Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 7, 2024

211 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $200.90/cwt ≈ $1,227/hd at 611 lb · 10 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $225.07/cwt ≈ $1,071/hd at 476 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 211 50 118
Feeder cattle 187 37 90
Slaughter cattle 23 12 28
Replacement cattle 1 1 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle 5.00 To 6.00 Lower Feeder cattle 5.00 To 10.00 Higher Demand Very Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Attractive Baby calves 50.00 Head calves 250.00 3 Goats

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
230 230 4 270.00 $270.00 $621 —
400 400 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,040 —
455 455 1 272.00 $272.00 $1,238 +45.00
530–535 531 7 258.00–268.00 $259.44 $1,378 +5.44
590 590 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,475 —
620 620 3 254.00 $254.00 $1,575 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 200.00 $200.00 $920 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327 327 8 252.00 $252.00 $824 +7.00
360–375 368 2 250.00–260.00 $255.10 $939 +10.13
405–440 428 4 248.00–260.00 $254.39 $1,089 —
470–475 473 2 238.00–247.00 $242.52 $1,147 —
510–525 514 7 210.00–220.00 $212.59 $1,093 -12.24
550 550 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,100 -9.00
600–619 611 10 193.00–206.00 $200.90 $1,227 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–435 421 9 238.00–246.00 $241.62 $1,017 —
455–485 476 10 220.00–230.00 $225.07 $1,071 —
520–540 533 3 200.00–208.00 $202.60 $1,080 -8.40
550–575 565 3 185.00–196.00 $189.58 $1,071 —
605 605 3 190.00 $190.00 $1,150 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 130.00 $130.00 $351 —
390 390 2 180.00 $180.00 $702 —
405–435 423 4 180.00–190.00 $185.11 $783 —
450–495 473 5 180.00–186.00 $183.43 $868 —
520 520 1 164.00 $164.00 $853 —
575 575 1 148.00 $148.00 $851 —
625–630 627 3 150.00–160.00 $153.32 $961 —
685 685 1 134.00 $134.00 $918 —
765 765 1 100.00 $100.00 $765 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 208.00 $208.00 $489 —
360 360 1 216.00 $216.00 $778 —
415–445 430 2 222.00–234.00 $227.79 $979 —
480 480 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,046 —
545 545 1 180.00 $180.00 $981 —
560 560 1 166.00 $166.00 $930 —
600–640 613 3 170.00–178.00 $173.26 $1,062 —
650 650 1 150.00 $150.00 $975 —
735 735 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,051 +7.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285–290 288 2 246.00–250.00 $248.02 $714 —
300 300 1 272.00 $272.00 $816 +22.00
355–370 363 2 270.00–300.00 $285.31 $1,036 —
400 400 2 260.00–274.00 $267.00 $1,068 —
465–490 478 5 260.00–272.00 $267.21 $1,277 +43.21
515–520 518 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,347 —
578–590 581 7 248.00–256.00 $253.98 $1,476 +8.98
720–735 728 2 200.00–203.00 $201.52 $1,467 +19.52
765–770 768 2 186.00–196.00 $190.98 $1,467 +13.98
880 880 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,382 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 234.00 $234.00 $749 —
360–395 379 6 248.00–260.00 $251.38 $953 —
400–425 413 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,032 +20.00
460–480 468 4 244.00–254.00 $249.96 $1,170 —
500–530 508 6 248.00–256.00 $249.34 $1,267 —
550 550 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,287 —
655 655 1 206.00 $206.00 $1,349 —
790 790 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,375 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 2 234.00–239.00 $236.50 $911 —
455–490 485 7 234.00–238.00 $234.54 $1,138 —
525 525 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,234 —
595 595 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,250 +44.00
605 605 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,222 —
665 665 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,144 +21.00
715 715 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,230 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 170.00 $170.00 $706 —
485–490 488 2 184.00–186.00 $184.99 $903 —
505–520 512 3 200.00–212.00 $205.61 $1,053 —
635 635 1 120.00 $120.00 $762 —
690 690 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,035 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 1 90.00 $90.00 $580 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1420 1206 80-85% 8 85.00–95.00 $90.52 $1,092 -29.16
1740 1740 80-85% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,740 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1895 1577 75-80% 3 90.00–95.00 $93.69 $1,477 —
1405–1775 1592 75-80% 3 98.00–107.00 $101.32 $1,613 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–850 790 85-90% 2 33.00–58.00 $46.45 $367 +13.45

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310–1455 1383 2 100.00 $100.00 $1,383 —
1805–2150 1915 4 120.00–125.00 $122.42 $2,344 —

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
925 925 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,030.00 $1,030.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 50.00 $50.00 $150 —
405 405 1 80.00 $80.00 $324 —
455 455 1 62.00 $62.00 $282 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 130.00 $130.00 $806 —

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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.