Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-03-27
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-27

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

*70-80# calves $700-850*

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $418.33/cwt on 6 head, down $0.70 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 3 of 4 comparable sales and sits +2.97 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$418.33

▼ 0.70 vs prior sale

6 head · 529 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,211

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$254

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

$58.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+7.55

vs WV average

−6.86 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	526	428.00	2,252	5thin
Medium and Large 2	540	370.00	1,998	1thin

One grade step is worth $58.00/cwt here — about $254 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 800–900 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 sale6 hd

418.33

—

WV average4 barns · 82 hd

410.79

+7.55

National average176 barns · 15,314 hd

425.19

−6.86

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

+2.97

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	2,355	220.00	5,181	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,405	163.75	2,301	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,197	159.82	1,912	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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,200	$3,600	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,403	$3,593	2thin
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,023	$3,206	6
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	940	$3,205	5
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,000	$2,300	1thin

Every lot, as filed

36 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	550–600	563	396.98/cwt	370.00–410.00	2,235	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	500–550	524	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	2,345	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	775	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,480	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	485	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,892	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	485	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,843	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,873	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	705	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,397	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	649	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,239	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	330	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,023	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	700–750	720	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,800	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	550–600	555	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,249	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	1000–1050	1,030	236.21/cwt	227.50–245.00	2,433	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	400	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,840	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	540	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,998	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	1050–1100	1,090	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,235	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	750–800	770	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,464	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 4	850–900	850	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,530	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	850	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,210	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	700–750	700	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,785	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	440	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,936	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,023	3,205.54/head	2,950.00–3,500.00	3,206	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	500–550	546	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,730	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	617	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,622	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,403	3,592.51/head	3,400.00–3,800.00	3,593	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	940	3,205.32/head	2,900.00–3,600.00	3,205	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,210	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	2,148	1
Heifers	Small 2	350–400	375	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,613	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	810	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,430	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed	800–850	835	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,213	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	660	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,343	1
Bulls	—	—	2,355	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	5,181	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,182	153.92/cwt	150.00–159.00	1,819	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,240	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	2,201	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,600	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	2,400	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 →