Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 14, 2022

196 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 196 295 57
Feeder cattle 9 126 20
Slaughter cattle 8 132 19
Replacement cattle — 24 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Special Sheep & Goat Sale. No Sale December 21 & 28

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Heifers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362 362 3 100.00 $100.00 $362 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 1 81.00 $81.00 $526 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 50.00 $50.00 $250 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 137.50 $137.50 $584 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185 1185 85-90% 1 20.00 $20.00 $237 -15.49
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505 1505 80-85% 1 54.00 $54.00 $813 -12.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1855 1490 4 20.00–75.00 $46.08 $687 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
35 35 1 90.00 $90.00 —
70 70 1 190.00 $190.00 +10.00
145 145 1 135.00 $135.00 -65.00
195 195 1 305.00 $305.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 52.50 $52.50 $147 —
310 thin fleshed 310 1 40.00 $40.00 $124 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 75.00 $75.00 $334 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
168–170 169 3 80.00–81.00 $80.34 $136 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
33–35 34 2 40.00–70.00 $55.44 -14.56
35 35 1 95.00 $95.00 +25.00
35 35 1 15.00 $15.00 -55.00
38 38 2 100.00 $100.00 +30.00
40 40 1 95.00 $95.00 +25.00
40–43 42 4 122.50–175.00 $147.80 +77.80
42 42 2 135.00 $135.00 +65.00
42–48 45 10 127.50–160.00 $142.33 +72.33
45 45 1 90.00 $90.00 +20.00
50–59 55 17 120.00–182.50 $163.40 +48.40
55 55 1 150.00 $150.00 +35.00
55 55 1 75.00 $75.00 -40.00
60 60 1 177.50 $177.50 +62.50
100 100 1 180.00 $180.00 —

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 1 145.00 $145.00 +20.00
60 60 2 140.00 $140.00 +15.00
65 65 1 130.00 $130.00 +5.00
75 75 1 80.00 $80.00 -45.00
75 75 1 125.00 $125.00 ±0.00
85 85 1 135.00 $135.00 +10.00
95 95 1 150.00 $150.00 +25.00
122 122 3 132.50 $132.50 -17.50

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
58 58 2 180.00 $180.00 —

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
55 55 1 50.00 $50.00 $28 —
70 70 1 151.00 $151.00 $106 —
71–75 74 30 196.00–209.00 $207.35 $153 —
88 88 8 201.00 $201.00 $177 —
90–99 98 36 190.00–209.00 $192.92 $189 —
103–135 117 36 138.00–171.00 $159.03 $186 —
128 128 2 124.00 $124.00 $159 —

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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.