Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 17, 2023

90 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 90 108 84
Feeder cattle 65 93 47
Slaughter cattle 25 15 37

Market comments — USDA reporter

**Correction to Heifers - Medium 2 & Medium 3** Slaughter cattle 4.00 To 9.00 Higher Feeder cattle 2.00 To 5.00 higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Light Quality Average Baby calves 90.00

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
640 640 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,114 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 188.00 $188.00 $498 —
355–370 363 2 196.00–200.00 $197.96 $719 +0.87
430–445 438 2 188.00–196.00 $192.07 $841 -3.45
515–530 523 2 170.00–175.00 $172.54 $902 —
555–570 563 3 170.00–175.00 $172.33 $970 —
625–630 628 2 161.00–165.00 $163.01 $1,024 +1.01
665 665 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,057 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–440 425 5 170.00–180.00 $176.36 $750 -10.64
450–480 465 2 160.00–170.00 $165.16 $768 —
545 545 1 140.00 $140.00 $763 —
635 635 2 150.00 $150.00 $952 —
790 790 1 110.00 $110.00 $869 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 150.00 $150.00 $345 +1.00
370 370 1 150.00 $150.00 $555 —
405–440 421 4 157.00–168.00 $162.18 $683 -17.82
455–470 463 2 150.00 $150.00 $694 —
510 510 1 150.00 $150.00 $765 ±0.00
Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 122.00 $122.00 $293 —
395 395 1 132.00 $132.00 $521 —
420–425 424 4 130.00–140.00 $132.48 $562 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 108.00 $108.00 $437 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 232.00 $232.00 $638 —
335–345 340 2 220.00–228.00 $224.06 $762 —
375 375 1 239.00 $239.00 $896 —
405 405 1 228.00 $228.00 $923 +14.89
480 480 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,046 +19.35
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462 462 2 148.00 $148.00 $684 —
555–575 570 4 160.00–170.00 $167.57 $955 -14.43
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 162.00 $162.00 $348 —
445 445 1 148.00 $148.00 $659 —
450 450 1 142.00 $142.00 $639 —
580 580 1 116.00 $116.00 $673 —
630 630 1 96.00 $96.00 $605 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 2 120.00 $120.00 $564 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 206.00 $206.00 $525 +8.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1025 978 80-85% 2 72.00–82.00 $77.24 $755 -4.07
955–1200 1104 80-85% 5 93.00–98.00 $94.46 $1,043 -1.66
1210 1210 80-85% 1 67.00 $67.00 $811 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1500 1350 75-80% 4 92.00–102.00 $99.33 $1,341 —
1470–1960 1708 75-80% 4 87.00–91.00 $88.41 $1,510 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 85-90% 1 30.00 $30.00 $196 -25.00
740–815 788 85-90% 3 70.00–75.00 $71.72 $565 —
825 825 85-90% 1 64.00 $64.00 $528 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290 1290 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,354 —
1370–1730 1495 3 120.00–128.00 $123.70 $1,849 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 124.00 $124.00 $521 —

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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.