Cattle Market Pulse

Tri-State Feeder Cattle Board Sale Market Report

Abingdon, Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Board Sale)

Sale of Tuesday, March 17, 2026

1,027 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Tri-State Feeder Cattle Board Sale report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $430.50/cwt +24.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,871/hd at 667 lb · 148 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $379.48/cwt +30.48 vs last sale · ≈ $2,550/hd at 672 lb · 144 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $515.00/cwt +17.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,704/hd at 525 lb · 85 head
Abingdon 6-weight steers sold at $441/cwt, $12/cwt above the VA average ($429), though $22/cwt under Front Royal's $463 top. With 1,027 head through, this market sits solidly in the middle of Virginia's offering. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,027 854 1,205
Feeder cattle 1,027 1,205

On-Farm State Graded Feeder Cattle (Steers 508, Heifers 519) Value Added Cattle are Weaned and Vaccinated All lots Home Raised All lots Virginia Quality Assured (VQA)

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 value added 525 85 515.00 $515.00 $2,704 +17.00
600 value added 600 83 461.00 $461.00 $2,766 +33.50
650–685 value added 667 148 427.00–434.00 $430.50 $2,871 +24.00
720 value added 720 69 408.00 $408.00 $2,938 +28.41
765 value added 765 64 375.00 $375.00 $2,869
835 value added 835 59 342.00 $342.00 $2,856 ±0.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 value added 515 83 449.00 $449.00 $2,312 +28.00
580 value added 580 84 429.00 $429.00 $2,488 +44.00
625 value added 625 78 408.00 $408.00 $2,550 +35.00
670–675 value added 672 144 378.00–381.00 $379.48 $2,550 +30.48
715 value added 715 68 341.00 $341.00 $2,438
785 value added 785 62 323.50 $323.50 $2,539 -14.50

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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.