Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 19, 2026 Corrected report

370 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $325.88/cwt ≈ $2,460/hd at 755 lb · 32 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $337.00/cwt -18.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,285/hd at 678 lb · 25 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $381.00/cwt ≈ $2,389/hd at 627 lb · 22 head
North Wilkesboro 6-weight steers brought $358/cwt, with 370 head on offer. NC 6-weight steers are down $37 from their early July peak of $378/cwt. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 370 91 41
Feeder cattle 325 79 36
Slaughter cattle 16 12 5
Replacement cattle 29 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle Mostly Steady Feeder Cattle 10.00 To 20.00 Higher Demand Very Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Attractive Baby Calf 500.00

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
395 395 1 465.00 $465.00 $1,837 —
425 425 1 449.00 $449.00 $1,908 -6.00
453–490 472 5 417.00–432.00 $422.03 $1,992 -20.70
520 520 14 427.00 $427.00 $2,220 +35.00
565–581 578 5 372.00–380.00 $378.44 $2,187 -12.56
627 627 22 381.00 $381.00 $2,389 —
678 678 25 337.00 $337.00 $2,285 -18.00
750–755 755 32 322.00–326.00 $325.88 $2,460 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,691 —
485 485 11 394.00 $394.00 $1,911 —
580–590 588 6 332.00–350.00 $347.04 $2,041 —
635 635 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,905 —
746 746 10 232.00 $232.00 $1,731 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 400.00 $400.00 $820 —
265 265 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,034 —
340 340 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,428 +20.00
391 391 8 377.00 $377.00 $1,474 —
411–430 416 10 410.00–435.00 $424.90 $1,768 -4.10
450 450 1 422.00 $422.00 $1,899 —
525–547 543 6 367.00–389.00 $385.46 $2,093 +12.00
555 555 1 352.00 $352.00 $1,954 +2.00
620–642 640 20 315.00–335.50 $333.51 $2,134 -8.42
650 650 3 352.00 $352.00 $2,288 —
745 745 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,086 —
755–783 777 11 285.00–300.00 $290.17 $2,255 —
875–895 877 9 262.00–265.00 $264.66 $2,321 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 379.00 $379.00 $1,687 —
450–468 462 5 310.00–390.00 $368.33 $1,702 —
500–525 517 3 335.00–337.00 $336.35 $1,739 —
590 590 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,888 —
652 652 12 329.00 $329.00 $2,145 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 302.00 $302.00 $1,570 —
625 625 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,562 —
660 660 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,320 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,284 —
365–380 373 2 425.00–430.00 $427.55 $1,595 —
415 415 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,390 —
480 480 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,608 —
450–495 484 10 350.00–382.00 $367.75 $1,780 —
521–535 525 4 345.00–367.00 $361.39 $1,897 —
580–595 582 8 340.00–365.00 $345.06 $2,008 —
618–645 629 7 325.00–357.00 $338.25 $2,128 —
680–695 688 2 242.00–250.00 $245.96 $1,692 —
700 700 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,925 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–330 323 7 470.00–515.00 $498.21 $1,609 +38.21
360–380 372 3 455.00–508.00 $473.06 $1,760 +73.06
445 445 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,824 -35.00
480 480 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,968 -29.00
500 500 6 431.00 $431.00 $2,155 +27.41
555–580 567 3 367.00–385.00 $373.14 $2,116 -3.86
645 645 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,677 +58.00
650–680 665 2 329.00–335.00 $332.07 $2,208 -34.93
705 705 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,044 —
795 795 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,924 —
829 829 4 250.00 $250.00 $2,072 -20.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525–540 533 3 245.00–310.00 $285.33 $1,521 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640–870 724 85-90% 4 169.00–172.00 $170.66 $1,236 —
810 810 85-90% 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,166 —
820–870 845 85-90% 2 124.00–130.00 $126.91 $1,072 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900 900 80-85% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,170 —
985–1035 1015 80-85% 3 142.00–153.00 $147.42 $1,496 —
965–1485 1172 80-85% 3 165.00–171.00 $169.35 $1,985 -3.73

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485–1775 1630 2 206.00–217.00 $211.99 $3,455 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910 910 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,950.00 $1,950.00
910–950 930 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,700.00–3,950.00 $3,338.44
1045–1150 1098 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,500.00–2,750.00 $2,630.98

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 250.00 $250.00 $612 —

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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 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —
900–1150 983 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 3,200.00–3,950.00 $3,614.41 —
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,700.00 $2,700.00 —
900–1200 1025 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 2,500.00–3,500.00 $3,124.39 —
925–1300 1141 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 11 2,500.00–4,000.00 $3,262.15 —
1200 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,950.00 $2,950.00 —
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
800 800 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,300 —

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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.