Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 4, 2026

293 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $504.55/cwt +3.21 vs last sale · ≈ $2,175/hd at 431 lb · 20 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $390.00/cwt +52.19 vs last sale · ≈ $2,398/hd at 615 lb · 12 head
light 4-weight M 1 bulls $487.20/cwt ≈ $2,080/hd at 427 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 293 264 37
Feeder cattle 242 239 25
Slaughter cattle 42 23 12
Replacement cattle 9 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle 2.00 To 5.00 Lower Feeder Cattle 5.00 To 11.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Average To Attractive Head Calves 675.00 To 950.00 Sheep 12 Head

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
255 255 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,262 -135.77
330–347 342 5 525.00–535.00 $526.99 $1,802 -85.53
370 370 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,498 -155.00
430 430 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,128 —
459 459 5 520.00 $520.00 $2,387 +55.00
500 500 1 565.00 $565.00 $2,825 +95.00
550–565 553 5 469.00–470.00 $469.80 $2,598 +26.46
625 625 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,625 —
680 680 4 462.00 $462.00 $3,142 —
700 700 4 387.00 $387.00 $2,709 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
422 422 2 417.00 $417.00 $1,760 —
570–585 575 3 427.00–457.00 $446.83 $2,569 —
655–690 678 3 367.00–385.00 $379.21 $2,571 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655–665 660 2 345.00 $345.00 $2,277 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
165–190 178 2 555.00–560.00 $557.32 $992 +22.32
210 210 1 530.00 $530.00 $1,113 -40.00
255 255 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,326 -50.08
310–345 325 4 505.00–525.00 $513.75 $1,670 +18.92
368 368 8 540.00 $540.00 $1,987 +94.81
405–437 431 20 490.00–511.00 $504.55 $2,175 +3.21
450 450 1 482.00 $482.00 $2,169 -5.00
500–526 520 8 420.00–440.00 $435.70 $2,266 -6.30
550–595 579 4 377.00–390.00 $385.47 $2,232 -139.53
615 615 12 390.00 $390.00 $2,398 +52.19
678–685 680 3 379.00–382.00 $380.99 $2,591 —
715 715 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,216 -5.00
755–780 763 3 357.00–360.00 $358.98 $2,739 +73.98
800 800 3 375.00 $375.00 $3,000 —
880 880 1 206.00 $206.00 $1,813 -39.00
960 960 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,016 —
1015 1015 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,284 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 2 480.00 $480.00 $1,152 —
270 270 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,282 —
300–340 321 7 455.00–490.00 $476.74 $1,530 —
352–390 369 6 475.00–490.00 $479.38 $1,769 —
420 420 2 460.00 $460.00 $1,932 —
480–485 483 2 430.00–450.00 $439.95 $2,125 —
515–545 533 6 359.00–385.00 $371.96 $1,983 —
605 605 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,208 —
975 975 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,145 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
175 175 1 485.00 $485.00 $849 —
365–390 374 5 420.00–460.00 $446.66 $1,671 —
420–445 435 5 435.00–447.00 $439.40 $1,911 +34.40
480–490 485 4 385.00–405.00 $397.46 $1,928 —
505–545 525 4 325.00–350.00 $336.12 $1,765 -15.88
585 585 2 325.00 $325.00 $1,901 +70.00
620–645 630 3 250.00–325.00 $298.49 $1,880 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–372 360 9 502.00–510.00 $506.32 $1,823 +106.32

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 2 575.00 $575.00 $1,351 +70.00
285–292 290 4 595.00 $595.00 $1,726 -45.14
310–340 327 5 535.00–555.00 $541.87 $1,772 -56.65
355–395 374 4 520.00–550.00 $535.72 $2,004 -40.54
410 410 1 525.00 $525.00 $2,152 -40.00
460–470 465 2 490.00–510.00 $500.11 $2,326 -4.89
510–520 515 2 425.00–445.00 $434.90 $2,240 +4.87
565–580 572 3 425.00–450.00 $438.44 $2,508 +9.44
600 600 1 427.00 $427.00 $2,562 +55.00
810–830 823 3 315.00–316.00 $315.67 $2,598 +9.67
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,595 —
310–335 323 2 450.00–500.00 $474.03 $1,531 —
360 360 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,800 —
400–445 427 10 470.00–495.00 $487.20 $2,080 —
457–490 469 5 450.00–469.00 $461.10 $2,163 —
500 500 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,325 —
580 580 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,407 —
640–645 642 3 385.00–387.00 $386.33 $2,480 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,575 ±0.00
425 425 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,912 -6.24
470 470 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,998 +18.28
555–565 560 2 350.00–370.00 $360.09 $2,017 —
600–640 623 3 345.00–362.00 $352.50 $2,196 +52.50
730 730 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,080 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1150 1038 80-85% 4 120.00–137.00 $127.33 $1,322 —
1040–1055 1048 80-85% 2 80.00–105.00 $92.59 $970 —
1155 value added 1155 80-85% 1 202.00 $202.00 $2,333 —
900–1405 1171 80-85% 7 174.00–183.00 $177.84 $2,083 —
1020–1315 1174 80-85% 8 151.00–163.00 $154.83 $1,818 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1675 1380 75-80% 11 168.00–194.00 $174.45 $2,407 —
1320–1765 1531 75-80% 5 158.00–166.00 $161.72 $2,476 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1960 1640 2 186.00–189.00 $187.79 $3,080 —
1740–2010 1875 2 192.00–210.00 $201.65 $3,781 —

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Bred Cows

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
870 870 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00

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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
915 915 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,250.00 $3,250.00 —
920 920 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00 —
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,375.00 $3,375.00 —
1130 1130 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,900.00 $3,900.00 —
1290 1290 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,900.00 $3,900.00 —
1305 1305 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,650.00 $3,650.00 -725.00
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
715 715 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —

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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.