Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2024-08-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-08-23

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $254.88/cwt on 12 head. That ranks 1 of 2 comparable sales and sits −214.10 against this barn's trailing median of $468.99.

Average price

$254.88

12 head · 557 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,421

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$183

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

$27.85/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−16.41

vs WV average

−15.62 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	560	261.85	1,467	9thin
Medium and Large 2	549	233.99	1,284	3thin

One grade step is worth $27.85/cwt here — about $183 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale12 hd

254.88

—

WV average3 barns · 64 hd

271.29

−16.41

National average163 barns · 7,520 hd

270.50

−15.62

This barn, trailing median2 sales

468.99

−214.10

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	1,932	160.81	3,106	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,373	137.11	1,883	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,510	134.00	2,023	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,217	117.30	1,427	18

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	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,165	$1,925	1thin

Every lot, as filed

30 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	750	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,125	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	573	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,146	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	335	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	787	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	545	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	790	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	629	261.38/cwt	252.00–266.00	1,644	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	950–1000	975	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,619	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	420	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	840	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	300–350	333	239.77/cwt	230.00–250.00	798	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	400–450	435	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	914	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	350–400	381	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	953	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	310	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	884	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	760	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,520	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,346	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	498	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,300	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	558	230.99/cwt	230.00–232.00	1,289	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	440	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,021	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	569	264.09/cwt	252.00–269.00	1,503	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	1000–1050	1,023	161.03/cwt	157.00–165.00	1,647	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	460	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,067	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	430	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	935	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	415	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	892	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	455	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,024	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	530	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,272	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,165	1,925.00/head	1,925.00–1,925.00	1,925	1
Bulls	—	—	2,077	156.08/cwt	155.00–157.00	3,242	3
Bulls	—	—	1,495	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	2,616	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,373	137.11/cwt	118.00–160.00	1,883	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,510	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	2,023	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,227	120.76/cwt	110.00–135.00	1,482	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,135	89.65/cwt	71.00–100.00	1,018	2

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 →