Sale reports / West Virginia / Preston Farmers Market / 2026-04-17

Preston Farmers Market

Feeder Cattle · Terra Alta, West Virginia · Fri, Apr 17
● Final61 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1874
Oct 1Apr 17latest
Receipts
632 head
17 vs last sale 649 632 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Also sold hereFeeder CattleFri Aug 14, 2026
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Good attendance today for the Spring Feeder Special Sale, trade active throughout for all types. Very similar head run to last year. Largest amount of the offering were shoulder type #2 muscled cattle, many coming off a quality winter feeding program and in the right condition to turn out on grass with expected gains. Warm conditions and increasing pasture growth in N. West Virginia pushing local demand. Not a good apple to apples comparison to last reported due to supply volume. However, looking at regional trends of the last week, demand for Feeder Steers was softer on the lighter end of the run, spot on steady for 5 and light 6 weights, then contracting a bit for heavier Steers. Feeder Heifers were steady to $5 higher on the lighter weight breaks while lower for the six and seven weights. A good part of the supply was represented as vaccinated.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $474.42/cwt on 114 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits +0.00 against this barn's trailing median of $474.42.
Average price
$474.42
114 head · 550 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,609
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$213
per head · Medium and Large 2 over Medium 2
$37.24/cwt at this weight
vs the market
7.81
vs WV average
13.93 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 2553479.792,65267
Medium and Large 1544477.032,59433
Medium 2551442.552,43814thin
One grade step is worth $37.24/cwt here — about $213 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 sale114 hd
474.42
WV average4 barns · 335 hd
482.23
−7.81
National average180 barns · 13,019 hd
488.35
−13.93
This barn, trailing median1 sales
474.42
+0.00
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

61 lots · USDA AMS · Preston Farmers Market Special Graded Sale - Terra Alta, WV
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
HeifersMedium and Large 2550–600573391.25/cwt385.00–400.002,2428
HeifersMedium and Large 2750–800770329.80/cwt320.00–350.002,5393
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy500–550545390.00/cwt390.00–390.002,1263
BullsMedium and Large 2650–700673359.34/cwt350.00–361.002,4188
HeifersMedium and Large 1700–750705325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,2912
HeifersMedium and Large 2600–650620364.60/cwt350.00–375.002,26117
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450422462.37/cwt410.00–490.001,95120
HeifersMedium and Large 2500–550537410.78/cwt405.00–430.002,20622
HeifersMedium and Large 2450–500470436.40/cwt400.00–450.002,05140
HeifersMedium and Large 2300–350310505.48/cwt470.00–525.001,5673
HeifersMedium and Large 2Value Added550–600563413.10/cwt410.00–415.002,32613
HeifersMedium 2400–450415460.00/cwt460.00–460.001,9092
HeifersMedium 2500–550533363.50/cwt350.00–370.001,9373
HeifersMedium and Large 2350–400376479.85/cwt410.00–517.501,80410
HeifersMedium and Large 1450–500477427.55/cwt420.00–440.002,0395
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550537395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,1213
HeifersMedium and Large 2Value Added400–450402496.00/cwt496.00–496.001,9945
HeifersMedium and Large 2700–750728335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,4394
HeifersMedium and Large 2Value Added500–550530420.34/cwt414.00–425.002,22812
HeifersMedium and Large 1Value Added450–500489462.00/cwt462.00–462.002,25922
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600582382.00/cwt382.00–382.002,2232
HeifersMedium and Large 1400–450431470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,0265
SteersMedium and Large 2600–650621450.07/cwt410.00–470.002,79513
HeifersMedium and Large 1600–650642370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,3752
SteersMedium and Large 1600–650635430.91/cwt425.00–450.002,7368
SteersMedium and Large 1300–350340600.00/cwt600.00–600.002,0402
SteersMedium and Large 1700–750718369.89/cwt335.00–375.002,65610
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy550–600578415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,3994
SteersMedium and Large 1450–500470495.00/cwt495.00–495.002,3271
HeifersMedium and Large 2Value Added600–650648370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,39815
SteersMedium and Large 2750–800766373.56/cwt370.00–376.002,8615
SteersMedium and Large 2500–550520498.69/cwt490.00–520.002,59327
SteersMedium and Large 2650–700678407.97/cwt380.00–440.002,76616
SteersMedium and Large 2700–750712366.23/cwt365.00–372.502,60812
SteersMedium and Large 1550–600570467.56/cwt420.00–492.502,6658
SteersMedium and Large 1500–550530487.73/cwt420.00–497.002,58517
SteersMedium and Large 1800–850822335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,7542
SteersMedium and Large 2550–600570462.11/cwt415.00–500.002,63429
SteersMedium and Large 2400–450434507.27/cwt500.00–515.002,2024
SteersMedium and Large 2450–500470501.92/cwt460.00–520.002,35929
SteersMedium and Large 1650–700665410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,7272
SteersMedium and Large 2350–400382547.50/cwt547.50–547.502,0913
SteersMedium and Large 2800–850815353.33/cwt350.00–360.002,8806
SteersMedium 2400–450425410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,7431
SteersMedium 2600–650645405.00/cwt405.00–405.002,6121
SteersMedium 2500–550504435.90/cwt400.00–445.002,1975
Beef/Dairy SteersLarge 3550–600550315.00/cwt280.00–350.001,7332
SteersMedium 2550–600577446.24/cwt330.00–470.002,5759
SteersMedium and Large 2Value Added550–600587480.00/cwt480.00–480.002,81811
SteersMedium and Large 2Value Added450–500463540.00/cwt540.00–540.002,5008
SteersMedium and Large 1Value Added500–550516512.50/cwt512.50–512.502,6454
SteersMedium and Large 1400–450440514.63/cwt485.00–530.002,2647
Beef/Dairy SteersLarge 3600–650632271.70/cwt265.00–275.001,7173
SteersMedium 2450–500493415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,0462
Beef/Dairy SteersLarge 3650–700690292.50/cwt292.50–292.502,0182
BullsMedium and Large 2550–600583410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,3902
BullsMedium and Large 2400–450429463.80/cwt450.00–485.001,9905
BullsMedium and Large 2750–800765285.20/cwt270.00–300.002,1822
BullsMedium and Large 2600–650645385.00/cwt385.00–385.002,4831
BullsMedium and Large 2500–550523490.00/cwt490.00–490.002,5632
BullsMedium and Large 2700–750735302.50/cwt302.50–302.502,2233

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.