Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-08-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-28

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $327.76/cwt on 7 head.

Average price

$327.76

7 head · 549 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,800

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$152

per head · Medium 1 over Medium 2

$21.62/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−17.36

vs WV average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	554	337.03	1,865	4thin
Medium 2	543	315.41	1,714	3thin

One grade step is worth $21.62/cwt here — about $152 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale7 hd

327.76

—

WV average4 barns · 36 hd

345.12

−17.36

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	1,888	180.40	3,406	5thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,014	116.55	1,181	4thin

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 (5-8 yrs)	1,040	$1,500	1thin
Bred Cows	All Stages (1-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	795	$1,100	1thin
Bulls	N/A	(<2 yrs)	1,005	$1,800	1thin

Every lot, as filed

28 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	—	—	1,888	180.40/cwt	165.00–195.00	3,406	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	700	30.00/cwt	30.00–30.00	210	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,118	145.40/cwt	144.00–146.00	1,626	3
Bulls	Medium 2	350–400	385	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,425	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,040	1,500.00/head	1,500.00–1,500.00	1,500	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	795	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,051	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,785	7
Bulls	Medium 2	600–650	605	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,634	1
Bulls	Medium 1	550–600	568	331.04/cwt	305.00–345.00	1,880	3
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	550	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,733	2
Steers	Medium 1	900–950	900	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,610	2
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	482	333.29/cwt	320.00–340.00	1,606	3
Bulls	Medium 2	700–750	725	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,921	1
Bulls	Medium 2	900–950	935	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,683	1
Bulls	Medium 2	550–600	560	297.61/cwt	285.00–310.00	1,667	2
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	300	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,155	1
Bulls	Medium 2	400–450	425	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,509	1
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	420	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,428	1
Bulls	Medium 3	450–500	480	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,248	1
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	510	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,811	1
Bulls	Medium 1	600–650	600	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,950	1
Bulls	Medium 2	500–550	510	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	1,790	1
Heifers	Medium 2	250–300	267	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	713	3
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	353	340.07/cwt	330.00–350.00	1,200	2
Heifers	Medium 2	150–200	190	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	675	1
Bulls	Medium 1	400–450	425	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,636	2
Bulls	Medium 2	—	1,005	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Bulls	Medium 2	300–350	345	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,449	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 →