Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 6, 2022

154 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 steers $189.57/cwt -1.86 vs last sale · ≈ $701/hd at 370 lb · 10 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 154 172 190
Feeder cattle 117 142 161
Slaughter cattle 37 30 29

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 2.00 to 5.00 lower. There were too few comparable feeder steers to establish an adequate market comparison; heifers were mostly steady to 1.00 lower; and feeder bulls were unevenly steady. Demand was moderate to good at lower prices; market activity and buyer interest were moderate to active. Offerings of cattle were mostly moderate. Cattle quality was average to attractive.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 160.00 $160.00 $520 -17.00
365 365 1 170.00 $170.00 $620 -21.43
366–372 value added 369 7 190.00–192.00 $191.13 $705
370–380 fancy 375 2 188.00–200.00 $193.92 $727
420–435 428 4 170.00–175.00 $171.99 $736 -17.01
445 445 3 156.00 $156.00 $694 -33.00
500 500 1 157.00 $157.00 $785 -24.00
517 value added 517 7 186.50 $186.50 $964
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 148.00 $148.00 $377
320 thin fleshed 320 1 128.00 $128.00 $410
355 355 1 152.00 $152.00 $540
370 370 1 138.00 $138.00 $511
530–540 538 5 144.00–145.00 $144.80 $779

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412–430 421 9 149.00–162.00 $155.37 $654 -0.13
475 475 1 150.00 $150.00 $712 -0.99
540 540 1 144.00 $144.00 $778
560–585 570 4 135.00–139.00 $137.97 $786 -13.03
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 124.00 $124.00 $298
250–255 253 2 130.00–140.00 $134.95 $341 +3.73
335 335 1 122.00 $122.00 $409 -20.00
480–490 485 2 132.00–140.00 $136.04 $660 -4.99
508–530 515 5 130.00–139.00 $136.14 $701 +16.14
535 535 1 121.00 $121.00 $647 -11.44
665 665 1 122.00 $122.00 $811 -0.50
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 114.00 $114.00 $388
370 thin fleshed 370 1 80.00 $80.00 $296
400 400 1 110.00 $110.00 $440
435 435 1 108.00 $108.00 $470
510 510 1 116.00 $116.00 $592
590 590 1 104.00 $104.00 $614
625 625 1 110.00 $110.00 $688
655–670 663 2 110.00–111.00 $110.49 $733 +0.49
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 102.00 $102.00 $393
390 390 1 98.00 $98.00 $382
400 400 1 98.00 $98.00 $392
415 415 2 100.00–104.00 $102.00 $423
480 thin fleshed 480 1 72.00 $72.00 $346
575 575 1 100.00 $100.00 $575 -5.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 162.00 $162.00 $656
420–435 fancy 428 3 195.00–201.00 $198.97 $852 +4.71
468–482 475 4 170.00–180.00 $175.07 $832 +7.07
520–540 528 4 165.00–175.00 $169.93 $897 +6.54
595 595 1 158.00 $158.00 $940 -6.32
620–645 637 3 154.00–166.00 $158.57 $1,010 -7.56
665 665 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,004 -7.00
700 700 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,015
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–435 418 2 128.00–132.00 $129.92 $543 +5.90
450–475 465 3 134.00–142.00 $138.07 $642 -9.94
475 475 1 122.00 $122.00 $580 -26.01
525 525 1 145.00 $145.00 $761 +9.01
605 605 1 147.00 $147.00 $889 +3.00
650 650 1 134.00 $134.00 $871 -0.01
720–725 723 2 127.00–128.00 $127.50 $922
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 95.00 $95.00 $546 -21.00
605 605 1 110.00 $110.00 $666
655 655 1 108.00 $108.00 $707 -5.00
855 855 1 106.00 $106.00 $906
995 995 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,035
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 1 100.00 $100.00 $510
965–970 968 2 90.00 $90.00 $871

↑ Back to top

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720–740 730 85-90% 2 14.00–16.00 $14.99 $109
715–750 733 85-90% 2 50.00–52.00 $51.02 $374
800–825 813 85-90% 2 40.00–45.00 $42.54 $346 +12.54
965–980 973 85-90% 2 73.00–74.00 $73.50 $715
935–1085 991 85-90% 4 64.00–70.50 $68.29 $677
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1280 1202 80-85% 5 65.00–66.00 $65.21 $784
1160–1255 1204 80-85% 4 75.00–80.50 $76.59 $922
1210–1250 1230 80-85% 2 72.00–73.00 $72.49 $892
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1470 1409 75-80% 4 74.00–79.00 $77.53 $1,092
1335–1540 1438 75-80% 2 67.00–69.00 $68.07 $979
1355–1595 1475 75-80% 2 83.00 $83.00 $1,224

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1465–2015 1748 4 103.00–110.50 $107.49 $1,879 -17.51

↑ Back to top

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 104.00 $104.00 $468

↑ Back to top

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.