	$2,919	3thin

Every lot, as filed

20 lots · USDA AMS · Buckhannon Stockyards Livestock Auction - Buckhannon, WV

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	814	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,727	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	710	277.45/cwt	270.00–285.00	1,970	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	560	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,680	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	683	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,186	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	675	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,789	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	403	427.36/cwt	405.00–450.00	1,722	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	580	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,175	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	645	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,806	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	611	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,169	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	872	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,965	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,083	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,610	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,150	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	950	2,828.95/head	2,750.00–2,900.00	2,829	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	900	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,505	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	1
Bulls	—	—	1,704	190.52/cwt	188.00–202.50	3,246	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	969	206.07/cwt	192.50–227.50	1,997	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,501	148.70/cwt	145.00–157.00	2,232	5

How this sale compares

West Virginia weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every West Virginia auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

West Virginia feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →