Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-05-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-05-09

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $395.00/cwt on 4 head.

Average price

$395.00

4 head · 570 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,251

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$365

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

$140.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+76.71

vs WV average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	500	500.00	2,500	1thin
Medium and Large 1-2	593	360.00	2,135	3thin

One grade step is worth $140.00/cwt here — about $365 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 sale4 hd

395.00

—

WV average4 barns · 34 hd

318.29

+76.71

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	1,563	172.01	2,689	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,513	146.35	2,214	4thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,635	139.00	2,273	1thin

Every lot, as filed

27 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	—	—	1,505	166.01/cwt	162.50–169.00	2,498	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,635	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,273	1
Bulls	Small 2	300–350	300	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	780	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	450–500	462	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,548	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	890	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,958	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	350	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,050	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	770	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,887	1
Bulls	Small 1Fleshy	750–800	760	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,710	1
Heifers	Small 1-2Fleshy	950–1000	965	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,123	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	637	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,656	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	664	261.27/cwt	250.00–265.00	1,735	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	800–850	843	239.97/cwt	230.00–250.00	2,023	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	400–450	430	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,376	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,697	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	500–550	502	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,531	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	855	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	2,180	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	593	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,135	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	500	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,500	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	585	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,697	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	350–400	377	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,140	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	645	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,677	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,513	146.35/cwt	143.00–149.00	2,214	4
Bulls	—	—	1,680	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	3,091	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	775	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,976	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	325	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	926	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	885	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,301	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	465	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,581	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 →