Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-05-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-22

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $305.00/cwt on 1 head, down $78.94 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −110.36 against this barn's trailing median of $415.36.

Average price

$305.00

▼ 78.94 vs prior sale

1 head · 570 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,739

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−96.91

vs WV average

−113.26 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 3	570	305.00	1,739	1thin

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 sale1 hd

305.00

—

WV average3 barns · 15 hd

401.91

−96.91

National average175 barns · 12,602 hd

418.26

−113.26

This barn, trailing median4 sales

415.36

−110.36

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	1,748	203.85	3,563	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,189	176.56	2,099	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,182	144.74	1,711	5thin

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,232	$3,069	3thin

Every lot, as filed

13 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 1-2	350–400	360	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,512	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	425	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,998	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	417	457.04/cwt	445.00–480.00	1,906	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,045	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,325	3,303.77/head	3,200.00–3,400.00	3,304	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	280	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,372	1
Bulls	—	—	1,748	203.85/cwt	177.00–220.00	3,563	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,189	176.56/cwt	136.00–215.00	2,099	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,150	154.68/cwt	137.00–177.00	1,779	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,310	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,376	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	350	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,050	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	570	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,739	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	297	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	1,708	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 →