Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2024-05-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-03

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $239.38/cwt on 8 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −175.99 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$239.38

8 head · 547 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,309

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$43

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$2.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.28

vs WV average

−29.00 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	550	240.00	1,320	6thin
Large 1	538	237.50	1,277	2thin

One grade step is worth $2.50/cwt here — about $43 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale8 hd

239.38

—

WV average4 barns · 66 hd

243.66

−4.28

National average173 barns · 11,009 hd

268.38

−29.00

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−175.99

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	—	High	1,472	135.71	1,997	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,320	126.55	1,670	8thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,050	121.71	1,278	13

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)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,640	$2,100	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,373	$2,073	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,506	$1,997	5
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,642	$1,986	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,136	$1,538	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,173	$1,325	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	690	$800	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,060	$2,626	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,266	$2,296	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,164	$2,218	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,218	$2,145	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,340	$2,000	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,185	$1,950	1thin

Every lot, as filed

55 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	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	123.51/cwt	123.00–124.00	1,754	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,185	148.65/cwt	140.00–157.00	1,762	3
Bulls	—	—	1,950	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	2,945	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,126	115.61/cwt	113.00–118.00	1,302	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,118	92.16/cwt	91.00–94.00	1,030	2
Bred Cows	Small and Medium 2	—	690	800.00/head	800.00–800.00	800	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,640	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,373	2,072.59/head	2,050.00–2,100.00	2,073	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,490	2,472.32/head	2,450.00–2,500.00	2,472	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	995	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,010	2,999.01/head	2,800.00–3,200.00	2,999	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small and Medium 1-2	—	725	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,506	1,997.14/head	1,700.00–2,300.00	1,997	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,440	1,650.00/head	1,650.00–1,650.00	1,650	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,183	1,776.11/head	1,700.00–1,850.00	1,776	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,743	2,153.52/head	1,800.00–2,500.00	2,154	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,185	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,290	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,088	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	845	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	805	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,165	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,285	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,324	2,341.78/head	2,000.00–2,700.00	2,342	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,450	1,550.00/head	1,550.00–1,550.00	1,550	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,300	2,547.95/head	2,500.00–2,600.00	2,548	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,187	2,237.18/head	1,800.00–2,800.00	2,237	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,122	2,387.08/head	1,800.00–2,800.00	2,387	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,225	2,269.76/head	1,900.00–2,500.00	2,270	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	993	107.50/cwt	103.00–110.00	1,067	4
Bulls	—	—	1,312	130.61/cwt	124.00–139.00	1,714	3
Steers	Large 1	850–900	875	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,435	1
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	575	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,351	1
Heifers	Large 1	500–550	500	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,200	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	106.47/cwt	103.00–111.00	1,478	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,015	155.26/cwt	145.00–170.00	1,576	4
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	556	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,340	5
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	370	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	892	1
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	428	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	1,258	2
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	482	242.46/cwt	240.00–245.00	1,169	4
Bulls	Medium 1	550–600	558	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,317	1
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	595	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	1,797	4
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	610	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,617	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 2	—	980	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	420	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	907	1
Steers	Medium 2	400–450	425	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	956	1
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	465	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	953	1
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	368	202.90/cwt	200.00–206.00	747	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,340	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	310	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	636	1
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	520	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,222	1
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	435	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,018	1
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	658	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,434	3
Heifers	Medium 1	800–850	805	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,006	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	895	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	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 →