Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2024-04-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-04-26

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $149.17/cwt on 3 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −266.20 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$149.17

3 head · 562 lb average

Value per head Derived

$838

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$409

per head · Medium 1 over Medium 2

$67.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−105.70

vs WV average

−121.02 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	570	190.00	1,083	1thin
Small and Medium 1	565	135.00	763	1thin
Medium 2	550	122.50	674	1thin

One grade step is worth $67.50/cwt here — about $409 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.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

4 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $426.30, low $383.94, median $415.36 across 4 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale3 hd

149.17

—

WV average6 barns · 230 hd

254.87

−105.70

National average178 barns · 11,596 hd

270.19

−121.02

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−266.20

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	1,360	133.00	1,809	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,115	114.02	1,271	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,400	113.68	1,591	13
Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	Average	1,495	136.00	2,033	1thin

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,240	$1,950	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,050	$1,675	1thin

Every lot, as filed

28 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
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,115	114.02/cwt	108.00–119.00	1,271	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,548	124.63/cwt	124.00–125.00	1,929	3
Bulls	—	—	1,360	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,809	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,240	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	1
Steers	Small and Medium 1	500–550	540	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,188	1
Heifers	Small and Medium 1	550–600	565	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	763	1
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	430	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	882	1
Heifers	Medium 1	900–950	940	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	940	1
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	536	297.80/cwt	290.00–310.00	1,596	5
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	473	232.38/cwt	225.00–240.00	1,099	2
Bulls	Medium 2	600–650	620	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,054	1
Bulls	Medium 2	750–800	790	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,106	1
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	355	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	639	1
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	420	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,187	1
Heifers	Medium 2	800–850	832	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,082	1
Heifers	Medium 2	550–600	550	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	674	1
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	310	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	620	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1-2	—	1,050	1,675.00/head	1,675.00–1,675.00	1,675	1
Bulls	Medium 1	400–450	420	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,071	1
Bulls	Medium 1	600–650	625	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,250	1
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	630	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,071	1
Heifers	Medium 1	800–850	805	175.00/cwt	165.00–175.00	1,409	1
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	570	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,083	1
Steers	Medium 1	750–800	785	221.46/cwt	218.00–225.00	1,738	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,355	110.39/cwt	92.00–118.00	1,496	10
Heifers	Large 1	750–800	790	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,185	1
Steers	Large 2	650–700	685	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,028	1
Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	—	1,495	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,033	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 →