Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-03-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Nice offering of feeder cattle. Mostly #2 cattle are due to beinging lighter fleshed. Demand is beginning to strengthen as we get closer to grass time.

Nice offering of young lighter fleshed cows with good demand

*Report for Friday March 14, 2025*

Report for 3/14/25

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $240.01/cwt on 5 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −175.36 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$240.01

5 head · 571 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,371

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$393

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 3

$40.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−27.91

vs WV average

−74.95 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	598	250.00	1,495	1thin
Medium and Large 2	578	246.68	1,426	3thin
Medium and Large 3	525	210.00	1,103	1thin

One grade step is worth $40.00/cwt here — about $393 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 sale5 hd

240.01

—

WV average4 barns · 48 hd

267.92

−27.91

National average179 barns · 17,787 hd

314.96

−74.95

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−175.36

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	1,848	162.55	3,004	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,454	132.14	1,921	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,190	103.45	1,231	11

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)	1,286	$2,525	19
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,421	$2,066	14
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,270	$1,500	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,375	$2,700	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,300	$2,300	1thin

Every lot, as filed

41 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 2	400–450	425	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,148	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	365	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,113	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	410	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,312	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	365	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,205	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	325	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,089	1
Heifers	Small 2Fleshy	900–950	915	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,693	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	532	343.42/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,827	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	900–950	900	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,643	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	610	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,013	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	480	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,632	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	550	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,870	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	570	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,454	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	431	315.07/cwt	280.00–320.00	1,358	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	355	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,047	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	452	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,492	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	415	342.65/cwt	330.00–355.00	1,422	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	469	364.07/cwt	360.00–368.00	1,707	2
Steers	Medium and Large 3	650–700	655	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,867	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	545	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,853	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	411	327.16/cwt	310.00–342.50	1,345	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	598	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,495	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	655	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,716	1
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	330	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	957	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	395	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,185	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	578	246.68/cwt	240.00–250.00	1,426	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	625	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,563	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	525	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,103	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	285	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	912	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	478	335.12/cwt	330.00–341.00	1,602	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	323	304.98/cwt	260.00–318.00	985	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	377	261.08/cwt	235.00–290.00	984	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,375	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,300	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,085	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,421	2,065.84/head	1,600.00–2,600.00	2,066	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,455	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,286	2,524.88/head	1,900.00–3,150.00	2,525	19
Bulls	—	—	1,848	162.55/cwt	144.00–172.00	3,004	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,258	109.95/cwt	100.00–120.00	1,383	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,010	86.12/cwt	81.00–89.00	870	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,454	132.14/cwt	123.00–144.00	1,921	11

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 →