Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, July 29, 2026 Corrected report

153 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $430.00/cwt ≈ $2,365/hd at 550 lb · 13 head
light 6-weight M&L 2 steers $372.00/cwt ≈ $2,407/hd at 647 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 153 104 0
Feeder cattle 117 82 0
Slaughter cattle 34 20 0
Replacement cattle 2 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle 3.00 To 6.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 1.00 To 5.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Average To Attractive Head Calves 500.00 To1200.00 3 Goats

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
265 265 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,325 +25.00
300–318 312 3 482.00–487.00 $483.60 $1,509 —
400 400 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,940 +48.03
460 460 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,047 -10.80
550 550 13 430.00 $430.00 $2,365 —
610 610 1 399.00 $399.00 $2,434 —
655 655 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,424 +1.00
820 820 1 297.00 $297.00 $2,435 +5.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–437 429 4 400.00–455.00 $434.36 $1,863 +29.36
647 647 10 372.00 $372.00 $2,407 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,715 —
505 505 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,616 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–270 263 2 415.00–420.00 $417.57 $1,098 —
307 307 3 469.00 $469.00 $1,440 +28.84
350–355 353 2 425.00–435.00 $430.04 $1,518 —
411 411 3 406.00 $406.00 $1,669 -17.89
450 450 2 407.00 $407.00 $1,832 —
515–540 528 2 340.00–350.00 $344.88 $1,821 -42.80
572 572 2 349.00 $349.00 $1,996 —
630 630 1 322.00 $322.00 $2,029 —
675 675 2 285.00–290.00 $287.50 $1,941 +22.50
875 875 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,890 —
915 915 1 232.00 $232.00 $2,123 -19.51
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–255 253 2 395.00–400.00 $397.52 $1,006 —
395 395 2 406.00–415.00 $410.50 $1,621 —
420–440 433 3 370.00–380.00 $373.38 $1,617 +73.38
465–477 473 3 382.00–385.00 $382.98 $1,811 +3.98
595 595 1 302.00 $302.00 $1,797 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,251 —
450–485 470 5 310.00–342.00 $332.91 $1,565 —
610 610 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,708 —
695 695 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,425 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,150 —
305–335 320 2 490.00–495.00 $492.62 $1,576 +32.62
355–395 382 3 425.00–440.00 $431.38 $1,648 -58.62
435 435 2 432.00 $432.00 $1,879 -24.19
455 455 1 429.00 $429.00 $1,952 —
542 542 2 385.00 $385.00 $2,087 -2.00
585 585 1 387.00 $387.00 $2,264 +15.75
605–640 623 2 360.00–370.00 $365.14 $2,275 +38.29
660 660 2 350.00 $350.00 $2,310 —
725 725 2 320.00 $320.00 $2,320 +21.00
775 775 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,325 —
810 810 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,228 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,539 —
465–490 478 2 370.00–390.00 $380.26 $1,818 —
545 545 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,853 —
585 585 2 335.00–347.00 $341.00 $1,995 —
695 695 1 317.00 $317.00 $2,203 —
730 730 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,080 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 255.00 $255.00 $982 —
470 470 1 342.00 $342.00 $1,607 —
545 545 1 312.00 $312.00 $1,700 —
600–620 610 2 317.00–340.00 $328.31 $2,003 —
615 thin fleshed 615 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,845 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985 985 80-85% 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,349 -33.59
920–1290 1074 80-85% 10 145.00–168.00 $159.82 $1,716 —
995–1215 1099 80-85% 10 170.00–181.00 $177.22 $1,948 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740–875 813 85-90% 3 140.00–162.00 $150.26 $1,222 -6.74
760–875 818 85-90% 2 184.00–198.00 $191.49 $1,566 +34.49
825 825 85-90% 1 112.00 $112.00 $924 -17.52
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370–1470 1420 75-80% 2 180.00–188.00 $183.86 $2,611 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1405 1208 2 164.00–179.00 $172.73 $2,087 —
1715–1740 1728 2 214.00–223.00 $218.53 $3,776 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
980 980 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–390 378 2 200.00–280.00 $238.68 $902 —

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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
925 925 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,175.00 $2,175.00 —

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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.