Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 25, 2023

215 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 215 130 113
Feeder cattle 11 8 28
Slaughter cattle 113 112 85

Market comments — USDA reporter

Fat Cattle Sale included in report Special Feeder Sale this Saturday October 28, 2023

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325 1325 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,120 —
1387 1387 3 176.00 $176.00 $2,441 —
1360–1784 1544 15 173.00–182.00 $178.65 $2,758 —
1505–1715 1585 43 174.00–184.00 $182.15 $2,887 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 2 183.00 $183.00 $1,162 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1234–1262 1248 2 160.00–161.00 $160.51 $2,003 —
1282 1282 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,308 —
1300–1398 1349 6 175.00–178.00 $176.55 $2,382 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 121.00 $121.00 $520 —
490 490 1 110.00 $110.00 $539 —
545 545 1 136.00 $136.00 $741 —
1050 1050 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,071 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 129.00 $129.00 $361 —
590 590 1 100.00 $100.00 $590 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920 920 85-90% 1 92.00 $92.00 $846 —
885–1055 982 85-90% 3 31.00–39.00 $34.33 $337 -1.43
775–1505 1149 85-90% 24 48.00–73.00 $58.43 $671 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 80-85% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,310 —
1065–1630 1321 80-85% 9 64.00–90.00 $75.01 $991 +21.01

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–2305 1795 4 77.00–115.00 $103.65 $1,861 —

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Bucks

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 111.00 $111.00 $305 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 1 140.00 $140.00 +40.00
80 80 1 185.00 $185.00 +51.32

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
90 90 1 130.00 $130.00 -15.00

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
50 50 2 200.00 $200.00 $100 —
70 70 23 199.00 $199.00 $139 —
80–83 83 50 174.00–193.00 $191.90 $159 —
113–130 121 12 166.00–170.00 $168.88 $204 —

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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.