Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 20, 2023

64 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 64 70 110
Feeder cattle 33 38 65
Slaughter cattle 31 32 45

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle 6.00 To 7.00 Higher Feeder cattle Mostly steady Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Light (Cold Weather ) Quality Average

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 200.00 $200.00 $670 —
445 445 1 208.00 $208.00 $926 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 146.00 $146.00 $650 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995 995 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,453 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 218.00 $218.00 $643 -5.00
355 355 1 216.00 $216.00 $767 +13.47
440 440 1 196.00 $196.00 $862 -18.43
460 460 1 194.00 $194.00 $892 —
670 670 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,099 —
775 775 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,070 —
825 825 1 156.00 $156.00 $1,287 +16.00
855 855 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,231 —
950–995 973 2 122.00–126.00 $123.95 $1,206 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 200.00 $200.00 $750 —
465 465 1 190.00 $190.00 $884 +5.00
755 755 1 106.00 $106.00 $800 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 170.00 $170.00 $425 —
685 685 1 136.00 $136.00 $932 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 106.00 $106.00 $456 —
485 485 1 118.00 $118.00 $572 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 2 218.00 $218.00 $1,057 —
575–595 585 2 206.00–212.00 $208.95 $1,222 —
760 760 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,125 —
885 885 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,035 —
905 905 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,086 -4.00
955 955 2 100.00–110.00 $105.00 $1,003 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 2 200.00 $200.00 $670 —
420 420 1 184.00 $184.00 $773 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1200 1077 80-85% 5 72.00–76.00 $73.77 $795 +0.43
1035–1195 1148 80-85% 4 88.00–92.00 $89.75 $1,030 —
945–1425 1157 80-85% 8 91.00–104.00 $94.69 $1,096 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1335 1252 75-80% 3 91.00–94.00 $92.58 $1,159 —
1440 1440 75-80% 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,080 —
1275–1680 1465 75-80% 4 87.00–90.00 $87.81 $1,286 —
1690–1905 value added 1798 75-80% 2 112.00–113.00 $112.47 $2,022 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1535 1202 3 100.00–105.00 $101.76 $1,223 —
YG2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135 1135 1 90.00 $90.00 $1,022 —

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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.