Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 30, 2023

56 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 56 41 134
Feeder cattle 15 10 18
Slaughter cattle 12 15 66

Market comments — USDA reporter

See South Branch Board sale for Load Lots results

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690 690 1 92.00 $92.00 $635 —
805–815 810 2 110.00–111.00 $110.50 $895 —
925 925 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,082 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228 thin fleshed 228 3 162.50 $162.50 $370 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 165.00 $165.00 $380 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945 945 85-90% 1 54.00 $54.00 $510 —
1075–1360 1235 85-90% 4 51.00–80.00 $68.99 $852 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355 1355 80-85% 1 50.00 $50.00 $678 —
1400–1730 1565 80-85% 2 94.00–101.00 $97.87 $1,532 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1680–2055 1875 4 104.00–115.00 $110.55 $2,073 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
25 25 1 20.00 $20.00 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
140 140 1 88.00 $88.00 $123 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
45 45 1 145.00 $145.00 —
50 50 1 115.00 $115.00 -80.00
80 80 1 225.00 $225.00 +45.00

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
80 80 1 135.00 $135.00 —
115 115 1 145.00 $145.00 +75.00

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Shorn

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
155 155 1 120.00 $120.00 $186 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
95 95 1 230.00 $230.00 —

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
40 40 1 102.00 $102.00 $41 —
48 48 4 139.00 $139.00 $67 —
53–57 56 9 125.00–139.00 $134.56 $75 —
65 65 4 157.00 $157.00 $102 —
88 88 2 166.00 $166.00 $146 —

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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.