Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 28, 2020

71 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 71 97 170
Feeder cattle 19 18 51
Slaughter cattle 35 57 86

Market comments — USDA reporter

Special Cow Sale October 30; Last special Graded Feeder sale for 2020 November 7.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 91.00 $91.00 $437 —
1122 1122 3 91.00 $91.00 $1,021 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 114.00 $114.00 $610 +4.00
625 625 1 101.00 $101.00 $631 -14.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 90.00 $90.00 $369 —
500–505 503 2 90.00–91.00 $90.50 $455 -6.50
555 555 1 80.00 $80.00 $444 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 1 80.00 $80.00 $492 ±0.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–925 845 85-90% 2 40.00–70.00 $56.42 $477 —
880–1360 1164 85-90% 18 20.00–43.00 $33.24 $387 +23.17
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–965 893 80-85% 2 47.00–50.00 $48.38 $432 —
980–1590 1346 80-85% 7 40.00–55.00 $44.70 $602 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1460 1460 75-80% 1 43.00 $43.00 $628 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–2010 1614 5 42.00–64.00 $52.74 $851 —

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Bucks

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 80.00 $80.00 $180 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
175 175 1 84.00 $84.00 $147 —
200 200 2 80.00 $80.00 $160 —

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70–73 72 3 142.50–150.00 $144.93 —
83 83 2 158.00 $158.00 —
90 90 2 167.50 $167.50 —
100 100 1 192.50 $192.50 +50.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
80 80 1 120.00 $120.00 $96 —

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Shorn

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
145 145 1 139.00 $139.00 $202 —
155 155 1 139.00 $139.00 $215 —

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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.