Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 11, 2026

238 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $462.44/cwt -42.11 vs last sale · ≈ $1,878/hd at 406 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 238 293 132
Feeder cattle 202 242 114
Slaughter cattle 32 42 18
Replacement cattle 4 9 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle 3.00 To 6.00 Lower Feeder Cattle 7.00 To 12.00 Lower Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Average To Attractive

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
275 275 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,512 +55.00
385 385 2 439.00 $439.00 $1,690 +34.00
400 400 2 527.00 $527.00 $2,108 +32.00
475–483 480 3 449.00–450.00 $449.33 $2,157 -70.67
515 515 1 459.00 $459.00 $2,364 -106.00
550 550 9 471.00 $471.00 $2,590 +1.20
604 604 5 443.00 $443.00 $2,676 +23.00
717 717 2 372.00 $372.00 $2,667 -15.00
765–775 772 3 359.00–365.00 $360.98 $2,787 —
817–830 823 8 342.00–347.00 $345.13 $2,840 —
860 860 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,924 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–435 433 4 425.00–455.00 $432.37 $1,872 —
470 470 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,904 —
505 505 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,020 —
590 590 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,478 —
615–640 628 2 380.00–414.00 $397.34 $2,495 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,575 —
575 575 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,070 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 535.00 $535.00 $1,525 +15.00
335–340 338 2 465.00–475.00 $469.96 $1,588 -43.79
382 382 6 489.00 $489.00 $1,868 -51.00
400–425 406 10 450.00–480.00 $462.44 $1,878 -42.11
465–473 472 8 447.00–465.00 $462.78 $2,184 -19.22
520 520 1 425.00 $425.00 $2,210 -10.70
567–575 569 8 350.00–362.00 $358.97 $2,043 -26.50
630–648 644 4 357.00–360.00 $359.27 $2,314 -30.73
665–695 680 2 275.00–277.00 $276.02 $1,877 -104.97
712–730 717 4 312.00–332.00 $326.91 $2,344 +16.91
770–775 773 2 316.00–335.00 $325.47 $2,516 -33.51
800 800 2 322.00 $322.00 $2,576 -53.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,135 —
345 345 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,466 —
360–390 373 8 435.00–450.00 $448.04 $1,671 -58.28
405–440 425 6 418.00–447.00 $431.69 $1,835 —
515 515 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,802 —
570 570 2 329.00–347.00 $338.00 $1,927 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 379.00 $379.00 $1,819 —
520 520 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,690 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,092 -55.00
255 255 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,275 -95.00
350–385 370 3 475.00–480.00 $476.58 $1,763 -59.14
428 428 7 535.00 $535.00 $2,290 +10.00
470–495 483 2 455.00–467.00 $460.84 $2,226 -39.27
510–530 520 4 420.00–440.00 $427.60 $2,224 -7.30
550–560 555 3 377.00–397.00 $386.37 $2,144 -52.07
608 thin fleshed 608 3 414.00 $414.00 $2,517 —
655 655 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,194 —
732 732 2 335.00 $335.00 $2,452 —
755 755 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,190 —
870 870 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,436 —
907 907 2 223.00 $223.00 $2,023 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,134 —
350–380 366 4 400.00–420.00 $405.19 $1,483 -44.81
410 410 3 435.00–449.00 $443.00 $1,816 -7.00
470–495 485 4 350.00–390.00 $376.47 $1,826 -48.53
560–590 575 2 275.00–300.00 $287.17 $1,651 -72.92
630 630 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,890 -52.50
710 710 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,846 -25.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–495 479 4 410.00–435.00 $424.54 $2,034 -36.56
505–547 532 5 399.00–400.00 $399.38 $2,125 +134.38
605–625 615 3 365.00–390.00 $375.14 $2,307 -11.19
720 720 1 302.00 $302.00 $2,174 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,102 —
340 340 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,479 —
355–385 370 2 435.00–459.00 $447.49 $1,656 —
445 445 1 475.00 $475.00 $2,114 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1215 1058 80-85% 8 144.00–157.00 $149.83 $1,585 —
995–1120 1058 80-85% 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,481 —
1125 value added 1125 80-85% 1 197.00 $197.00 $2,216 —
1105–1235 1170 80-85% 2 166.00–168.00 $167.06 $1,955 -10.78
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1460 1357 75-80% 6 166.00–178.00 $170.80 $2,318 -3.65
1285–1640 1421 75-80% 4 148.00–161.00 $155.14 $2,205 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855 855 85-90% 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,154 —
875–895 885 85-90% 2 120.00–131.00 $125.44 $1,110 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350 1350 1 170.00 $170.00 $2,295 —
1080–2085 1583 3 190.00–202.00 $197.54 $3,127 —
1945–2015 1980 2 215.00–224.00 $219.42 $4,345 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
895–945 920 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,325.00–1,975.00 $1,658.83
945 945 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,825.00 $1,825.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
750 750 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 775.00 $775.00

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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.