Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-09-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Heavy run today for the Pre-Vaccinated Special Sale. Above average attendance and trade remained fairly steady throughout the sale. A lot of quality in the run. Wider price ranges with the vaccinated guaranteed offering holding up the higher end of the market. Baby calves up to $725.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $379.82/cwt on 113 head, down $113.45 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 3 comparable sales and sits −64.89 against this barn's trailing median of $444.71.

Average price

$379.82

▼ 113.45 vs prior sale

113 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,071

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$108

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

$14.81/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+10.26

vs WV average

−23.54 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	546	381.92	2,087	97
Medium and Large 2	539	367.11	1,979	16thin

One grade step is worth $14.81/cwt here — about $108 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

3 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $493.27, low $379.82, median $444.71 across 3 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 sale113 hd

379.82

—

WV average4 barns · 371 hd

369.56

+10.26

National average167 barns · 12,243 hd

403.36

−23.54

This barn, trailing median3 sales

444.71

−64.89

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

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	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,225	$2,000	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,325	$2,600	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 1	600–650	600	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,830	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	332.72/cwt	320.00–360.00	1,587	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	430	364.83/cwt	355.00–380.00	1,569	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	572	361.47/cwt	340.00–375.00	2,068	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	419	344.54/cwt	310.00–370.00	1,444	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	392	304.49/cwt	270.00–370.00	1,194	35
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,325	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	628	317.71/cwt	310.00–325.00	1,995	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	611	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,894	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	478	371.73/cwt	340.00–400.00	1,777	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	313	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,096	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	715	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,306	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	912	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,462	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	950–1000	959	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	3,141	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	524	369.67/cwt	330.00–400.00	1,937	11
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	370	443.90/cwt	400.00–470.00	1,642	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	808	311.00/cwt	311.00–311.00	2,513	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	580	359.59/cwt	322.50–390.00	2,086	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	481	399.20/cwt	365.00–431.00	1,920	30
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,225	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	470	330.43/cwt	305.00–355.00	1,553	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	521	319.62/cwt	300.00–340.00	1,665	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	665	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,995	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	512	404.71/cwt	350.00–418.00	2,072	48
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	537	330.34/cwt	315.00–355.00	1,774	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	382	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	1,385	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	325.58/cwt	300.00–351.00	2,019	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	627	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,906	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	359.56/cwt	347.50–380.00	1,543	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	684	328.51/cwt	326.00–330.00	2,247	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	462.50/cwt	462.50–462.50	1,711	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	334.06/cwt	315.00–350.00	1,754	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	326	344.95/cwt	340.00–360.00	1,125	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	429.31/cwt	415.00–445.00	1,842	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	476	330.62/cwt	315.00–345.00	1,574	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	429	388.28/cwt	360.00–405.00	1,666	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	275	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,031	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	760	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,280	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	263	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	921	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	690	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,932	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	305	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,281	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 →