Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 18, 2026

165 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 165 238 50
Feeder cattle 141 202 38
Slaughter cattle 22 32 12
Replacement cattle 2 4 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle Mostly Steady Feeder Cattle 6.00 To 12.00 Higher Demand Very Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Attractive Head 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
305 305 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,586 —
405–445 425 6 480.00–489.00 $484.71 $2,060 -42.29
470 470 1 430.00 $430.00 $2,021 -19.33
505–545 525 2 465.00–479.00 $471.73 $2,477 +12.73
550–570 560 2 432.00–437.00 $434.46 $2,433 -36.54
600 600 2 445.00 $445.00 $2,670 +2.00
665 665 1 317.00 $317.00 $2,108 —
665 665 1 382.00 $382.00 $2,540 —
705 705 1 382.00 $382.00 $2,693 +10.00
815–835 825 2 352.00 $352.00 $2,904 +6.87
870 870 1 350.00 $350.00 $3,045 +10.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 3 495.00 $495.00 $1,658 —
415–420 417 6 460.00–467.00 $464.66 $1,938 —
625 625 1 386.00 $386.00 $2,412 —
675–695 682 3 355.00–360.00 $358.30 $2,444 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 4 417.00 $417.00 $2,127 —
785 785 1 292.00 $292.00 $2,292 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 350.00 $350.00 $700 —
290 290 2 495.00 $495.00 $1,436 -40.00
305 305 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,647 +70.04
360–390 378 3 465.00–470.00 $468.41 $1,771 -20.59
420–440 424 8 460.00–475.00 $468.17 $1,985 +5.73
450 450 1 457.00 $457.00 $2,056 -5.78
505–525 517 5 422.00–429.00 $426.26 $2,204 +1.26
568 568 7 439.00 $439.00 $2,494 +80.03
620 620 1 402.00 $402.00 $2,492 +42.73
660–695 678 2 349.00–350.00 $349.51 $2,370 +73.49
702–740 717 4 327.00–339.00 $334.89 $2,401 +7.98
811 811 8 330.00 $330.00 $2,676 +8.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 2 445.00 $445.00 $1,558 —
480–497 491 6 429.00–435.00 $433.05 $2,126 —
515–540 528 2 370.00–375.00 $372.44 $1,966 —
550–580 570 3 375.00–385.00 $379.04 $2,161 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,020 —
340 340 2 475.00 $475.00 $1,615 —
370–395 383 2 395.00–400.00 $397.58 $1,523 —
420 420 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,764 —
525 525 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,838 —
660–685 668 3 242.00–315.00 $272.87 $1,823 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 399.00 $399.00 $2,095 +49.00
590 590 2 400.00 $400.00 $2,360 +62.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 575.00 $575.00 $1,150 +55.00
340–345 343 2 505.00–525.00 $514.93 $1,766 —
360 360 1 515.00 $515.00 $1,854 +38.42
407–445 421 4 437.00–447.00 $441.09 $1,857 -93.91
503 503 3 372.00 $372.00 $1,871 -55.60
575 575 2 382.00 $382.00 $2,196 -4.37
605–607 607 7 412.00–432.00 $414.85 $2,518 —
652 652 2 367.00 $367.00 $2,393 +32.00
730 730 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,300 -20.00
791 791 3 367.00 $367.00 $2,903 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,649 —
350 350 1 499.00 $499.00 $1,746 —
525 525 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,838 -49.38
700 700 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,995 -17.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 2 435.00 $435.00 $1,414 —
625 625 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,188 +50.00
650 650 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,112 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–980 951 80-85% 4 102.00–108.00 $105.26 $1,001 —
900–1100 1004 80-85% 5 136.00–148.00 $140.71 $1,413 —
1035–1255 1158 80-85% 6 154.00–179.00 $167.69 $1,942 +0.63
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–2070 1470 75-80% 6 155.00–169.00 $160.95 $2,366 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895 895 85-90% 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,629 +56.56

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Bred Cows

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
705 705 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 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
905 905 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00 —

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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.