Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2024-03-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-03-29

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $282.50/cwt on 7 head. That ranks 1 of 2 comparable sales and sits −186.49 against this barn's trailing median of $468.99.

Average price

$282.50

7 head · 536 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,514

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$485

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$107.92/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−26.51

vs WV average

−27.76 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	530	297.92	1,577	6thin
Large 1	575	190.00	1,093	1thin

One grade step is worth $107.92/cwt here — about $485 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 sale7 hd

282.50

—

WV average5 barns · 166 hd

309.01

−26.51

National average156 barns · 8,291 hd

310.26

−27.76

This barn, trailing median2 sales

468.99

−186.49

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	1,925	142.72	2,747	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,422	124.58	1,771	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,665	117.42	1,955	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,083	111.04	1,202	17

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,578	$1,786	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,128	$2,363	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,285	$2,300	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,246	$2,293	5

Every lot, as filed

53 lots · USDA AMS · Preston Farmers Market - Terra Alta, 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 1	550–600	595	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,354	1
Steers	Medium 1	900–950	943	166.97/cwt	155.00–179.00	1,575	2
Steers	Medium 1Value Added	500–550	513	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,642	4
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	680	218.96/cwt	215.00–225.00	1,489	5
Steers	Medium 1	250–300	287	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	689	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	616	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,454	11
Heifers	Medium 1	1000–1050	1,020	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,632	1
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	530	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,484	1
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	565	230.00/cwt	220.00–240.00	1,300	2
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	355	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	817	1
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	510	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,199	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,285	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,249	2,215.99/head	2,000.00–2,525.00	2,216	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	614	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,719	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	748	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,750	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,145	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	684	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,888	14
Steers	Small and Medium 1	450–500	450	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	972	1
Heifers	Small and Medium 1	550–600	570	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,026	1
Heifers	Small and Medium 1Value Added	350–400	350	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	508	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,235	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,578	1,785.67/head	1,725.00–1,835.00	1,786	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,120	2,394.53/head	2,250.00–2,600.00	2,395	2
Steers	Small and Medium 2	650–700	665	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,214	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,183	121.41/cwt	112.00–126.00	1,436	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,665	117.42/cwt	117.00–118.00	1,955	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	820	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	631	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,368	113.42/cwt	103.00–119.00	1,552	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,039	109.69/cwt	100.00–114.00	1,140	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,438	127.93/cwt	124.00–135.00	1,840	10
Bulls	—	—	1,925	142.72/cwt	138.00–150.00	2,747	2
Steers	Large 1	550–600	575	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,093	1
Bulls	Large 1	550–600	565	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,243	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,140	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,083	1
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	473	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,372	2
Bulls	Medium 1	350–400	378	268.76/cwt	267.50–270.00	1,016	2
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	490	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,262	1
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	340	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	663	1
Bulls	Medium 1	200–250	205	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	441	1
Steers	Large 1	700–750	725	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,196	1
Steers	Medium 2	600–650	645	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,516	1
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	325	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	699	1
Heifers	Medium 2	550–600	598	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,196	3
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	475	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	926	1
Bulls	Medium 2	850–900	855	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,154	1
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	523	257.08/cwt	240.00–275.00	1,345	2
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	422	226.51/cwt	210.00–235.00	956	3
Heifers	Medium 2	650–700	662	182.21/cwt	166.00–185.00	1,206	7
Steers	Medium 2	700–750	705	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,375	2
Steers	Medium 2	450–500	485	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,225	1
Bulls	Medium 2	500–550	525	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	945	1
Heifers	Medium 2	600–650	615	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,169	1
Steers	Medium 1	350–400	360	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	864	1

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 →