Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 15, 2023

107 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 107 51 106
Feeder cattle 15 2 28
Slaughter cattle 30 28 73

Market comments — USDA reporter

***See Board Cattle Sale results*** Nanny goats with kids at side Low: $170 High:$300

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
420 thin fleshed 420 1 195.00 $195.00 $819 —
468 thin fleshed 468 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,053 —
650 650 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,300 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 230.00 $230.00 $794 —
515 thin fleshed 515 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,030 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,080 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 195.00 $195.00 $712 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 thin fleshed 565 1 140.00 $140.00 $791 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1306 1306 7 164.00 $164.00 $2,142 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473 thin fleshed 473 2 161.00 $161.00 $762 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 thin fleshed 565 1 141.00 $141.00 $797 —
Medium and Large 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 91.00 $91.00 $564 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–1085 900 85-90% 3 10.00–25.00 $16.03 $144 —
815–1495 1102 85-90% 8 52.00–73.00 $66.86 $737 -5.06
1120–1140 1127 85-90% 3 43.00–57.00 $48.38 $545 -23.54
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1310 1124 80-85% 5 72.00–90.00 $81.49 $916 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1565 1333 2 71.00–85.00 $76.78 $1,023 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
120 120 3 90.00 $90.00 $108 -24.00

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Kids

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
48 fancy 48 4 370.00 $370.00 $178 —
51 51 5 360.00 $360.00 $184 —
56 56 32 370.00 $370.00 $207 —
75 75 6 360.00 $360.00 $270 —

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
48 thin fleshed 48 3 280.00 $280.00 $134 —
N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
35 thin fleshed 35 1 30.00 $30.00 —
45 45 1 75.00 $75.00 ±0.00

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
75 75 2 230.00–290.00 $260.00 $195 +62.00
90 90 4 235.00–245.00 $240.00 $216 +32.00
120 120 2 195.00 $195.00 $234 -11.00

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Wooled & Shorn

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
100 100 2 217.00 $217.00 $217 —

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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.