Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 4, 2022

123 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $180.00/cwt +28.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,008/hd at 560 lb · 13 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $151.27/cwt +16.50 vs last sale · ≈ $670/hd at 443 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 123 101 140
Feeder cattle 97 71 112
Slaughter cattle 21 29 22
Replacement cattle 5 1 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle Mostly Steady Feeder cattle 7.00 To 14.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Moderate Offerings Light Quality Average

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 165.00 $165.00 $388 —
360–365 361 4 189.00–190.00 $189.75 $685 —
445–447 446 6 181.00–187.00 $185.01 $825 +41.01
480–490 487 6 170.00–177.00 $175.18 $853 —
560 560 13 180.00 $180.00 $1,008 +28.25
606–610 607 7 160.00 $160.00 $971 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–290 278 4 140.00 $140.00 $389 —
315 315 1 130.00 $130.00 $410 -8.96
390 390 1 140.00 $140.00 $546 +10.69
690 690 1 120.00 $120.00 $828 —
915 915 1 90.00 $90.00 $824 —
Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–385 368 2 128.00–130.00 $129.05 $475 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 2 140.00–145.00 $142.50 $285 +14.72
440–443 443 11 151.00–154.00 $151.27 $670 +16.50
555 555 1 134.00 $134.00 $744 +8.00
623 623 2 123.00 $123.00 $766 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 125.00 $125.00 $306 —
285 285 1 130.00 $130.00 $370 +2.00
395 395 1 130.00 $130.00 $514 —
420 420 1 140.00 $140.00 $588 +16.00
450–492 480 6 114.00–124.00 $121.11 $581 -12.89
610 610 1 100.00 $100.00 $610 -12.00
Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 80.00 $80.00 $292 -20.00
455 455 1 93.00 $93.00 $423 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–485 468 2 173.00–178.00 $175.59 $822 +20.12
515 515 1 145.00 $145.00 $747 -15.00
565 565 1 144.00 $144.00 $814 -13.00
600 600 2 140.00 $140.00 $840 -4.68
655–680 668 2 139.00–143.00 $140.96 $942 +30.96
810–835 823 2 110.00–116.00 $112.95 $930 —
Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 110.00 $110.00 $490 —
480 480 2 118.00–120.00 $119.00 $571 +33.00
570 570 1 104.00 $104.00 $593 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 148.00 $148.00 $688 —
665 665 1 114.00 $114.00 $758 —
950 950 1 100.00 $100.00 $950 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–995 950 80-85% 5 52.00–65.00 $58.10 $552 -2.40
1065–1105 1085 80-85% 3 77.00–79.00 $77.99 $846 +8.51
950–1270 1156 80-85% 7 67.00–77.00 $70.91 $820 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775–800 788 85-90% 2 59.00–68.00 $63.43 $500 —
885 885 85-90% 1 53.00 $53.00 $469 -8.00
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1235 1180 75-80% 2 74.00–76.00 $75.05 $886 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1830 1830 1 113.00 $113.00 $2,068 —

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1035–1105 1070 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 630.00–660.00 $644.51 —
1400 1400 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00 —
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
820 820 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 560.00 $560.00 —
850 850 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 560.00 $560.00 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Heifers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 67.00 $67.00 $322 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 40.00 $40.00 $162 —
480 480 1 40.00 $40.00 $192 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 79.00 $79.00 $395 —

↑ 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.