Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-08-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-21

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $275.00/cwt on 1 head, down $108.94 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 1 of 5 comparable sales and sits −136.69 against this barn's trailing median of $411.69.

Average price

$275.00

▼ 108.94 vs prior sale

1 head · 530 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,458

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−65.24

vs WV average

−75.92 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	530	275.00	1,458	1thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

5 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $426.30, low $326.53, median $411.69 across 5 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

275.00

—

WV average4 barns · 30 hd

340.24

−65.24

National average160 barns · 5,295 hd

350.92

−75.92

This barn, trailing median5 sales

411.69

−136.69

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	1,814	186.77	3,388	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,374	154.21	2,119	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,169	129.59	1,515	10
Dairy Bulls	—	Average	1,462	158.84	2,322	3thin

Every lot, as filed

19 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 2	900–950	940	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	1,904	1
Steers	Medium 2	650–700	680	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,074	1
Steers	Medium 2	550–600	580	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,711	1
Steers	Medium 2	500–550	510	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,989	1
Bulls	Medium 2	800–850	835	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	1,607	1
Bulls	Medium 1	950–1000	965	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,978	1
Dairy Bulls	—	—	1,462	158.84/cwt	150.00–175.00	2,322	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,206	143.86/cwt	126.00–159.00	1,735	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,374	154.21/cwt	143.00–164.00	2,119	7
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	370	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,203	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	965	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	579	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,075	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	914	1
Bulls	—	—	1,814	186.77/cwt	168.00–212.00	3,388	7
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	435	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,457	1
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	530	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,458	1
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	380	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,387	1
Bulls	Medium 1	350–400	380	395.00/cwt	390.00–400.00	1,501	2
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	535	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,699	1
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	475	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,663	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 →