Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-04-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

*REPORT FOR FRIDAY APRIL 24, 2026

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $337.00/cwt on 6 head, down $89.30 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −78.36 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$337.00

▼ 89.30 vs prior sale

6 head · 550 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,854

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−46.08

vs WV average

−85.17 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	550	337.00	1,854	6thin

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 sale6 hd

337.00

—

WV average4 barns · 31 hd

383.08

−46.08

National average167 barns · 11,519 hd

422.17

−85.17

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−78.36

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	1,850	197.78	3,659	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	950	188.00	1,786	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,182	165.18	1,952	34

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	All Stages (1-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,350	$3,000	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,350	$4,950	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,050	$4,250	3thin

Every lot, as filed

24 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	550	423.00/cwt	423.00–423.00	2,327	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	750	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	2,355	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	750	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	2,280	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	250	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	1,438	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	450	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,868	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	850	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	2,627	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,350	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,050	4,250.00/head	4,250.00–4,250.00	4,250	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,350	4,950.00/head	4,950.00–4,950.00	4,950	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	350	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,330	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	550	393.00/cwt	393.00–393.00	2,162	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	1050–1100	1,050	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	2,594	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	950	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	1,786	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,182	165.18/cwt	159.00–170.00	1,952	34
Bulls	—	—	1,850	197.78/cwt	189.45–212.00	3,659	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	650	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,275	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	450	413.00/cwt	413.00–413.00	1,859	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	550	337.00/cwt	337.00–337.00	1,854	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	350	401.00/cwt	401.00–401.00	1,404	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	650	332.00/cwt	332.00–332.00	2,158	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	850	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	2,312	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	950	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,185	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	250	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,250	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	450	459.00/cwt	459.00–459.00	2,066	2

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 →