Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 20, 2024

57 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 57 177 109
Feeder cattle 31 138 82
Slaughter cattle 26 39 27

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle Mostly Steady Feeder cattle Mostly Steady Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Light Quality Average

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 170.00 $170.00 $740 —
475 475 1 130.00 $130.00 $618 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–330 320 2 287.00–290.00 $288.55 $923 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 250.00 $250.00 $512 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 262.00 $262.00 $1,048 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 255.00 $255.00 $918 -4.00
440–445 443 2 237.00 $237.00 $1,050 +1.77
500–545 523 2 220.00–232.00 $226.26 $1,183 -5.12
585 585 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,287 —
645 645 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,032 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 200.00 $200.00 $940 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,050 -1.98

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 292.00 $292.00 $642 —
250 250 1 295.00 $295.00 $738 —
385 385 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,116 +2.00
430–435 433 2 247.00 $247.00 $1,070 -37.96
460–495 478 2 240.00–247.00 $243.63 $1,165 -23.42
500–535 518 2 247.00–250.00 $248.45 $1,287 -9.20
770 770 1 118.00 $118.00 $909 -57.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 250.00 $250.00 $562 —
565 565 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,130 ±0.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 125.00 $125.00 $506 -107.00
540 540 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,080 +25.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1310 1083 80-85% 7 50.00–84.00 $71.11 $770 -22.69
985–1330 1119 80-85% 10 110.00–120.00 $112.58 $1,260 +4.59
1100–1230 1148 80-85% 3 100.00–105.00 $103.40 $1,187 -4.59
1105–1335 1202 80-85% 5 90.00–99.00 $91.89 $1,105 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1915 1915 1 135.00 $135.00 $2,585 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–420 410 2 180.00 $180.00 $738 —

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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.