Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 1, 2024

41 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 41 83 71
Feeder cattle 31 59 47
Slaughter cattle 10 24 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

No Reporter Last Week Demand Good Activity Moderate Offerings Light 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
495 495 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,287 —
515 515 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,138 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,112 -31.63
450–490 475 8 262.00–265.00 $263.93 $1,254 -16.07
510 510 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,352 +6.00
575 575 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,438 -10.00
655 655 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,376 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 250.00 $250.00 $625 —
315 315 1 250.00 $250.00 $788 —
450 450 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,080 -8.51

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,008 —
405 405 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,134 +0.05
455 455 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,320 +10.00
605 605 1 248.00 $248.00 $1,500 -6.00
700 700 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,449 +7.00
890 890 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,584 —
950 950 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,140 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 245.00 $245.00 $821 —
485–490 488 2 182.00–200.00 $191.05 $932 —
640 640 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,344 +10.00
780 780 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,170 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 257.00 $257.00 $1,246 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035 1035 80-85% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,346 +11.03
1025–1185 1105 80-85% 2 94.00–105.00 $99.10 $1,095 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230 1230 75-80% 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,292 —
1240–1300 1270 75-80% 2 115.00–119.00 $116.95 $1,485 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 85-90% 1 61.00 $61.00 $470 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445 1445 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,445 —
1350–1690 1472 3 119.00–130.00 $124.54 $1,833 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865 865 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,099 —

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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.