Name: South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange livestock auction prices — 2026-07-25
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-07-25

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Hay sales: Round bales 4X5 this years grass hay $65-$80 per bale; 3X3X8 grass hay $62.50-$80 per bale; Last year hay 4x5 outside hay $45

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $385.00/cwt on 6 head, down $112.19 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 2 comparable sales and sits −68.94 against this barn's trailing median of $453.94.

Average price

$385.00

▼ 112.19 vs prior sale

6 head · 538 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,073

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$297

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$90.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+12.25

vs WV average

−34.04 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	510	415.00	2,117	3thin
Large 1	570	370.00	2,109	2thin
Medium 2	560	325.00	1,820	1thin

One grade step is worth $90.00/cwt here — about $297 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 sale6 hd

385.00

—

WV average3 barns · 12 hd

372.75

+12.25

National average142 barns · 5,313 hd

419.04

−34.04

This barn, trailing median2 sales

453.94

−68.94

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	1,455	192.38	2,799	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,332	164.23	2,187	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,161	149.06	1,731	8thin

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 Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,007	$4,100	13
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,173	$4,075	2thin

Every lot, as filed

44 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
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	382	364.69/cwt	275.00–405.00	1,393	3
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	525	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,838	3
Bulls	Medium 3	700–750	720	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,620	1
Bulls	Medium 2	600–650	605	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,513	1
Bulls	Medium 2	250–300	295	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,254	1
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	485	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,649	1
Steers	Medium 2	300–350	345	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,553	1
Steers	Medium 1	200–250	218	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,003	2
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	610	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,074	1
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	665	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,128	1
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	420	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,512	1
Steers	Medium 2	600–650	630	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,142	1
Heifers	Medium 3	750–800	765	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,752	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	371.61/cwt	370.00–372.50	2,445	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	510	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,117	3
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,007	4,100.00/head	4,100.00–4,100.00	4,100	13
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,173	4,075.00/head	4,075.00–4,075.00	4,075	2
Steers	Medium 2	550–600	560	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,820	1
Steers	Medium 2	450–500	490	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,372	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	380	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,710	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	574	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,066	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	475	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,138	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	735	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,536	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	654	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,420	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,764	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	312	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,498	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	264	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,254	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Natural	—	1,154	153.21/cwt	135.00–165.00	1,768	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,210	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,452	1
Bulls	—	—	1,455	192.38/cwt	130.00–220.00	2,799	5
Bulls	Medium 1	600–650	633	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,994	2
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	495	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,178	3
Steers	Medium 1	250–300	273	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,160	2
Steers	Medium 1	700–750	700	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,170	1
Steers	Medium 2	400–450	445	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,780	1
Steers	Large 1	800–850	808	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,586	3
Steers	Large 1	200–250	210	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	893	1
Steers	Large 1	850–900	858	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,681	2
Heifers	Large 2	600–650	620	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,550	1
Steers	Large 1	550–600	570	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,109	2
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	580	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,885	1
Bulls	Large 1	650–700	672	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,083	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Natural	—	1,294	164.64/cwt	140.00–185.00	2,130	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,520	162.16/cwt	155.00–168.00	2,465	3

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 →