Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 17, 2023

54 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 54 196 111
Feeder cattle 22 94 13
Slaughter cattle 24 70 90
Replacement cattle 2 — 4

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
438 thin fleshed 438 2 158.00 $158.00 $692 —
573 573 2 125.00 $125.00 $716 —
730 730 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,278 +66.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 2 168.00 $168.00 $890 +33.00
560 560 1 178.00 $178.00 $997 —
635 635 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,048 +31.00
655–660 658 2 168.00–170.00 $169.00 $1,112 +39.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
311 311 1 125.00 $125.00 $389 —
435 435 1 165.00 $165.00 $718 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 104.00 $104.00 $338 —
525 525 1 129.00 $129.00 $677 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 163.00 $163.00 $807 —
600 600 1 121.00 $121.00 $726 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 160.00 $160.00 $328 —
840 840 1 106.00 $106.00 $890 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 194.00 $194.00 $776 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1185 1165 80-85% 2 113.00–121.00 $117.07 $1,364 —
1340 1340 80-85% 1 94.00 $94.00 $1,260 -0.27
1020–1650 1350 80-85% 11 79.00–95.00 $85.96 $1,160 +5.29
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
870 870 85-90% 1 81.00 $81.00 $705 —
945–1050 998 85-90% 2 69.00–73.00 $71.11 $710 —
960–1132 1029 85-90% 3 31.00–62.00 $44.19 $455 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1620–1935 1778 75-80% 2 87.00–89.00 $87.91 $1,563 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1575 1225 2 94.00–105.00 $97.93 $1,200 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1415 1415 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

↑ Back to top

Bucks

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 104.00 $104.00 $224 —

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1155 1155 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00 —

↑ Back to top

Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20–25 23 2 45.00 $45.00 —
23 23 2 75.00 $75.00 —

↑ Back to top

Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
75 75 1 120.00 $120.00 -30.00

↑ Back to top

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.