Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-03-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-21

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $352.15/cwt on 19 head. That ranks 1 of 2 comparable sales and sits −116.84 against this barn's trailing median of $468.99.

Average price

$352.15

19 head · 555 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,953

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$651

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

$107.83/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+17.31

vs WV average

−5.01 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	556	357.83	1,988	18thin
Medium and Large 2	535	250.00	1,338	1thin

One grade step is worth $107.83/cwt here — about $651 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 sale19 hd

352.15

—

WV average4 barns · 45 hd

334.85

+17.31

National average170 barns · 10,920 hd

357.16

−5.01

This barn, trailing median2 sales

468.99

−116.84

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	1,485	164.09	2,437	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,755	148.33	2,603	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,317	146.22	1,925	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,079	108.68	1,173	8thin

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)	1,335	$2,850	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,275	$2,672	2thin

Every lot, as filed

49 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 and Large 2	600–650	625	259.91/cwt	247.50–267.50	1,624	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	330	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	924	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	395	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,067	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	578	304.05/cwt	300.00–305.00	1,757	10
Steers	Small and Medium 1	600–650	620	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,488	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	535	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,338	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	734	270.50/cwt	266.00–274.00	1,985	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	480	366.69/cwt	365.00–367.50	1,760	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	673	305.63/cwt	300.00–312.50	2,057	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	295	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	974	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	802	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	2,117	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	614	337.97/cwt	300.00–347.00	2,075	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	720	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,016	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	415	314.82/cwt	310.00–320.00	1,307	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	685	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,021	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	569	355.04/cwt	310.00–366.00	2,020	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	539	361.31/cwt	357.50–362.50	1,947	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	375	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,444	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	285	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,069	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	675	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,688	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	568	293.34/cwt	280.00–310.00	1,666	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	495	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,584	1
Bulls	Small 1	300–350	300	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	690	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	385	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,309	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	650	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,885	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,430	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	2,460	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	2,055	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,959	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,305	140.76/cwt	128.00–151.00	1,837	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,033	84.11/cwt	81.00–87.00	869	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,780	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	2,296	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,375	173.52/cwt	173.00–174.00	2,386	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,120	97.54/cwt	90.00–104.00	1,092	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,043	155.51/cwt	155.00–156.00	1,622	2
Bulls	—	—	1,715	179.14/cwt	173.00–185.00	3,072	2
Bulls	—	—	1,025	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,374	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,335	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,275	2,672.25/head	2,500.00–2,850.00	2,672	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	632	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,580	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	336	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	874	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	295	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	988	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,667	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	795	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,729	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	900–950	930	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,628	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	350	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	980	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	689	242.97/cwt	239.00–259.00	1,674	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	750	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,781	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	415	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,204	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	535	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,418	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	533	294.98/cwt	290.00–300.00	1,572	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 →