Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-05-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-05-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

4 Fancy Open replacement heifers avg 1100# bring $3750-$3800 per head*

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $292.50/cwt on 2 head.

Average price

$292.50

2 head · 540 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,580

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$131

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

$35.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−26.52

vs WV average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	530	310.00	1,643	1thin
Medium and Large 2	550	275.00	1,513	1thin

One grade step is worth $35.00/cwt here — about $131 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale2 hd

292.50

—

WV average3 barns · 15 hd

319.02

−26.52

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	1,695	185.00	3,136	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,453	154.34	2,243	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,146	127.69	1,464	12

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
Bulls	N/A	(<2 yrs)	1,080	$2,250	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,100	$3,400	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,180	$3,265	2thin
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	900	$2,500	1thin

Every lot, as filed

22 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%	—	1,453	154.34/cwt	143.00–162.00	2,243	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,058	149.59/cwt	146.00–153.00	1,583	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	968	105.56/cwt	105.00–106.00	1,022	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,213	127.75/cwt	111.00–154.00	1,550	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	632	316.81/cwt	310.00–330.00	2,002	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	505	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,894	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	260	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	923	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	457	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,440	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	725	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,813	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	600	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,815	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	550	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,513	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	650–700	695	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,599	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,666	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,643	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,180	3,264.83/head	3,000.00–3,500.00	3,265	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,100	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	1,080	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	315	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,134	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	395	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,422	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	565	305.00/cwt	270.00–340.00	1,723	2
Bulls	—	—	1,695	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	3,136	1
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	900	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	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 →