Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-04-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slightly larger run than last reported with small gains in Feeder and Slaughter Cattle offering, higher than average attendance. Trade active throughout. Feeder Cattle demand a bit across the board in reflection of local preferences moving towards turn out. Demand significantly lower for four to five weight Steers, while six weights sold steady. Feeder Heifers sold steady on the lighter and heavier ends of the run while heavy fives and light sixes were $15 to $30 higher per cwt. Also worth noting is the demand for Cow/Calf pairs remaining firmly in the $4,000 to $5,000 range. Slaughter Cows $1-$2 per cwt higher for better dressing; Bulls spot on steady. Baby Calves; Heifers up to $750 and Bulls up to $1,500.

Next week is the Spring Feeder Cattle Special Sale

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $426.30/cwt on 42 head, up $14.61 from the prior sale (only 16 head in that comparison). That ranks 4 of 4 comparable sales and sits +10.93 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$426.30

▲ 14.61 vs prior sale

42 head · 554 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,363

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$21

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

$6.77/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+25.02

vs WV average

−2.06 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	552	429.52	2,372	22
Medium and Large 2	556	422.75	2,352	20

One grade step is worth $6.77/cwt here — about $21 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 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 sale42 hd

426.30

—

WV average3 barns · 95 hd

401.28

+25.02

National average175 barns · 10,626 hd

428.36

−2.06

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

+10.93

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	—	Low	1,792	191.30	3,428	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,218	162.82	1,983	4thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,695	159.00	2,695	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,031	115.66	1,192	5thin
Steers	Select	Average	1,285	200.00	2,570	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 Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,555	$3,400	1thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	950	$1,750	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,440	$5,100	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,192	$4,188	3thin

Every lot, as filed

54 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 2	550–600	596	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,235	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	473	412.43/cwt	400.00–460.00	1,951	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	507	441.89/cwt	420.00–455.00	2,240	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	543	438.67/cwt	400.00–495.00	2,382	15
Steers	Medium and Large 2	1000–1050	1,035	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,795	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	445	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,513	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	533	483.50/cwt	470.00–490.00	2,577	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	614	428.40/cwt	375.00–450.00	2,630	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	650–700	676	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	3,110	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	550–600	565	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	2,415	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	421.39/cwt	365.00–480.00	2,191	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	555	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,331	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	374.31/cwt	370.00–375.00	2,717	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	764	364.96/cwt	350.00–370.00	2,788	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	355	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	1,988	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	410	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,009	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	645	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,741	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	440	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,112	1
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	315	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,166	1
Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	945	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,693	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	338	430.89/cwt	340.00–550.00	1,456	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	853	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,879	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	615	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,583	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	465	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,139	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,500	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	735	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,720	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,261	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	1,724	1
Steers	Select	—	1,285	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,570	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,045	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	888	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,147	161.26/cwt	154.00–166.00	1,850	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	2,395	1
Bulls	—	—	1,920	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	3,379	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,027	123.33/cwt	117.50–135.00	1,267	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,695	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,695	1
Bulls	—	—	1,760	195.13/cwt	185.00–212.50	3,434	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	950	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,555	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,585	5,200.00/head	5,200.00–5,200.00	5,200	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,175	3,650.00/head	3,650.00–3,650.00	3,650	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	4,457.29/head	4,100.00–4,800.00	4,457	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,295	5,000.00/head	5,000.00–5,000.00	5,000	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	350–400	375	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,819	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	600–650	601	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,314	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	230	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,219	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	655	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,063	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	560	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,688	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	450–500	497	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,212	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	790	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	2,311	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	661	353.37/cwt	330.00–370.00	2,336	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	566	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,406	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,539	1
Heifers	Medium 2	200–250	215	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	828	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	838	306.23/cwt	295.00–315.00	2,566	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 →