Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, July 15, 2026

247 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $472.11/cwt +24.45 vs last sale · ≈ $2,148/hd at 455 lb · 17 head
light 5-weight M 1 steers $416.49/cwt ≈ $2,245/hd at 539 lb · 14 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $370.89/cwt +18.71 vs last sale · ≈ $2,099/hd at 566 lb · 11 head
North Wilkesboro 4-weight heifers at $469/cwt are above the state average—$51/cwt above the NC average ($418)—and the highest of the 5 yards reporting the class. Receipts ran 247 head. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 247 186 39
Feeder cattle 190 157 32
Slaughter cattle 37 22 7
Replacement cattle 20 7 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle 2.00 To 7.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 18.00 To 24.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Attractive Head Calf 775.00

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
285–295 290 2 440.00–445.00 $442.46 $1,283 -57.54
320–345 333 2 485.00–500.00 $492.22 $1,639 —
362–385 367 5 482.00–490.00 $488.32 $1,792 +18.32
437 437 5 489.00 $489.00 $2,137 —
484 484 8 485.00 $485.00 $2,347 +68.00
510 510 4 427.00–442.00 $438.25 $2,235 +20.90
565–598 577 7 400.00–420.00 $413.79 $2,388 -44.22
603 603 8 430.00 $430.00 $2,593 +22.00
695 695 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,502 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–383 375 3 455.00–469.00 $464.52 $1,742 —
403–444 430 6 450.00–460.00 $453.12 $1,948 —
495 495 1 449.00 $449.00 $2,223 —
538–545 539 14 410.00–417.00 $416.49 $2,245 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 417.00 $417.00 $1,856 —
495 495 1 432.00 $432.00 $2,138 —
605 thin fleshed 605 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,210 —
635 635 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,413 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
333 333 3 495.00 $495.00 $1,648 +78.83
350–378 369 3 450.00–465.00 $460.25 $1,698 -12.30
415–445 430 4 452.00–465.00 $458.27 $1,971 +50.97
450–470 455 17 460.00–476.00 $472.11 $2,148 +24.45
505 505 4 430.00 $430.00 $2,172 +43.69
550–590 566 11 360.00–380.00 $370.89 $2,099 +18.71
625 625 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,031 -40.00
670–690 674 7 304.00–325.00 $312.75 $2,108 -36.25
735 735 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,470 —
985 985 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,970 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,424 —
400 400 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,700 —
460–472 467 10 445.00–450.00 $447.00 $2,087 —
540 540 1 389.00 $389.00 $2,101 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,144 —
470–478 476 4 429.00–431.00 $430.51 $2,049 —
535–547 539 6 370.00–385.00 $379.93 $2,048 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,560 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–310 308 2 440.00–455.00 $447.44 $1,378 -27.56
350–380 362 5 457.00–467.00 $462.80 $1,675 -8.59
400–410 405 2 452.00–460.00 $455.95 $1,847 +0.25
450–470 460 2 442.00–449.00 $445.42 $2,049 +43.92
510–540 528 6 404.00–417.00 $409.43 $2,162 +17.04
570–595 581 4 389.00–400.00 $397.18 $2,308 -2.82
610 610 1 399.00 $399.00 $2,434 +67.98
665 665 2 380.00–390.00 $385.00 $2,560 +25.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,300 —
380 380 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,672 —
420–445 437 3 410.00–430.00 $416.41 $1,820 —
463 463 3 427.00 $427.00 $1,977 —
518 518 2 372.00 $372.00 $1,927 —
610 610 3 370.00 $370.00 $2,257 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 350.00 $350.00 $892 —
640 640 1 385.00 $385.00 $2,464 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1420 1093 80-85% 6 150.00–168.00 $159.41 $1,742 -21.83
955–1670 1162 80-85% 12 170.00–182.00 $177.33 $2,061 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1675 1435 75-80% 3 176.00–178.00 $177.10 $2,541 +2.98
1440–1800 1660 75-80% 4 180.00–182.00 $181.30 $3,010 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–775 770 85-90% 2 77.00–97.00 $87.06 $670 —
840 840 85-90% 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,126 —
815–875 845 85-90% 2 112.00–114.00 $112.96 $955 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1525 1475 2 190.00–202.00 $196.20 $2,894 —
1625–1885 1740 5 221.00–228.00 $225.24 $3,919 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910 910 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,950.00 $1,950.00
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
695 695 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00

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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
900 900 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 2,900.00–3,000.00 $2,940.00 —
925–975 938 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 3,150.00–3,350.00 $3,298.00 —
950 950 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 3,300.00 $3,300.00 —
980 980 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,650.00 $2,650.00 —
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 3,050.00 $3,050.00 +675.00
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
800 800 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 2,800.00 $2,800.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,610 —
660 660 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,782 —
865 thin fleshed 865 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,124 —
1000 1000 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,450 —

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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.