Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 7, 2026

155 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M 1 bulls $408.09/cwt ≈ $2,116/hd at 518 lb · 12 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $465.19/cwt +85.19 vs last sale · ≈ $2,000/hd at 430 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 155 — —

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 1 416.00 $416.00 $1,622 —
415 415 1 499.00 $499.00 $2,071 —
450 450 2 440.00 $440.00 $1,980 —
595 595 1 369.00 $369.00 $2,196 —
660 660 1 337.00 $337.00 $2,224 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
150 150 2 387.00 $387.00 $580 —
290 290 1 442.00 $442.00 $1,282 —
325 325 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,462 +80.00
355–365 360 2 440.00–457.00 $448.38 $1,614 +56.38
400–445 423 8 406.00–425.00 $417.75 $1,767 +59.35
465–485 472 3 400.00–422.00 $414.46 $1,956 —
500–505 503 5 382.00–399.00 $393.60 $1,980 +16.60
565 565 2 372.00 $372.00 $2,102 +5.00
690 690 3 280.00 $280.00 $1,932 —
700–740 727 3 282.00–300.00 $294.22 $2,139 —
850 850 1 272.00 $272.00 $2,312 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–380 365 2 435.00 $435.00 $1,588 +88.39
440 440 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,738 —
460–475 468 2 385.00–399.00 $391.89 $1,834 —
590 590 2 359.00 $359.00 $2,118 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,050 —
375 375 1 397.00 $397.00 $1,489 —
525 525 1 359.00 $359.00 $1,885 +22.00
565 565 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,610 -35.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
185 185 1 510.00 $510.00 $944 —
255 255 1 590.00 $590.00 $1,504 —
320–340 332 3 508.00–527.00 $518.26 $1,721 —
360 360 1 465.00 $465.00 $1,674 —
428–437 430 10 462.00–466.00 $465.19 $2,000 +85.19
450–480 461 8 425.00–439.00 $432.31 $1,993 +42.30
520 520 1 442.00 $442.00 $2,298 —
560–565 563 2 395.00–410.00 $402.47 $2,266 +3.47
610 610 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,952 -39.00
625 625 1 327.00 $327.00 $2,044 -32.00
675–690 683 2 320.00–329.00 $324.45 $2,216 —
760 760 1 292.00 $292.00 $2,219 —
810 810 2 269.00–285.00 $277.00 $2,244 —
865 865 1 262.00 $262.00 $2,266 —
970 970 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,037 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,764 —
450–485 459 4 399.00–412.00 $402.44 $1,847 —
500–545 516 11 395.00–420.00 $412.73 $2,130 —
545 545 1 357.00 $357.00 $1,946 —
595 595 1 387.00 $387.00 $2,303 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278–295 287 4 550.00–555.00 $552.57 $1,586 —
385 385 2 430.00–442.00 $436.00 $1,679 —
410–435 418 3 425.00–445.00 $438.07 $1,831 —
450–490 463 3 416.00–420.00 $418.59 $1,938 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–945 940 80-85% 2 105.00–128.00 $116.44 $1,095 -3.56
905–1310 1082 80-85% 9 156.00–172.00 $163.46 $1,769 +73.46
955–1235 1087 80-85% 11 135.00–150.00 $143.19 $1,556 +53.19
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690–820 755 85-90% 2 163.00–167.00 $164.83 $1,244 —
820–825 823 85-90% 2 91.00–112.00 $101.47 $835 —
835 835 85-90% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,086 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225 1225 75-80% 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,838 —
1225–1625 1360 75-80% 3 158.00–168.00 $163.12 $2,218 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1685 1685 1 200.00 $200.00 $3,370 —
1995 1995 1 224.00 $224.00 $4,469 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
925–1150 1038 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 1,850.00–2,000.00 $1,916.87
1120–1215 1168 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,000.00–2,450.00 $2,234.15

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
885 885 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
820 820 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,825.00 $1,825.00 —
940 940 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00 —
1140 1140 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,800.00 $1,800.00 —

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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.