Name: South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange livestock auction prices — 2026-05-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Baby Calves range from $700-$1525

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $401.36/cwt on 25 head, up $6.96 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 4 of 5 comparable sales and sits +6.02 against this barn's trailing median of $395.34.

Average price

$401.36

▲ 6.96 vs prior sale

25 head · 532 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,135

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$253

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

$33.09/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.56

vs WV average

−16.90 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	535	406.66	2,177	21
Medium and Large 2	515	373.57	1,924	4thin

One grade step is worth $33.09/cwt here — about $253 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 sale25 hd

401.36

—

WV average4 barns · 54 hd

397.80

+3.56

National average175 barns · 12,602 hd

418.26

−16.90

This barn, trailing median5 sales

395.34

+6.02

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	1,855	212.57	3,943	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,354	167.72	2,271	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,191	147.38	1,755	19

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)	1,665	$2,807	2thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,200	$4,150	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,330	$4,350	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,400	$4,250	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,090	$3,977	3thin

Every lot, as filed

43 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 4	350–400	365	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,095	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 4	950–1000	965	205.50/cwt	205.50–205.50	1,983	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	395	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,133	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	320	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	1,856	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	610	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	2,455	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	250–300	285	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	912	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	581	386.94/cwt	355.00–395.00	2,248	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	2,121	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	785	347.00/cwt	347.00–347.00	2,724	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	410	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	2,112	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	300	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,800	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	515	373.57/cwt	350.00–385.00	1,924	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	620	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,411	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	540	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,916	1
Steers	Small 1-2	500–550	530	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,193	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	521	412.82/cwt	402.50–417.50	2,151	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	320	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	1,856	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,378	156.88/cwt	115.00–179.00	2,162	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Natural	—	830	72.73/cwt	70.00–75.00	604	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Natural	—	1,235	154.32/cwt	126.00–169.00	1,906	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,232	157.17/cwt	144.00–172.00	1,936	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,100	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,365	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	385	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,733	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	467	503.39/cwt	500.00–510.00	2,351	3
Bulls	Medium 4	850–900	865	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,860	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,330	4,350.00/head	4,350.00–4,350.00	4,350	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	815	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,665	2,806.61/head	2,700.00–2,900.00	2,807	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	4,150.00/head	4,150.00–4,150.00	4,150	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,228	4,515.22/head	4,225.00–4,700.00	4,515	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	350–400	386	353.80/cwt	250.00–425.00	1,366	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	678	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,204	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,400	4,250.00/head	4,250.00–4,250.00	4,250	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	240	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,080	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	255	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	803	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	345	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	1,811	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	485	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,213	1
Dairy Steers	Large 1	450–500	475	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,995	1
Bulls	Large 4	450–500	493	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,245	3
Dairy Steers	Large 4Thin Fleshed	700–750	715	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,037	1
Bulls	—	—	1,855	212.57/cwt	210.00–215.00	3,943	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Natural	—	1,315	174.38/cwt	171.00–183.00	2,293	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,625	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	2,893	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 →