Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 18, 2023

152 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $202.00/cwt +3.85 vs last sale · ≈ $883/hd at 437 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 152 111 99
Feeder cattle 109 90 77
Slaughter cattle 43 21 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle 1.00 To 5.00 Higher Feeder cattle 4.00 To 8.00 Lower Demand Good Activity Moderate Offerings Moderate Quality Average

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
400–430 410 3 178.00–188.00 $181.50 $744 —
450 450 1 184.00 $184.00 $828 -42.00
575 575 6 165.00 $165.00 $949 -37.00
605 605 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,162 -6.92
725 725 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,552 —
890 890 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,789 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 8 111.00 $111.00 $555 -31.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357–390 363 6 198.00–210.00 $207.85 $754 -12.15
437 437 10 202.00 $202.00 $883 +3.85
470–475 472 3 180.00–184.00 $182.66 $862 -14.34
505–510 507 3 176.00–180.00 $177.34 $899 -17.22
600 600 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,122 —
710 710 1 140.00 $140.00 $994 —
750 750 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,050 —
800–830 815 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,141 —
1005 1005 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,447 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 thin fleshed 270 1 80.00 $80.00 $216 —
290 290 1 130.00 $130.00 $377 —
315 315 1 146.00 $146.00 $460 —
365 365 1 130.00 $130.00 $474 +4.00
405–425 415 2 155.00–160.00 $157.56 $654 —
485 485 1 130.00 $130.00 $630 +14.00
535–545 542 3 140.00–150.00 $143.35 $777 -6.65
640 640 1 150.00 $150.00 $960 +10.00
Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 323 2 100.00–112.00 $105.58 $341 —
420 420 1 130.00 $130.00 $546 +40.00
520–530 525 2 108.00–110.00 $108.99 $572 —
540 thin fleshed 540 1 84.00 $84.00 $454 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 170.00 $170.00 $638 -30.64
430 430 1 160.00 $160.00 $688 —
495 495 1 170.00 $170.00 $842 —
640 640 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,114 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 174.00 $174.00 $731 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 216.00 $216.00 $486 +16.00
390–395 393 2 168.00–180.00 $173.96 $684 —
435 435 2 216.00 $216.00 $940 +7.99
515–540 530 3 192.00–196.00 $193.99 $1,028 -13.01
585 585 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,228 —
615 615 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,107 -16.00
675 675 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,181 +25.00
710–740 725 2 150.00–158.00 $153.92 $1,116 +3.92
780 780 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,170 —
925 925 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,554 —
1090 1090 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,602 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 90.00 $90.00 $302 —
340 340 1 100.00 $100.00 $340 —
410 410 1 120.00 $120.00 $492 -26.00
450 450 2 148.00–158.00 $153.00 $688 -0.30
520–545 532 3 150.00–160.00 $153.32 $816 -4.68
590 590 1 150.00 $150.00 $885 -8.00
880 880 1 110.00 $110.00 $968 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–490 478 2 150.00–154.00 $151.95 $726 —
525 525 4 177.00 $177.00 $929 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 200.00 $200.00 $430 —
345 345 1 162.00 $162.00 $559 -26.99
400 400 1 170.00 $170.00 $680 —
580 580 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,044 +5.04
675 675 1 144.00 $144.00 $972 -6.00
860 860 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,032 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–1200 1052 80-85% 6 44.00–65.00 $56.34 $593 —
945–1230 1117 80-85% 10 80.00–86.00 $81.54 $911 —
965–1330 1154 80-85% 8 70.00–79.00 $74.91 $864 -21.81
1240 1240 80-85% 1 90.00 $90.00 $1,116 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1440 1344 75-80% 7 80.00–90.00 $86.29 $1,160 —
1345–1435 1390 75-80% 2 96.00 $96.00 $1,334 +2.00
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 85-90% 1 60.00 $60.00 $465 —
850 850 85-90% 1 75.00 $75.00 $638 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1935 1488 4 112.00–119.00 $115.81 $1,723 —
1185–2200 1780 3 100.00–105.00 $101.84 $1,813 —

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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.