Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-09-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-09-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

*Special Graded Feeder Calf Sale Wednesday October 1, 2025, 10AM*

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $357.77/cwt on 14 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −57.59 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$357.77

14 head · 509 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,822

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$709

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

$147.79/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+14.51

vs WV average

−8.08 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	505	400.00	2,020	10thin
Medium and Large 2	520	252.21	1,311	4thin

One grade step is worth $147.79/cwt here — about $709 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 sale14 hd

357.77

—

WV average5 barns · 138 hd

343.26

+14.51

National average172 barns · 11,458 hd

365.85

−8.08

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−57.59

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	1,987	145.16	2,884	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,249	136.02	1,699	6thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,865	136.00	2,536	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,021	115.70	1,181	11

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)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,135	$1,732	3thin

Every lot, as filed

46 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	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,865	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,536	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,069	126.30/cwt	110.00–139.00	1,350	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	985	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	699	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	620	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	403	1
Bulls	—	—	1,898	145.24/cwt	142.50–148.00	2,757	2
Bulls	—	—	2,165	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	3,139	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,806	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	485	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,940	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	265	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,166	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	325	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,138	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,470	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	370	358.55/cwt	345.00–365.00	1,327	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	474	388.28/cwt	375.00–397.50	1,840	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	575	251.75/cwt	240.00–260.00	1,448	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,036	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	230	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,047	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	487	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,851	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,530	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	485	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,328	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	800–850	830	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,743	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	533	449.95/cwt	449.00–460.00	2,398	11
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	710	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,024	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	350	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,610	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	200–250	225	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	900	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	615	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,599	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	355	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,030	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	252.21/cwt	220.00–320.00	1,311	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	650–700	670	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,223	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	700–750	700	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,540	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	360	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	900	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	520	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,638	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	700–750	745	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,123	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	250	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,075	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	605	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,104	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	400–450	400	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	880	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	550–600	575	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,279	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,135	1,731.50/head	1,475.00–2,000.00	1,732	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	475	385.26/cwt	320.00–420.00	1,830	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	505	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,020	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	600–650	630	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,575	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	525	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,969	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	590	272.94/cwt	220.00–325.00	1,610	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,249	136.02/cwt	126.00–144.00	1,699	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	600–650	630	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,638	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	325	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,463	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	618	328.29/cwt	320.00–345.00	2,029	3

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 →