Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-03-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Nice run of thin fleshed grass ready cattle with good demand.

NOTE: 115# black bull calf bring $1600

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $419.04/cwt on 15 head. That ranks 3 of 4 comparable sales and sits +3.67 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$419.04

15 head · 535 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,244

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$211

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

$5.05/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−10.28

vs WV average

−1.92 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	544	420.05	2,286	12thin
Medium and Large 2	500	415.00	2,075	3thin

One grade step is worth $5.05/cwt here — about $211 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale15 hd

419.04

—

WV average3 barns · 180 hd

429.32

−10.28

National average181 barns · 13,944 hd

420.96

−1.92

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

+3.67

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	1,840	183.88	3,383	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,269	152.49	1,935	5thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,303	136.69	1,781	3thin

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/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,535	$3,231	3thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,100	$3,900	1thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,250	$3,387	4thin
Bulls	N/A	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,250	$4,058	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,310	$4,011	3thin

Every lot, as filed

52 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 2Thin Fleshed	400–450	423	446.17/cwt	440.00–450.00	1,887	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 3Thin Fleshed	200–250	245	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	980	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	721	330.75/cwt	315.00–335.00	2,385	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	638	420.66/cwt	410.00–426.00	2,684	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	350–400	357	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,928	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	565	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,486	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	355	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,260	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	434.50/cwt	410.00–437.50	2,325	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	500	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,075	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	492	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,189	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	639	348.76/cwt	330.00–355.00	2,229	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	755	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,643	2
Heifers	Small 1-2	400–450	435	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,610	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	585	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,282	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	395	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,955	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,107	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	505	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,273	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	500–550	500	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,250	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	550–600	591	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,600	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	550–600	597	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	2,552	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	745	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,496	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	805	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,818	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	950	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,993	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	408	486.78/cwt	470.00–500.00	1,986	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	450–500	493	512.50/cwt	512.50–512.50	2,527	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	772	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,702	2
Steers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	465	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,721	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	620	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,015	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	360	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,728	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	550	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,145	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	687	378.37/cwt	370.00–395.00	2,599	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	510	462.50/cwt	462.50–462.50	2,359	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	572	376.68/cwt	350.00–420.00	2,155	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	652	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,412	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	923	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,723	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	620	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,984	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	425	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,785	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,250	4,058.00/head	3,850.00–4,250.00	4,058	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,343	3,766.20/head	3,700.00–3,850.00	3,766	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,245	4,500.00/head	4,500.00–4,500.00	4,500	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,535	3,231.38/head	1,555.00–4,300.00	3,231	3
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,100	3,900.00/head	3,900.00–3,900.00	3,900	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,250	3,387.00/head	3,300.00–3,450.00	3,387	4
Bulls	—	—	1,840	183.88/cwt	158.00–204.00	3,383	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,045	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	1,891	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,325	145.36/cwt	132.00–151.00	1,926	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,303	136.69/cwt	121.00–152.00	1,781	3
Bulls	Small 1-2	850–900	870	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,262	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	570	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,995	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,277	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	735	387.50/cwt	387.50–387.50	2,848	1
Bulls	Small 2	600–650	625	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,813	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 →