Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 25, 2026

264 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $442.00/cwt -148.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,281/hd at 516 lb · 26 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $463.42/cwt -7.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,983/hd at 428 lb · 22 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $501.34/cwt -19.69 vs last sale · ≈ $2,121/hd at 423 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 264 237 64
Feeder cattle 239 219 41
Slaughter cattle 23 16 23
Replacement cattle 2 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle 10.00 To 15.00 Higher Feeder Cattle Somewhat Lower Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Average To Attractive Baby calf 800.00

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
230 230 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,380 —
250–293 279 4 610.00–640.00 $630.77 $1,760 —
315–338 330 3 575.00–630.00 $612.52 $2,021 -60.04
350 350 1 560.00 $560.00 $1,960 —
487 487 3 465.00 $465.00 $2,265 —
533 533 11 470.00 $470.00 $2,505 -32.00
560–565 563 3 440.00–445.00 $443.34 $2,496 —
810 810 2 339.00 $339.00 $2,746 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,375 —
350 350 3 515.00 $515.00 $1,802 —
435 435 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,740 -150.00
480–495 485 3 405.00–439.00 $424.81 $2,060 +24.81
510 510 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,142 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 265.00 $265.00 $874 —
570 570 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,368 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
150 150 1 535.00 $535.00 $802 —
245 245 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,396 +130.00
285–291 290 5 550.00–575.00 $570.08 $1,653 +139.25
320–335 324 4 480.00–500.00 $494.83 $1,603 -38.76
360–395 383 3 437.00–450.00 $445.19 $1,705 -104.86
418–445 423 17 500.00–510.00 $501.34 $2,121 -19.69
464 464 4 487.00 $487.00 $2,260 +0.25
516 516 26 442.00 $442.00 $2,281 -148.00
585 585 1 525.00 $525.00 $3,071 +33.07
600–645 625 3 332.00–347.00 $337.81 $2,111 —
705 705 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,221 -32.00
785 785 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,237 —
895 895 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,193 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290–295 293 2 455.00–480.00 $467.39 $1,369 —
325–340 333 5 425.00–475.00 $440.84 $1,468 -30.63
355 355 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,420 -106.46
400–445 428 22 425.00–485.00 $463.42 $1,983 -7.89
450–475 468 7 410.00–430.00 $419.91 $1,965 -1.22
505–540 513 5 372.00–385.00 $380.76 $1,953 -154.24
558–587 569 8 417.00–435.00 $423.97 $2,412 -3.36
650 650 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,950 —
885 885 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,301 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,224 —
315–325 320 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,280 —
420 420 2 405.00 $405.00 $1,701 -17.53
525 525 2 352.00 $352.00 $1,848 -56.10
550–570 563 6 350.00–370.00 $363.37 $2,046 -32.80
565 565 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,441 -141.17

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,237 -20.00
255 thin fleshed 255 1 695.00 $695.00 $1,772 —
270–285 278 2 635.00–645.00 $640.14 $1,780 +0.14
315–335 327 3 590.00–610.00 $598.52 $1,957 -69.46
366–370 367 4 575.00–580.00 $576.26 $2,115 -69.13
415 415 1 565.00 $565.00 $2,345 -30.00
465 465 1 505.00 $505.00 $2,348 -22.42
525–535 532 6 422.00–432.00 $430.03 $2,288 -244.97
560 560 1 429.00 $429.00 $2,402 -5.34
610 610 1 372.00 $372.00 $2,269 -28.98
650 650 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,275 -47.00
745 745 1 307.00 $307.00 $2,287 —
800 800 2 306.00 $306.00 $2,448 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–340 333 3 525.00–540.00 $534.90 $1,781 -100.10
356–380 362 4 475.00–500.00 $481.56 $1,743 -92.82
400–445 424 6 475.00–500.00 $480.69 $2,038 -28.14
465–495 482 9 452.00–472.00 $461.37 $2,224 -38.63
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,575 —
405–445 434 4 450.00–470.00 $456.24 $1,980 -5.76
460–485 475 3 400.00–415.00 $406.72 $1,932 -23.18
515 515 1 390.00 $390.00 $2,008 -91.55
620 620 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,860 ±0.00

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1040 995 80-85% 4 125.00–138.00 $130.08 $1,294 —
970–1190 1080 80-85% 2 110.00–120.00 $114.49 $1,236 —
1055–1185 1113 80-85% 3 173.00–200.00 $182.95 $2,036 +10.08
1015–1300 1126 80-85% 4 146.00–164.00 $157.15 $1,770 -15.72
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1295 1258 75-80% 3 175.00–178.00 $176.97 $2,226 —
1205–1340 1273 75-80% 2 150.00–160.00 $154.73 $1,970 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835 835 85-90% 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,628 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020 1020 1 249.00 $249.00 $2,540 —
1400–1675 1538 2 170.00–172.00 $171.09 $2,631 —
1965 1965 1 215.00 $215.00 $4,225 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1235 1235 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1305 1305 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 4,375.00 $4,375.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.