Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 21, 2024

121 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 121 56 107
Feeder cattle 97 39 80
Slaughter cattle 23 17 24
Replacement cattle 1 — 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle 3.00 To 6.00 Higher Feeder cattle 9.00 To 10.00 Higher Demand Very Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Attractive 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
420 420 1 296.00 $296.00 $1,243 +36.00
450 450 1 288.00 $288.00 $1,296 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,120 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 60.00 $60.00 $327 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 284.00 $284.00 $809 +52.00
375 375 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,088 +51.03
420–435 423 6 258.00–266.00 $264.67 $1,120 -3.33
485–495 490 2 260.00–268.00 $263.96 $1,293 —
510–515 513 2 242.00–244.00 $243.00 $1,247 +34.02
570–575 573 2 232.00–236.00 $234.01 $1,341 —
635 635 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,270 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 151.00 $151.00 $378 —
365–375 370 2 150.00 $150.00 $555 —
405 405 1 102.00 $102.00 $413 -93.12
500 500 5 150.00–160.00 $154.00 $770 —
580 580 1 164.00 $164.00 $951 —
635 635 1 120.00 $120.00 $762 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–435 428 2 205.00–214.00 $209.42 $896 -10.58
465–480 470 3 200.00–212.00 $204.62 $962 +16.62
520–540 530 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,113 —
590 590 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,109 +3.51
640 640 2 140.00 $140.00 $896 -10.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 234.00 $234.00 $737 —
350 350 1 234.00 $234.00 $819 +9.00
405–415 410 2 240.00–250.00 $244.94 $1,004 +10.94
490 490 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,127 —
505–510 508 2 220.00–225.00 $222.51 $1,130 —
570 570 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,231 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 300.00 $300.00 $825 —
345 345 1 328.00 $328.00 $1,132 —
380 380 1 303.00 $303.00 $1,151 +35.00
405 405 1 292.00 $292.00 $1,183 +64.00
475 475 3 268.00 $268.00 $1,273 —
540 540 1 259.00 $259.00 $1,399 -1.00
625 625 3 243.00–250.00 $245.33 $1,533 -10.67
675 675 1 238.00 $238.00 $1,606 —
735 735 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,411 —
778 778 2 186.00 $186.00 $1,447 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 2 290.00–298.00 $294.00 $956 —
390 390 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,014 —
405–440 421 4 250.00–278.00 $263.39 $1,109 —
468–475 470 4 250.00–268.00 $263.45 $1,238 —
505 505 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,262 —
675 675 1 222.00 $222.00 $1,498 —
755 755 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,359 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 2 266.00 $266.00 $931 +80.00
410 410 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,066 +68.00
450–480 468 3 225.00–234.00 $228.91 $1,071 —
505–510 508 2 210.00–220.00 $215.02 $1,092 —
565–585 575 2 200.00–206.00 $202.95 $1,167 —
625 625 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,250 —
Medium 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
442 442 2 170.00 $170.00 $751 —
540 540 1 140.00 $140.00 $756 —
735 735 1 118.00 $118.00 $867 —
940 940 1 80.00 $80.00 $752 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 220.00 $220.00 $924 —
480 480 1 170.00 $170.00 $816 +48.00
540 540 1 180.00 $180.00 $972 —
930 930 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,014 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–990 948 80-85% 2 80.00 $80.00 $758 +27.92
1100–1260 1180 80-85% 4 86.00–94.00 $88.14 $1,040 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1395 1360 75-80% 2 90.00–95.00 $92.56 $1,259 -9.44
1360–1565 1478 75-80% 3 104.00–106.00 $105.03 $1,552 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700 700 85-90% 1 94.00 $94.00 $658 —
880 880 85-90% 1 88.00 $88.00 $774 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1105 1080 2 100.00 $100.00 $1,080 —
1000–1705 1387 5 106.00–116.00 $111.79 $1,551 -21.04
1265–1775 1515 3 122.00–130.00 $126.12 $1,911 —

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
935 935 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 600.00 $600.00 —

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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.