Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-04-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Above average attendance for this week's sale. Receipts are up from last week with a significant increase in the Feeder Cattle run. No market test on Feeders due to last week's lighter run but prices followed regional and nationwide trends. Many quality harder fleshed Steers and Heifers coming off a winter-feeding program in good shape for turn out. Trade active throughout, competitive demand on young Cow Calf pairs. Slaughter Cattle slightly higher this week.

Friday April 17th Feeder Calf Special Sale

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $493.27/cwt on 20 head, up $48.56 from the prior sale (only 17 head in that comparison). That ranks 2 of 2 comparable sales and sits +24.28 against this barn's trailing median of $468.99.

Average price

$493.27

▲ 48.56 vs prior sale

20 head · 559 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,759

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$389

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

$55.36/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+17.12

vs WV average

+10.09 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	567	502.86	2,850	14thin
Medium 2	538	482.60	2,596	4thin
Medium and Large 1	550	447.50	2,461	2thin

One grade step is worth $55.36/cwt here — about $389 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale20 hd

493.27

—

WV average2 barns · 44 hd

476.15

+17.12

National average169 barns · 10,003 hd

483.18

+10.09

This barn, trailing median2 sales

468.99

+24.28

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	1,813	196.92	3,570	2thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,433	170.25	2,439	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,380	158.90	2,193	3thin
Steers	Select	Low	1,240	172.00	2,133	1thin

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 Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	950	$2,600	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,452	$5,000	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,313	$4,770	2thin
Heifer Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	900	$4,500	1thin

Every lot, as filed

41 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	350–400	355	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,598	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	614	360.84/cwt	315.00–387.50	2,216	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	634	403.95/cwt	350.00–455.00	2,561	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,396	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	740	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,368	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	465	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,209	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	600	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,550	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	375	526.73/cwt	470.00–585.00	1,975	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	557	389.93/cwt	380.00–395.00	2,172	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	422	536.64/cwt	530.00–550.00	2,265	3
Steers	Medium 2	400–450	425	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,870	1
Steers	Medium 2	600–650	625	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,688	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	525	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,730	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	690	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,691	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	459	440.03/cwt	420.00–450.00	2,020	5
Steers	Medium 2	500–550	538	482.60/cwt	460.00–490.00	2,596	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	387	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	2,109	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	330	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	1,997	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	598	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,930	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	690	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	2,743	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	573	387.92/cwt	370.00–395.00	2,223	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	467	526.23/cwt	510.00–530.00	2,457	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	330	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,683	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	637	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,644	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	505	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,424	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	595	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,469	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	655	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,293	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	524	446.28/cwt	442.50–450.00	2,339	6
Heifers	Medium 2	700–750	745	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,086	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	430	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,914	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	505	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,970	1
Heifers	Medium 2	500–550	510	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,091	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,452	5,000.00/head	5,000.00–5,000.00	5,000	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,313	4,770.00/head	4,500.00–5,025.00	4,770	2
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	900	4,500.00/head	4,500.00–4,500.00	4,500	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	950	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Bulls	—	—	1,813	196.92/cwt	187.50–206.00	3,570	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,380	158.90/cwt	153.00–166.00	2,193	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,575	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	2,489	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,290	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	2,354	1
Steers	Select	—	1,240	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	2,133	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 →