Name: South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange livestock auction prices — 2026-09-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Hay sales: 4X4 1st cutting bales range from $40.00 to $72.50 per bale; 1st cutting 3x3x8 bales $75.00; 4x4 round bales 2nd cutting up to $77.50 per bale.

First Graded feeder sale Saturday September 16th 2026

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $318.21/cwt on 3 head, down $109.29 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 1 of 3 comparable sales and sits −109.29 against this barn's trailing median of $427.50.

Average price

$318.21

▼ 109.29 vs prior sale

3 head · 529 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,682

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−46.85

vs WV average

−72.38 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 2	529	318.21	1,682	3thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

3 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $497.19, low $410.69, median $427.50 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 sale3 hd

318.21

—

WV average3 barns · 63 hd

365.06

−46.85

National average134 barns · 6,067 hd

390.59

−72.38

This barn, trailing median3 sales

427.50

−109.29

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	208.00	3,858	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,548	151.68	2,348	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,122	101.78	1,141	6thin

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	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,550	$2,512	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,200	$2,350	1thin

Every lot, as filed

26 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	Boner 80-85%	—	1,548	151.68/cwt	145.00–160.00	2,348	4
Bulls	—	—	1,855	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	3,858	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,028	83.72/cwt	81.00–85.00	861	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Natural	—	1,215	119.84/cwt	100.00–130.00	1,456	3
Bulls	Medium 2	400–450	425	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,870	1
Steers	Medium 2	450–500	483	325.39/cwt	300.00–350.00	1,572	2
Steers	Medium 2	550–600	550	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,925	1
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	455	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,263	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,550	2,512.30/head	2,500.00–2,525.00	2,512	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	2,350.00/head	2,350.00–2,350.00	2,350	1
Steers	Medium 2	500–550	518	302.32/cwt	295.00–310.00	1,566	2
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	403	373.43/cwt	350.00–385.00	1,505	3
Bulls	Medium 2	600–650	605	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,664	1
Heifers	Medium 4	600–650	625	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,063	1
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	605	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,390	1
Steers	Medium 1-2	400–450	415	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,826	3
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	487	359.88/cwt	350.00–375.00	1,753	3
Steers	Medium 1	350–400	385	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,636	1
Bulls	Medium 2	250–300	250	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,013	1
Bulls	Medium 2	450–500	455	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,888	1
Bulls	Medium 1	850–900	860	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,021	1
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	560	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,988	1
Bulls	Medium 1	350–400	380	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,824	1
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	480	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,184	1
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	545	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,398	1
Bulls	Medium 1	600–650	600	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,160	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 →