Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 25, 2026

371 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $481.27/cwt +9.54 vs last sale · ≈ $2,594/hd at 539 lb · 81 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $458.40/cwt +32.14 vs last sale · ≈ $2,347/hd at 512 lb · 38 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $473.00/cwt +16.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,218/hd at 469 lb · 33 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 371 165 92
Feeder cattle 349 141 82
Slaughter cattle 21 22 10
Replacement cattle 1 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle 2.00 To 4.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 24.00 To 42.00 Higher Demand Very Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Attractive Head Calves 600.00 To1350.00

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
245 245 1 615.00 $615.00 $1,507 —
360–396 391 10 510.00–549.00 $539.79 $2,111 —
400–435 421 9 517.00–547.00 $526.23 $2,215 +41.52
486–490 488 13 505.00 $505.00 $2,464 +75.00
510–541 539 81 480.00–518.00 $481.27 $2,594 +9.54
555–585 566 4 440.00–477.00 $459.39 $2,600 +24.93
615–625 620 2 410.00–420.00 $414.96 $2,573 -30.04
651 651 10 430.00 $430.00 $2,799 +113.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 565.00 $565.00 $1,384 —
350 350 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,575 —
425 425 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,955 —
472 472 2 425.00 $425.00 $2,006 —
521 521 3 437.00 $437.00 $2,277 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 525.00 $525.00 $1,234 +175.00
298 298 2 495.00 $495.00 $1,475 ±0.00
310–335 324 7 485.00–510.00 $499.23 $1,618 -40.77
360–380 375 19 490.00–520.00 $505.69 $1,896 +37.28
400–443 413 14 450.00–504.00 $489.59 $2,022 +21.42
453–488 469 33 450.00–495.00 $473.00 $2,218 +16.00
501–535 512 38 420.00–469.00 $458.40 $2,347 +32.14
552–565 556 13 397.00–439.00 $423.65 $2,355 -15.35
615 615 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,152 -52.00
675 675 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,261 -14.51
700–728 719 3 342.00–349.00 $346.73 $2,493 +11.84
835 835 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,422 -40.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–380 371 4 400.00–459.00 $429.71 $1,594 —
430–442 438 3 400.00 $400.00 $1,752 —
495 495 1 447.00 $447.00 $2,213 —
506–516 511 8 402.00–410.00 $408.24 $2,086 +9.24
560 560 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,128 -20.00
630 630 1 307.00 $307.00 $1,934 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 450.00 $450.00 $922 -125.00
300–340 320 2 530.00–570.00 $548.75 $1,756 +33.82
350–380 367 4 470.00–547.00 $523.02 $1,919 +8.02
410–445 429 4 485.00–518.00 $502.01 $2,154 +60.92
450–480 464 6 445.00–492.00 $474.48 $2,202 —
500–520 509 5 437.00–489.00 $465.77 $2,371 +93.77
555–580 568 2 410.00–429.00 $419.71 $2,384 +37.71
610 610 1 477.00 $477.00 $2,910 +62.15
650–660 655 2 335.00–349.00 $342.05 $2,240 -24.95
710–730 720 2 337.00–347.00 $341.93 $2,462 +26.93
750–765 758 2 300.00–332.00 $315.84 $2,394 -51.16
855–875 865 2 275.00–312.00 $293.29 $2,537 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–395 368 3 430.00–450.00 $438.10 $1,612 —
435–445 440 2 432.00–459.00 $445.35 $1,960 —
515–530 523 3 420.00–430.00 $426.72 $2,232 —
575 575 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,128 —
605–630 615 3 375.00–392.00 $384.04 $2,362 —
715 715 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,038 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1015 963 80-85% 3 128.00–132.00 $129.25 $1,245 +23.99
1060–1080 1070 80-85% 2 120.00 $120.00 $1,284 —
940–1265 1103 80-85% 2 159.00–169.00 $164.74 $1,817 —
955–1370 1120 80-85% 4 134.00–151.00 $143.36 $1,606 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780 780 85-90% 2 145.00–148.00 $146.50 $1,143 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1725–1915 1820 75-80% 2 162.00–167.00 $164.37 $2,992 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295 1295 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,968 —
1205–1775 1490 2 170.00–180.00 $175.96 $2,622 —
1460–1955 1763 3 200.00–207.00 $204.15 $3,599 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00

↑ Back to top

Beef/Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 340.00 $340.00 $850 —
300 300 1 245.00 $245.00 $735 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 285.00 $285.00 $826 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,344 —
505 505 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,515 —
690 690 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,070 —

↑ 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.