Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Saturdays

Sale of Saturday, August 22, 2026 Corrected report

255 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (259)

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $427.50/cwt ≈ $2,351/hd at 550 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $385.00/cwt ≈ $1,798/hd at 467 lb · 11 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $415.00/cwt ≈ $1,984/hd at 478 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 255 268 0
Feeder cattle 104 87 0
Slaughter cattle 42 99 0
Replacement cattle 11 8 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Hay sales: 4X4 1st cutting round bales range from $70-$72.50 per bale; 4X5 1st cutting round bales $70-$75. 3x3x8 large squares 1st cutting $75 ***See Board sale results***

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423 423 3 447.50 $447.50 $1,893 —
497 497 8 408.00 $408.00 $2,028 —
550 550 15 427.50 $427.50 $2,351 —
625 625 4 363.50 $363.50 $2,272 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,829 —
785 785 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,159 —
850 850 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,422 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,661 —
490 490 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,617 -70.00
745 745 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,123 -55.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
752 752 3 310.00 $310.00 $2,331 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690 690 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,484 +10.00
735 735 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,572 ±0.00
Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,935 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
359 359 8 402.50 $402.50 $1,445 —
467 467 11 385.00 $385.00 $1,798 —
549 549 5 381.00 $381.00 $2,092 —
550 550 2 335.00 $335.00 $1,842 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,292 —
450 450 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,372 -89.22
520 520 1 297.50 $297.50 $1,547 -62.50
925 925 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,035 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 4 340.00 $340.00 $2,023 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550–595 573 2 330.00–400.00 $366.38 $2,099 -3.62
765 765 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,218 +15.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478 478 10 415.00 $415.00 $1,984 —
558 558 3 415.00 $415.00 $2,316 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,269 —
350 350 4 435.00 $435.00 $1,522 —
650–695 680 3 320.00–345.00 $327.97 $2,230 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,789 -87.50
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,774 —
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
775 775 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,372 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1060 1028 80-85% 2 150.00–195.00 $171.79 $1,766 —
1090–1785 1540 80-85% 11 121.00–153.00 $138.80 $2,138 —
1045–2150 1579 80-85% 13 131.00–161.00 $144.64 $2,284 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1020 1013 85-90% 2 50.00–85.00 $67.37 $682 —
1100–1460 1287 85-90% 5 91.00–132.00 $113.57 $1,462 -26.68
1460 1460 85-90% 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,606 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410–1915 1725 7 161.00–227.00 $190.56 $3,287 —
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390 1390 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,668 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1350 1350 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
760 760 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
55 55 1 310.00 $310.00 $170 +15.00
70 70 1 160.00 $160.00 $112 -135.00
75 75 1 240.00 $240.00 $180 -5.00
80 80 2 200.00–255.00 $227.50 $182 -17.50
105 105 1 255.00 $255.00 $268 +10.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1360 1360 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,400.00 $3,400.00 —
1375 1375 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,600.00 $3,600.00 —
1413 1413 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 3,200.00 $3,200.00 —
1415 1415 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00 —
1440 1440 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1060 1060 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00 —
1300 1300 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,100.00 $3,100.00 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
148 148 2 230.00 $230.00 $340 —
150–159 157 11 140.00–185.00 $177.20 $278 +27.20

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Kids

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
40–45 43 6 220.00–350.00 $280.39 $121 -94.61
45 45 1 375.00 $375.00 $169 ±0.00
55 55 1 280.00 $280.00 $154 -60.00

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
40–45 43 3 220.00–310.00 $247.69 $107 —
45 45 1 170.00 $170.00 $76 —
60 60 1 100.00 $100.00 $60 -110.00
65 65 2 190.00 $190.00 $124 -20.00
70 70 2 125.00–375.00 $250.00 $175 +5.00
73 73 2 220.00 $220.00 $161 -25.00
77 77 3 235.00 $235.00 $181 -10.00
85 85 1 180.00 $180.00 $153 -32.30
90 90 1 200.00 $200.00 $180 -12.30

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Shorn

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
73 73 2 292.50 $292.50 $214 +17.50
115 115 1 260.00 $260.00 $299 +25.00

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
40 40 2 265.00–270.00 $267.50 $107 —
50–55 54 5 220.00–322.50 $303.52 $164 +34.42
71–72 71 12 290.00–293.00 $292.24 $207 +32.24
70–76 76 12 290.00–295.00 $290.39 $221 +16.04
93 93 19 277.50 $277.50 $258 +82.50

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Price trend

high 516.45 low 340.00 Sep 2025 Aug 2026

450–499 lb Medium and Large 1-2 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.

← Previous sale (Aug 8, 2026)

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