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

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Included are some small herd dispersals as well as some calves that one dispersal halter broke some calves for local 4h and FFA projects (per head prices). Good demand for light feeder cattle and bred cows.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $351.13/cwt on 13 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −64.23 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$351.13

13 head · 539 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,892

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$188

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

$18.33/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−6.44

vs WV average

−20.38 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 3	572	365.00	2,088	2thin
Medium and Large 1-2	527	349.34	1,841	8thin
Medium and Large 2	548	346.67	1,900	3thin

One grade step is worth $18.33/cwt here — about $188 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.

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 sale13 hd

351.13

—

WV average3 barns · 57 hd

357.57

−6.44

National average145 barns · 7,681 hd

371.51

−20.38

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−64.23

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	1,753	185.50	3,252	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,379	157.06	2,165	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,666	147.45	2,457	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,164	120.54	1,403	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
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,713	$2,807	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,490	$2,637	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,575	$2,627	4thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,221	$2,618	9
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,278	$2,577	2thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,275	$2,550	1thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,296	$2,466	10
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,299	$2,356	4thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,000	$1,800	1thin
Bred Heifers	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	(<2 yrs)	828	$2,432	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,455	$3,800	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,395	$3,650	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,286	$3,624	12
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,234	$3,546	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,255	$2,975	2thin

Every lot, as filed

67 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 1-2	450–500	475	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,090	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	476	459.63/cwt	430.00–475.00	2,188	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	467	374.78/cwt	340.00–392.50	1,750	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	515	357.64/cwt	327.00–367.50	1,842	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,305	3,299.30/head	2,850.00–3,700.00	3,299	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	620	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	375	1,675.00/head	1,675.00–1,675.00	1,675	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	577	2,210.62/head	2,100.00–2,400.00	2,211	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	533	1,812.56/head	1,800.00–1,825.00	1,813	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	524	416.87/cwt	407.50–420.00	2,184	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,490	2,636.91/head	2,500.00–2,800.00	2,637	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	275	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,236	3,918.89/head	3,600.00–4,200.00	3,919	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,600	3,450.00/head	3,450.00–3,450.00	3,450	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,490	3,450.00/head	3,450.00–3,450.00	3,450	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,255	3,228.69/head	2,400.00–4,000.00	3,229	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,713	2,806.93/head	2,550.00–3,050.00	2,807	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	755	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,378	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,221	2,618.35/head	1,750.00–4,400.00	2,618	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,275	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,575	2,626.75/head	2,350.00–3,100.00	2,627	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	910	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,224	3,704.29/head	3,550.00–4,000.00	3,704	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,278	2,577.40/head	2,450.00–2,750.00	2,577	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,029	102.25/cwt	87.50–117.00	1,052	5
Bulls	—	—	1,753	185.50/cwt	167.00–200.00	3,252	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,260	133.60/cwt	112.00–151.00	1,683	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,666	147.45/cwt	141.00–159.00	2,457	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,275	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	2,525	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	153.34/cwt	144.00–162.00	2,128	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,300	3,850.00/head	3,850.00–3,850.00	3,850	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,455	3,800.00/head	3,800.00–3,800.00	3,800	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,299	2,355.87/head	1,925.00–2,750.00	2,356	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	828	2,432.48/head	2,200.00–2,650.00	2,432	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,296	2,466.22/head	1,750.00–3,900.00	2,466	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,420	4,100.00/head	4,100.00–4,100.00	4,100	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	335	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,005	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,318	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	510	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,683	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	665	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,095	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	625	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,344	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	535	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,766	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	395	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,422	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	567	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,013	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	695	695.00/cwt	695.00–695.00	4,830	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	390	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,112	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	526	429.38/cwt	395.00–447.50	2,259	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	572	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,088	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	570	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,052	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	530	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,776	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	440	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,760	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	374	399.67/cwt	385.00–410.00	1,495	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	810	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,471	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	315	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,197	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	345	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,087	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	423	469.10/cwt	420.00–477.00	1,984	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	428	388.66/cwt	330.00–403.00	1,663	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	378	448.96/cwt	375.00–490.00	1,697	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	385	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	740	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,887	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	200–250	240	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	900	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	619	327.58/cwt	290.00–340.00	2,028	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	320	394.26/cwt	385.00–407.00	1,262	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	563	324.44/cwt	300.00–350.00	1,827	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 →