Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-05-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

4 Replacement Heifers weighing 1000# bring $4800 each*

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $383.94/cwt on 15 head, down $42.35 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −31.42 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$383.94

▼ 42.35 vs prior sale

15 head · 554 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,128

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$33

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

$17.12/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−15.60

vs WV average

−43.96 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	551	388.50	2,139	10thin
Medium and Large 3	540	380.00	2,052	1thin
Medium and Large 2-3	510	380.00	1,938	1thin
Medium and Large 1-2	585	371.38	2,173	3thin

One grade step is worth $17.12/cwt here — about −$33 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.

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 sale15 hd

383.94

—

WV average3 barns · 37 hd

399.55

−15.60

National average182 barns · 12,459 hd

427.90

−43.96

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−31.42

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	1,503	192.58	2,894	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,553	170.60	2,649	6thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,388	157.00	2,179	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
Bulls	N/A	(<2 yrs)	1,307	$2,795	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,295	$3,000	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 3	400–450	405	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,458	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,722	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	465	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,930	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	795	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,783	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	490	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,470	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	566	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,207	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	515	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,983	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	450	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,025	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	700–750	707	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,475	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	675	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,363	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	590	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,478	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	385	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,444	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	810	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,511	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,125	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,363	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	835	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,672	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	820	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,665	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	500	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,050	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,388	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	2,179	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,553	170.60/cwt	156.00–186.00	2,649	6
Steers	Medium and Large 3	700–750	730	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,555	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	415	390.00/cwt	380.00–420.00	1,619	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	493	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,824	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	360	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,332	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	685	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,535	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	540	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,052	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	650–700	680	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,380	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	535	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,408	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	510	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,938	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	724	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,389	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	412	375.40/cwt	325.00–400.00	1,547	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	515	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,189	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	632	395.26/cwt	345.00–420.00	2,498	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	450–500	463	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	2,026	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	400–450	443	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,994	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	673	335.02/cwt	330.00–340.00	2,255	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	380	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,634	3
Bulls	—	—	1,503	192.58/cwt	190.00–197.50	2,894	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	505	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,172	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	371.38/cwt	365.00–385.00	2,173	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,295	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,307	2,794.77/head	2,375.00–3,100.00	2,795	3

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 →