Name: South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange livestock auction prices — 2026-05-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Complete dispersal special along with regular sale. Strong demand for cow calf pairs as well as feeder cattle.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $394.41/cwt on 15 head, down $0.94 from the prior sale (only 18 head in that comparison). That ranks 2 of 5 comparable sales and sits −0.94 against this barn's trailing median of $395.34.

Average price

$394.41

▼ 0.94 vs prior sale

15 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,140

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$373

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 3

$82.78/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.20

vs WV average

−33.49 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	542	407.78	2,210	9thin
Medium and Large 2	533	399.03	2,127	4thin
Medium and Large 3	565	325.00	1,836	2thin

One grade step is worth $82.78/cwt here — about $373 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

5 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $410.80, low $356.75, median $395.34 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 sale15 hd

394.41

—

WV average5 barns · 65 hd

394.20

+0.20

National average182 barns · 12,459 hd

427.90

−33.49

This barn, trailing median5 sales

395.34

−0.94

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	1,688	218.29	3,684	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,263	184.23	2,327	48
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,686	179.29	3,023	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,106	153.83	1,702	42

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,530	$4,500	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,518	$3,737	6
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,235	$3,500	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,253	$3,450	3thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,388	$3,050	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,095	$2,600	3thin
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,212	$4,300	3thin
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	745	$2,575	1thin
Bulls	N/A	(<2 yrs)	1,226	$4,816	6
Bulls	N/A	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,568	$4,125	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,084	$5,219	32
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	950	$5,059	18
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,142	$4,676	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,176	$4,207	19
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,254	$3,625	2thin

Every lot, as filed

79 lots · USDA AMS · South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange - Moorefield, 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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,748	179.05/cwt	172.00–188.00	3,130	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,356	169.01/cwt	146.00–185.00	2,292	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	740	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,553	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	875	277.10/cwt	260.00–295.00	2,425	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	508	484.94/cwt	475.00–492.50	2,463	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	150–200	160	710.00/head	710.00–710.00	710	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	465	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,418	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	603	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,291	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	150–200	150	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	870	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	795	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,783	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	290	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,392	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	625	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,781	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	435	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,327	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	555	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,886	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	495	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,574	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	1050–1100	1,060	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,862	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	378	576.59/cwt	550.00–605.00	2,180	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	345	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,173	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	524	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,751	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	381	458.18/cwt	430.00–500.00	1,746	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	405	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,640	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	684	351.99/cwt	350.00–352.50	2,408	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	675	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,835	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	509	425.99/cwt	420.00–430.00	2,168	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	365	610.00/cwt	610.00–610.00	2,227	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	835	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,296	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	898	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,649	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	335	650.00/cwt	650.00–650.00	2,178	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	850	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	2,168	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	100–150	145	700.00/head	700.00–700.00	700	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	295	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,475	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	513	398.05/cwt	375.00–420.00	2,042	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	553	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,212	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	465	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,628	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	583	385.01/cwt	380.00–390.00	2,245	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	760	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,432	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	565	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,836	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	418	467.37/cwt	460.00–475.00	1,954	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	150–200	192	610.00/cwt	610.00–610.00	1,171	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	310	448.39/cwt	400.00–500.00	1,390	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	150–200	170	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	867	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	480	399.06/cwt	375.00–410.00	1,915	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	100–150	140	566.61/cwt	520.00–610.00	793	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	755	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,341	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	815	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,445	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	433	505.43/cwt	480.00–530.00	2,189	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	578	395.11/cwt	390.00–400.00	2,284	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	650–700	655	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,129	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	678	366.58/cwt	360.00–370.00	2,485	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,226	4,816.04/head	3,700.00–6,000.00	4,816	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,568	4,124.72/head	3,950.00–4,300.00	4,125	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	950	5,059.48/head	3,800.00–5,700.00	5,059	18
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,006	5,100.00/head	5,100.00–5,100.00	5,100	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,102	5,246.57/head	4,000.00–5,900.00	5,247	26
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,176	4,206.89/head	3,900.00–4,525.00	4,207	19
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,235	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	3
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	745	2,575.00/head	2,575.00–2,575.00	2,575	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,212	4,300.00/head	4,300.00–4,300.00	4,300	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,530	4,500.00/head	4,500.00–4,500.00	4,500	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,142	4,676.27/head	4,500.00–4,775.00	4,676	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,388	3,050.00/head	3,050.00–3,050.00	3,050	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,095	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,518	3,736.68/head	2,800.00–4,100.00	3,737	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,253	3,450.00/head	3,450.00–3,450.00	3,450	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,254	3,624.60/head	3,500.00–3,750.00	3,625	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,100	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,255	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,090	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,180	1
Bulls	—	—	1,773	218.47/cwt	171.00–250.00	3,873	16
Bulls	—	—	1,510	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	3,730	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,065	225.99/cwt	191.00–247.50	2,407	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	835	234.94/cwt	185.00–280.00	1,962	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	912	89.14/cwt	51.00–115.00	813	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	151.16/cwt	120.00–180.00	1,814	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,160	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,610	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Natural	—	755	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	717	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Non-Traditional	—	980	253.12/cwt	200.00–290.00	2,481	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Natural	—	1,230	176.30/cwt	160.00–195.00	2,168	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Natural	—	1,500	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	2,700	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Natural	—	1,206	162.20/cwt	125.00–185.00	1,956	11

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 →