Cattle Market Pulse

Virginia Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Virginia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Mondays

Sale of Monday, August 24, 2026

1,785 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (298)

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $342.43/cwt -13.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,919/hd at 561 lb · 79 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $403.51/cwt +3.86 vs last sale · ≈ $2,254/hd at 558 lb · 70 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $314.28/cwt -16.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,005/hd at 638 lb · 55 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,785 2,034 2,560
Feeder cattle 1,734 2,034 2,560
Slaughter cattle 51 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

State Graded Feeder Cattle (Steers 513, Heifers 734, Bulls 487) State Graded Slaughter Cattle (Steers 39, Heifers 12) Value Added cattle are Weaned and Vaccinated. Natural cattle are Weaned, some Vaccinated. Compared to last week: Feeder cattle mostly 1.00 to 17.00 lower. Report includes sales from Blackstone, Front Royal, Lynchburg, Radiant, Springlake and Winchester.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,475 —
370–390 382 6 405.00–470.00 $439.17 $1,678 +1.67
415 415 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,909 +3.46
450–480 460 31 357.00–432.50 $395.04 $1,817 -11.22
533 value added 533 9 455.00 $455.00 $2,425 —
520–542 539 13 315.00–340.00 $318.71 $1,718 -111.29
550 value added 550 4 435.00 $435.00 $2,392 -28.38
550–585 559 66 385.00–452.50 $401.60 $2,245 +21.43
613–645 637 15 330.00–366.00 $355.26 $2,263 +7.05
652–695 655 49 265.00–375.00 $357.11 $2,339 -17.57
715–748 737 28 315.00–345.00 $327.46 $2,413 -3.38
758 758 3 342.00 $342.00 $2,592 +62.91
832–847 840 6 272.00–310.00 $291.17 $2,446 +1.17
863 863 2 287.50 $287.50 $2,481 —
910 910 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,662 +55.30
959–995 965 6 200.00–246.00 $238.09 $2,298 +57.92
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–380 361 12 357.50–485.00 $426.32 $1,539 -18.61
420 value added 420 8 467.50 $467.50 $1,964 —
428 428 2 445.00 $445.00 $1,905 +18.48
450–455 454 42 365.00–439.00 $423.50 $1,923 +11.60
530–543 542 30 310.00–385.00 $381.57 $2,068 -15.50
563–578 568 9 332.50–360.00 $350.67 $1,992 -34.07
636–642 639 19 340.00–350.00 $344.19 $2,199 -16.81
660 660 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,178 +48.90
748 748 3 315.00 $315.00 $2,356 -18.57
750 750 4 312.50 $312.50 $2,344 —
773 value added 773 16 320.00 $320.00 $2,474 —
873 value added 873 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,444 -10.00
903 value added 903 8 262.50 $262.50 $2,370 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 3 445.00 $445.00 $1,549 —
350 350 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,138 -87.07
405–439 434 10 335.00–431.00 $413.14 $1,793 +16.96
469 value added 469 4 350.00 $350.00 $1,642 —
475–495 487 3 335.00–360.00 $344.81 $1,679 +44.81
548 548 5 369.00 $369.00 $2,022 -8.10
550–558 555 6 275.00–344.00 $303.63 $1,685 +53.63
607 607 3 325.00 $325.00 $1,973 -19.00
645 value added 645 4 302.50 $302.50 $1,951 —
663 663 5 280.00–331.00 $310.60 $2,059 -9.40
730–737 735 3 275.00–316.00 $302.42 $2,223 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1780 1592 39 205.00–223.00 $216.78 $3,451 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
546 546 15 385.00 $385.00 $2,102 —
638 638 7 360.00 $360.00 $2,297 —
703 703 9 325.00 $325.00 $2,285 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,440 —
435–443 438 8 342.50–380.00 $365.55 $1,601 +0.55
535–542 539 8 342.50–372.50 $357.40 $1,926 +17.40
600–647 628 8 315.00–332.00 $321.97 $2,022 -8.03
730 730 3 300.00 $300.00 $2,190 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 350.00 $350.00 $962 —
335 335 2 390.00 $390.00 $1,306 +30.21
351–375 367 21 345.00–390.00 $372.19 $1,366 -16.65
420–449 440 44 346.00–367.50 $355.97 $1,566 -5.37
455–474 461 36 332.50–370.00 $351.67 $1,621 -10.14
464–491 value added 483 13 360.00–390.00 $368.87 $1,782 —
520–545 544 47 320.00–359.00 $357.27 $1,944 +19.29
550–590 559 68 310.00–370.00 $342.01 $1,912 -14.00
570 value added 570 11 345.00 $345.00 $1,966 —
624–643 638 55 295.00–319.00 $314.28 $2,005 -10.21
