Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-03-13
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-13

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Average attendance and lighter run by 2/3rds compared to last week; lighter run of Feeder Cattle especially influencing this. Beef Calves high as $1,200 per head. Slaughter Hogs up to $71 per cwt.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $370.00/cwt on 2 head, down $49.04 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −45.36 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$370.00

▼ 49.04 vs prior sale

2 head · 550 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,035

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+2.79

vs WV average

−43.78 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	550	370.00	2,035	2thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale2 hd

370.00

—

WV average2 barns · 19 hd

367.21

+2.79

National average182 barns · 10,991 hd

413.78

−43.78

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−45.36

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	1,900	172.44	3,276	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,103	139.38	1,537	4thin

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 (2-4 yrs)	1,000	$1,200	1thin
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,100	$2,300	1thin

Every lot, as filed

12 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 2	500–550	500	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,150	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	480	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,208	1
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	460	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,794	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	735	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,617	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	530	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,120	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	550	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,035	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Gaunt	350–400	385	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,810	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	480	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,920	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,100	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Bulls	—	—	1,900	172.44/cwt	170.00–175.00	3,276	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,103	139.38/cwt	130.00–150.00	1,537	4

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 →