Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 22, 2024

90 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 90 24 41
Feeder cattle 75 5 31
Slaughter cattle 15 19 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Too few comparable lots for a price comparison. Feeder cattle sold with moderate to good demand.

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
390 390 8 339.50 $339.50 $1,324 —
427 427 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,366 —
465 465 1 307.00 $307.00 $1,428 —
501 501 9 324.00 $324.00 $1,623 —
605 605 5 283.00 $283.00 $1,712 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565–575 570 2 272.00–272.50 $272.25 $1,552 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
413 413 9 295.00 $295.00 $1,218 —
479 479 9 277.00 $277.00 $1,327 —
545 545 4 266.00 $266.00 $1,450 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 165.00 $165.00 $627 —
440 440 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,122 —
650 650 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,372 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 215.00 $215.00 $860 —
650 650 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,170 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,035 —
350–390 370 2 300.00–312.00 $306.32 $1,133 —
420 420 1 324.00 $324.00 $1,361 —
450 450 2 308.00 $308.00 $1,386 —
530 530 3 248.00 $248.00 $1,314 —
615–625 620 2 270.00–280.00 $274.96 $1,705 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 201.00 $201.00 $513 —
350 350 1 185.00 $185.00 $648 —
530 530 1 145.00 $145.00 $768 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 262.00 $262.00 $1,284 —
560 560 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,344 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1025 983 80-85% 4 105.00–116.00 $111.14 $1,093 +19.14
1045 1045 80-85% 1 85.00 $85.00 $888 —
1000–1195 1083 80-85% 3 120.00–126.00 $123.68 $1,339 +18.79
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1555 1342 75-80% 3 125.00–134.00 $130.06 $1,745 —
1275–1420 1348 75-80% 2 110.00–119.00 $114.26 $1,540 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295 1295 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,295 —
1375 1375 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,719 —

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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.