650–685 660 16 270.00–315.00 $306.42 $2,022 -14.64
715–745 729 8 270.00–300.00 $290.72 $2,119 -18.04
763 763 2 275.00 $275.00 $2,098 +75.00
880 value added 880 3 240.00 $240.00 $2,112 —
995 995 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,587 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 3 345.00 $345.00 $949 -32.58
317–345 320 9 340.00–380.00 $375.21 $1,201 -0.68
350–385 361 39 350.00–392.50 $373.39 $1,348 ±0.00
420–440 432 32 335.00–377.50 $355.70 $1,537 -20.37
460–495 464 41 335.00–365.00 $358.23 $1,662 -12.22
500–545 536 25 320.00–350.00 $336.41 $1,803 -16.55
548 value added 548 2 325.00 $325.00 $1,781 —
550–554 554 53 332.00–354.00 $353.59 $1,959 +13.79
620–644 641 47 285.00–321.00 $311.34 $1,996 -3.03
685 685 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,747 -35.00
700 700 1 282.00 $282.00 $1,974 +2.67
756–790 760 9 190.00–295.00 $282.87 $2,150 +5.52
865 865 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,033 +15.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,085 —
352–380 356 11 335.00–365.00 $360.26 $1,283 -11.72
435–443 440 3 320.00–330.00 $323.29 $1,422 -43.69
453–485 455 28 340.00–355.00 $348.24 $1,584 +14.99
491 value added 491 7 305.00 $305.00 $1,498 —
518–546 541 24 310.00–344.00 $340.43 $1,842 +130.43
585 585 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,726 -25.69
631–635 632 6 287.00–305.00 $301.98 $1,909 -8.89
650 650 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,852 —
730–735 733 4 260.00–285.00 $272.46 $1,997 +52.46
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–390 378 5 337.50–350.00 $340.08 $1,286 -2.06
429 429 6 322.00 $322.00 $1,381 +4.50
465–470 467 3 230.00–330.00 $296.43 $1,384 -34.45
538 538 2 305.00 $305.00 $1,641 -15.40
550–557 554 7 257.50–325.00 $296.28 $1,641 —
610–635 625 3 207.50–270.00 $229.53 $1,435 -63.81
795 795 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,988 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
444 444 4 400.00 $400.00 $1,776 —
686 686 11 295.00 $295.00 $2,024 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1590 1403 12 213.00–222.00 $218.85 $3,070 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,392 +20.14
320–341 335 11 370.00–447.50 $431.76 $1,446 +11.10
350–395 372 10 310.00–490.00 $437.90 $1,629 -9.73
405–433 420 38 325.00–450.00 $406.83 $1,709 -0.17
460–489 480 34 376.00–407.50 $388.12 $1,863 +5.81
500–534 517 42 347.00–450.00 $398.79 $2,062 +25.56
564–590 567 30 320.00–375.00 $336.31 $1,907 -28.88
628–643 635 32 341.00–400.00 $371.12 $2,357 +19.38
668 668 3 325.00 $325.00 $2,171 -1.33
750–770 767 7 250.00–287.00 $281.83 $2,162 —
843 843 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,686 -150.00
930 930 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,860 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–338 333 22 375.00–462.50 $453.40 $1,510 +10.49
372–395 375 7 430.00–460.00 $455.49 $1,708 +36.85
417 value added 417 6 457.50 $457.50 $1,908 —
418–442 429 38 350.00–442.50 $406.00 $1,742 -7.68
470–499 487 51 336.00–375.00 $360.43 $1,755 -10.60
500–543 537 23 335.00–380.00 $371.74 $1,996 +32.46
565–578 569 29 320.00–343.00 $335.18 $1,907 -34.79
621–646 629 19 290.00–341.00 $328.21 $2,064 +12.86
720 720 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,548 —
780 780 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,833 -77.50
890 890 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,736 +50.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
337 337 5 387.50 $387.50 $1,306 —
416 416 9 373.00 $373.00 $1,552 +24.74
450–495 486 12 330.00–350.00 $332.31 $1,615 -6.17
552–585 563 3 305.00–315.00 $311.54 $1,754 +16.41
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
463–470 467 4 330.00–355.00 $346.18 $1,617 +41.18
530–538 535 6 277.50–320.00 $291.53 $1,560 -30.60
640 640 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,728 +80.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 3 345.00 $345.00 $1,915 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 2 335.00 $335.00 $1,859 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685 685 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,370 —

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Price trend

high 484.46 low 368.56 Sep 2025 Aug 2026

550–599 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Aug 17, 2026)