Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-08-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-08-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Light offering but strong demand for high dressing slaughter cows and bulls: beginning to see local demand for feeder cattle increase.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $325.93/cwt on 3 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −89.43 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$325.93

3 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,803

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

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

$51.10/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−6.48

vs WV average

−33.87 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	500	360.00	1,800	1thin
Medium and Large 2	580	308.90	1,792	2thin

One grade step is worth $51.10/cwt here — about $8 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.

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 sale3 hd

325.93

—

WV average3 barns · 43 hd

332.41

−6.48

National average158 barns · 7,895 hd

359.80

−33.87

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−89.43

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	1,974	206.37	4,073	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,433	164.54	2,358	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,364	154.50	2,107	4thin

Every lot, as filed

18 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	415	379.83/cwt	365.00–410.00	1,576	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	670	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,278	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	500	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,800	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,053	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	385	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,733	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	345	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,190	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,489	162.45/cwt	153.00–169.00	2,419	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,293	169.78/cwt	167.00–172.00	2,195	2
Bulls	—	—	2,083	226.46/cwt	216.00–237.00	4,717	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	385	378.33/cwt	355.00–390.00	1,457	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,364	154.50/cwt	143.00–162.00	2,107	4
Bulls	—	—	1,930	198.34/cwt	188.00–206.00	3,828	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	525	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,021	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	460	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,001	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	405	344.44/cwt	300.00–390.00	1,395	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	580	308.90/cwt	300.00–317.50	1,792	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	655	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,260	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	600–650	625	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,563	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 →