Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 20, 2024

65 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 65 97 72
Feeder cattle 56 75 57
Slaughter cattle 9 22 15

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 261.00 $261.00 $1,514 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 298.00 $298.00 $879 +11.78
330 330 1 316.00 $316.00 $1,043 +58.00
360–380 370 2 318.00–324.00 $320.92 $1,187 +48.10
405–440 422 3 287.00–300.00 $293.88 $1,240 —
455–485 467 3 286.00–296.00 $291.88 $1,363 +20.93
550–565 558 2 258.00–264.00 $260.96 $1,456 +22.96
765–775 770 2 135.00–138.00 $136.51 $1,051 —
895 895 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,235 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 256.00 $256.00 $742 +6.00
325 325 1 274.00 $274.00 $890 +44.00
420–435 428 2 250.00–260.00 $255.09 $1,092 —
470–495 483 3 270.00–278.00 $274.35 $1,325 +26.35

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 315.00 $315.00 $835 +10.00
350–390 375 3 280.00–296.00 $289.64 $1,086 +34.67
410–415 413 2 266.00–274.00 $269.98 $1,115 +5.99
450–470 460 2 270.00–280.00 $274.89 $1,264 +2.26
500–515 508 3 258.00–262.00 $260.65 $1,324 +4.68
665 665 2 236.00–244.00 $240.00 $1,596 -16.00
705 705 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,368 +4.88
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–385 375 2 242.00–251.00 $246.62 $925 —
405–425 415 2 242.00–248.00 $245.07 $1,017 —
467 467 4 230.00 $230.00 $1,074 —
590 590 1 243.00 $243.00 $1,434 +73.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 298.00 $298.00 $879 —
360 360 1 262.00 $262.00 $943 —
415 415 1 225.00 $225.00 $934 —
465 465 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,209 +6.11
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 234.00 $234.00 $831 —
475–480 478 2 207.00–218.00 $212.47 $1,016 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 80-85% 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,060 —
1320 1320 80-85% 3 120.00 $120.00 $1,584 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1450 1450 75-80% 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,595 —
1610–1640 1625 75-80% 2 125.00–135.00 $129.95 $2,112 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1795 1795 1 135.00 $135.00 $2,423 —
1890 1890 1 151.00 $151.00 $2,854 —

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Dairy Heifers

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,074 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 204.00 $204.00 $836 —

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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.