Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 20, 2023

89 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 89 96 85
Feeder cattle 6 12 21
Slaughter cattle 13 64 8
Replacement cattle — 4 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Feeder Cattle Special this Saturday September 23, 2023

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 thin fleshed 315 1 169.00 $169.00 $532 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 171.00 $171.00 $846 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 85-90% 1 37.00 $37.00 $374 —
865–1285 1075 85-90% 2 64.00–70.00 $67.59 $727 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910 910 80-85% 1 100.00 $100.00 $910 —
1285–1340 1313 80-85% 2 87.00–98.00 $92.38 $1,213 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1590 1438 75-80% 2 78.00 $78.00 $1,122 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540 1540 1 82.00 $82.00 $1,263 —
1105–2145 1739 4 73.00–130.00 $111.28 $1,935 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
75 75 1 78.00 $78.00 $58 —
100 100 1 120.00 $120.00 $120 —
105 105 2 85.00 $85.00 $89 —
165 165 1 70.00 $70.00 $116 -12.20
183 183 2 89.00 $89.00 $163 +6.80
195 195 18 93.00 $93.00 $181 +10.80

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
23 23 6 13.00 $13.00 -55.75
45 45 1 155.00 $155.00 +35.00
45 45 1 95.00 $95.00 -25.00
55 55 1 100.00 $100.00 +5.00

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
49 49 4 192.00 $192.00 $94 —
53–55 54 3 154.00–182.00 $163.57 $88 +43.57
55 55 3 183.00–190.00 $185.33 $102 +65.33
55 55 1 180.00 $180.00 $99 +60.00
65 65 1 100.00 $100.00 $65 -20.00
69 69 6 181.00 $181.00 $125 +61.00
70 70 2 173.00–190.00 $181.50 $127 +61.50
73 73 2 194.00 $194.00 $142 +59.00
85–86 86 5 194.00–196.00 $194.40 $167 +59.40
95–97 97 7 191.00–200.00 $192.26 $186 +57.26
100 100 2 190.00 $190.00 $190 +31.00

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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.