Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 15, 2023

150 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 150 156 54
Feeder cattle 35 35 12
Slaughter cattle 96 29 26

Market comments — USDA reporter

Above average attendance for today's Slaughter Cattle Special; demand remaining fairly firm compared to last month's sale despite national trends over the same time. Higher yield Choice and Prime Steers sold $3 lower per cwt, Choice 3-4 $5-$7.75 lower; underscoring the lowering trend it should also be noted that weights averaged 25 to 80 lbs. less this sale. Little bit different story for Choice Heifers as demand rose $2 per cwt despite them averaging 130 lb. heavier a head. Slaughter Cows selling steady to $1 per cwt higher compared to last week, Breakers stood out of the pack by appearing to sell $12 higher, however, they averaged more than 200 lb. per head lighter today. No market test on Bulls or Feeders. Heiferettes, $106-$120 per cwt. ***No Sale Wednesday, November 22--Happy Thanksgiving! ***

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295–1598 1514 14 173.00–178.00 $175.71 $2,660 —
1499–1551 1542 6 175.00–177.00 $176.68 $2,724 —
1576–1699 1627 21 179.00–182.00 $180.51 $2,937 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 166.00 $166.00 $498 —
520 520 1 140.00 $140.00 $728 -4.00

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1310 1282 10 167.00–171.00 $167.92 $2,153 —
1552 1552 3 151.00 $151.00 $2,344 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 147.50 $147.50 $863 —
660 660 1 144.00 $144.00 $950 —
731 731 4 146.00 $146.00 $1,067 —
880 880 2 142.00 $142.00 $1,250 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–457 457 4 127.50 $127.50 $583 -17.50
500 500 1 105.00 $105.00 $525 —
610 610 1 137.50 $137.50 $839 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 132.00 $132.00 $462 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 210.00 $210.00 $620 —
400 400 1 185.00 $185.00 $740 —
490 490 1 170.00 $170.00 $833 —
540–545 543 3 152.50–162.50 $155.81 $846 —
590 590 1 142.00 $142.00 $838 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1170 1085 85-90% 2 34.00–37.00 $35.38 $384 —
835–1425 1124 85-90% 6 33.00–56.00 $47.61 $535 +12.90
835–1500 1168 85-90% 2 73.00–81.00 $75.86 $886 —
995–1375 1223 85-90% 5 60.00–75.00 $64.52 $789 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1350 1162 80-85% 3 88.00–91.00 $89.52 $1,040 —
1195–1370 1287 80-85% 3 60.00–73.00 $68.64 $883 —
1095–1475 1343 80-85% 4 78.00–85.00 $82.17 $1,104 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1485 1398 75-80% 3 84.00–94.00 $88.09 $1,231 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015 1015 1 87.00 $87.00 $883 —
2010 2010 1 115.00 $115.00 $2,312 —

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Bucks

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 108.00 $108.00 $227 —
265–280 273 2 90.00–96.00 $92.92 $254 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
110 110 1 205.00 $205.00 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
140 140 1 67.00 $67.00 $94 -8.00
195 195 3 79.00 $79.00 $154 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
100 100 1 210.00 $210.00 -55.00

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
63–66 65 10 196.00–200.00 $197.16 $128 +24.66

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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.