Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes County Stockyard Market Report

Washington, Georgia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 5, 2026

312 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Wilkes County Stockyard report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $507.11/cwt ≈ $2,394/hd at 472 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $448.08/cwt +42.45 vs last sale · ≈ $2,100/hd at 469 lb · 13 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $460.47/cwt +24.05 vs last sale · ≈ $2,003/hd at 435 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 312 162 322
Feeder cattle 260 125 259
Slaughter cattle 31 16 33
Replacement cattle 21 21 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago slaguhter cows bulls and replacements lightly tested, All classes of feeder cattle steady.

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
290 290 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,653 —
310–320 315 2 565.00 $565.00 $1,780 —
365 365 1 570.00 $570.00 $2,080 —
405–430 426 6 532.00–535.00 $532.48 $2,268 —
460 value added 460 1 530.00 $530.00 $2,438 —
455–490 473 14 442.00–511.00 $505.48 $2,391 —
505–535 511 5 472.00–477.00 $475.95 $2,432 —
525 value added 525 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,599 —
570–590 581 4 432.00–447.00 $439.73 $2,555 -7.77
605–640 623 2 420.00–425.00 $422.57 $2,633 —
650 650 1 385.00 $385.00 $2,502 —
725 725 1 375.00 $375.00 $2,719 —
756–780 762 4 352.00–355.00 $352.77 $2,688 —
825 825 1 347.00 $347.00 $2,863 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,641 —
371–375 372 5 545.00–552.00 $550.59 $2,048 —
405–430 419 4 465.00–490.00 $476.24 $1,995 —
470–495 value added 482 3 502.00–512.00 $506.95 $2,443 —
470–491 487 5 480.00–492.00 $483.63 $2,355 +37.33
505–545 523 6 450.00–470.00 $460.63 $2,409 +17.41
635–645 640 3 397.00–402.00 $399.68 $2,558 —
685 685 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,466 —
790 790 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,607 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,500 —
370–395 383 2 480.00–500.00 $490.33 $1,878 —
405–420 415 3 465.00–475.00 $471.63 $1,957 +21.87
450–465 458 2 412.00–420.00 $416.07 $1,906 -13.93
470–485 value added 475 3 450.00 $450.00 $2,138 —
500–536 523 7 422.00–430.00 $424.20 $2,219 -3.19

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,490 —
300 value added 300 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,245 —
325 325 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,576 -8.81
355–395 381 7 460.00–475.00 $464.97 $1,772 —
420–445 value added 433 4 472.00–480.00 $476.45 $2,063 —
405–446 436 7 447.00–457.00 $451.34 $1,968 +14.92
460–485 value added 466 10 450.00–462.00 $454.97 $2,120 —
465–490 478 3 420.00–435.00 $425.12 $2,032 +19.49
520–525 523 2 395.00–400.00 $397.49 $2,079 +11.03
585 585 2 365.00 $365.00 $2,135 -3.72
600–640 632 5 360.00–367.00 $361.33 $2,284 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 2 515.00–530.00 $522.50 $1,594 —
350 value added 350 1 517.00 $517.00 $1,810 —
360–385 377 3 482.00–495.00 $488.98 $1,843 +1.84
405 value added 405 2 495.00–500.00 $497.50 $2,015 —
405–435 419 6 460.00–477.00 $469.20 $1,966 —
450–478 468 4 440.00–455.00 $446.61 $2,090 +11.61
470 value added 470 1 485.00 $485.00 $2,280 —
500 value added 500 1 457.00 $457.00 $2,285 —
540 540 1 422.00 $422.00 $2,279 —
560–580 569 7 372.00–387.00 $381.67 $2,172 —
657 657 5 375.00 $375.00 $2,464 —
800 800 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,240 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–395 368 3 440.00–450.00 $445.18 $1,638 +17.11
400 400 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,740 +22.59
435 value added 435 1 465.00 $465.00 $2,023 —
455–460 458 2 400.00–410.00 $404.97 $1,855 —
455–465 value added 460 3 440.00–455.00 $445.05 $2,047 —
532 value added 532 3 390.00 $390.00 $2,075 —
525–545 535 3 360.00–370.00 $365.71 $1,957 +2.82
570–590 580 2 335.00 $335.00 $1,943 -12.50
600 600 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,040 +7.50

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 560.00 $560.00 $1,176 —
345 345 2 570.00–575.00 $572.50 $1,975 —
375 375 1 525.00 $525.00 $1,969 +30.00
405–410 408 2 510.00–525.00 $517.55 $2,112 —
460–485 471 5 450.00–465.00 $458.04 $2,157 +8.04
630 630 1 390.00 $390.00 $2,457 -17.50
650–685 673 4 350.00–370.00 $360.13 $2,424 —
715–725 720 2 325.00–327.00 $325.99 $2,347 —
770 770 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,541 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–430 418 3 450.00–455.00 $451.61 $1,888 +26.61
465–490 475 3 430.00–447.00 $439.11 $2,086 +20.66
505–510 509 4 427.00–435.00 $432.24 $2,200 —
575 575 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,386 +45.00
630 630 1 337.00 $337.00 $2,123 -20.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,274 —
350 350 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,662 -5.00
400–445 424 4 470.00–485.00 $478.07 $2,027 +20.69
515 515 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,292 +15.00
555–575 565 2 420.00–430.00 $425.09 $2,402 +27.58
620 620 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,170 —
665 665 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,194 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645–1210 899 85-90% 6 137.00–146.00 $143.76 $1,292 —
805–1075 913 85-90% 3 122.00–130.00 $126.86 $1,158 -17.66
1015–1740 1331 85-90% 5 150.00–162.00 $155.09 $2,064 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1310 1275 80-85% 2 175.00–179.00 $176.95 $2,256 —
1070–1575 1416 80-85% 9 164.00–175.00 $169.70 $2,403 —
1435–1820 1628 80-85% 2 148.00–159.00 $154.15 $2,510 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1970 1970 1 201.00 $201.00 $3,960 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1040–1135 1088 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,750.00–2,000.00 $1,880.46
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
715 715 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1235–1420 1333 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 3,400.00–4,350.00 $3,737.25 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
745 745 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.