Cattle Market Pulse

South Branch Valley Livestock Exchange Market Report

Moorefield, West Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 8, 2024

135 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 135 61 196
Feeder cattle 2 17 94
Slaughter cattle 94 38 70
Replacement cattle 5 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Fat Cattle Sale included in results

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1255 1225 2 166.00–170.00 $167.95 $2,057 —
1235–1385 1310 2 165.00–174.00 $169.76 $2,224 —
1165–1610 1466 44 172.00–185.00 $179.36 $2,629 —
1335–1685 1617 8 179.50–184.00 $181.74 $2,939 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125 1125 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,834 —
1335–1575 1448 4 174.00–181.00 $177.65 $2,572 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–480 468 2 210.00–222.00 $216.16 $1,012 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1720 1428 80-85% 24 96.00–120.00 $110.35 $1,576 -0.25
1560–1580 1570 80-85% 2 121.00–123.00 $122.01 $1,916 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040 1040 85-90% 1 10.00 $10.00 $104 —
965–1545 1234 85-90% 20 63.00–117.00 $95.72 $1,181 —
1500 1500 85-90% 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,905 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1640–2015 1840 5 123.00–141.00 $134.41 $2,473 —

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1425–1590 1521 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 5 2,200.00–2,350.00 $2,299.90 —

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
130 130 1 91.00 $91.00 $118 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20–25 23 2 15.00–55.00 $37.22 —
44 44 4 72.50 $72.50 —

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
95 95 1 145.00 $145.00 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
95 95 1 180.00 $180.00 —
115 115 1 65.00 $65.00 —

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Wooled

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
50 50 3 209.00 $209.00 $104 -61.00
60 60 2 241.00 $241.00 $145 -29.00
70–76 76 19 262.00–269.00 $262.34 $199 -7.66

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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.