Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 30, 2022

172 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Wilkes Livestock Exchange report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 172 166 131
Feeder cattle 142 97 108
Slaughter cattle 30 68 23
Replacement cattle — 1 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, breaking type slaughter cows were 5.00 to 6.00 lower and boning type slaughter cows were steady to 1.00 lower; slaughter bulls were 17.00 to 18.00 higher on a very light test. Feeder cattle were mostly 4.00 to 7.00 higher, instances 18.00 to 20.00 higher. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were mostly moderate. Cattle quality was mostly attractive.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 164.00–166.00 $165.00 $487 —
300 300 2 140.00 $140.00 $420 —
318–335 320 7 158.00–164.00 $158.90 $508 —
360–370 fancy 365 3 168.00–177.00 $171.71 $627 —
410–420 418 5 160.00–169.00 $167.23 $699 —
455 thin fleshed 455 1 126.00 $126.00 $573 —
495 495 1 153.00 $153.00 $757 +11.49
520–545 thin fleshed 533 2 126.00–130.00 $127.95 $682 —
685 thin fleshed 685 1 128.00 $128.00 $877 —
730 thin fleshed 730 2 128.00–130.00 $129.00 $942 —
825–845 thin fleshed 835 2 124.00 $124.00 $1,035 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–295 280 2 174.00–185.00 $179.79 $503 +29.79
305 305 1 177.00 $177.00 $540 +27.00
340 fancy 340 1 197.00 $197.00 $670 —
350–390 370 4 188.00–194.00 $191.43 $708 +19.16
420 420 1 189.00 $189.00 $794 +19.03
425 fancy 425 1 200.00 $200.00 $850 —
455 455 1 181.00 $181.00 $824 —
535 535 1 181.00 $181.00 $968 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 116.00 $116.00 $673 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–290 283 2 130.00–132.50 $131.22 $371 —
335 335 1 142.00 $142.00 $476 +14.98
360 360 1 136.00 $136.00 $490 —
405 405 1 142.00 $142.00 $575 +6.21
435 435 2 123.00–127.00 $125.00 $544 -10.79
485–495 490 2 138.00–144.00 $141.03 $691 +7.16
490–495 493 2 121.00–124.00 $122.49 $604 -11.38
510 510 1 120.00 $120.00 $612 -4.71
515 fancy 515 1 143.00 $143.00 $736 —
500–540 530 7 131.00–137.00 $132.44 $702 +7.73
560 560 1 120.00 $120.00 $672 -14.00
565–590 578 4 127.00–137.00 $130.54 $755 -3.46
605–640 623 3 123.00–132.00 $126.33 $787 —
655–665 660 2 122.00–123.00 $122.50 $808 +1.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–330 327 3 156.00–165.00 $161.30 $527 +2.30
350–370 364 4 154.00–168.00 $161.95 $589 +15.48
400 fancy 400 1 170.00 $170.00 $680 +10.00
440 440 2 151.00–160.00 $155.50 $684 +4.99
450–490 470 6 145.00–156.00 $150.99 $710 -0.14
590 590 1 151.00 $151.00 $891 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665 665 1 110.00 $110.00 $732 —
730 730 1 116.00 $116.00 $847 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 105.00 $105.00 $625 +6.00
735 735 1 82.00 $82.00 $603 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–430 fancy 418 5 185.00–201.00 $194.26 $812 —
450 450 1 168.00 $168.00 $756 +5.47
505–545 524 4 158.00–168.00 $163.39 $856 +6.15
555–575 562 6 158.00–169.00 $164.32 $923 +1.32
600–620 609 7 164.00–168.00 $166.13 $1,012 +18.13
680 680 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,074 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 153.00 $153.00 $620 +13.99
415–435 424 5 120.00–130.00 $124.02 $526 -14.99
455–460 458 2 146.00–150.00 $148.01 $678 +22.83
510–525 518 3 135.00–137.00 $135.99 $704 +15.99
545 545 1 120.00 $120.00 $654 -22.59
575 575 1 133.00 $133.00 $765 —
600 600 1 144.00 $144.00 $864 +24.00
670–685 678 3 130.00–140.00 $134.01 $909 +0.43
800 800 1 120.00 $120.00 $960 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 116.00 $116.00 $650 —
655 655 1 113.00 $113.00 $740 —
760 760 1 97.00 $97.00 $737 —
935 thin fleshed 935 1 82.00 $82.00 $767 —
950 950 1 90.00 $90.00 $855 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1205 1085 80-85% 3 63.00–67.00 $64.89 $704 +34.89
985–1320 1140 80-85% 11 83.00–89.00 $85.62 $976 -6.36
1020–1365 1146 80-85% 5 73.00–78.00 $75.79 $869 -16.19
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1220 1138 75-80% 2 80.00 $80.00 $910 —
1255–1430 1343 75-80% 2 89.00–95.00 $92.20 $1,238 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810 810 85-90% 1 30.00 $30.00 $243 -41.43

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1735 1735 1 125.00 $125.00 $2,169 +2.38
1705–1850 1778 2 111.00–113.00 $111.96 $1,991 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 110.00 $110.00 $484 —
505 thin fleshed 505 1 84.00 $84.00 $424 —
670 thin fleshed 670 1 66.00 $66.00 $442 —

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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.