Cattle Market Pulse

Wilkes Livestock Exchange Market Report

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 16, 2026

157 head sold ·Official USDA report

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $318.84/cwt -37.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,945/hd at 610 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 157 147 69
Feeder cattle 131 124 66
Slaughter cattle 23 22 3
Replacement cattle 3 1 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter Cattle 6.00 To 12.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 10.00 To 12.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Attractive

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 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,054 —
340 340 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,717 +90.00
385 385 2 495.00 $495.00 $1,906 +74.40
445 445 1 439.00 $439.00 $1,954 —
460–480 467 3 429.00 $429.00 $2,003 +28.29
523 523 2 399.00 $399.00 $2,087 +33.93
550–570 560 2 350.00–355.00 $352.46 $1,974 -13.20
625 625 3 334.00–340.00 $336.00 $2,100 —
680–682 682 4 318.00–324.00 $319.50 $2,179 —
700–745 723 2 332.00 $332.00 $2,400 +10.00
755 755 1 314.00 $314.00 $2,371 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,875 —
585 585 1 337.00 $337.00 $1,971 —
695 695 2 299.00 $299.00 $2,078 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,488 —
540 540 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,620 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290 1290 1 199.00 $199.00 $2,567 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,073 ±0.00
335–345 340 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,258 -25.04
375–395 385 2 379.00–385.00 $382.08 $1,471 -6.96
422–443 436 9 364.00–382.00 $372.57 $1,624 +17.57
450–488 469 6 370.00–387.00 $378.84 $1,777 +10.36
535–540 538 2 366.00–369.00 $367.49 $1,977 —
575–585 583 5 322.00–333.00 $330.83 $1,929 -19.17
600–620 610 13 314.00–327.00 $318.84 $1,945 -37.16
670 670 1 306.00 $306.00 $2,050 +21.00
710 710 1 287.00 $287.00 $2,038 +12.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,264 —
400–415 410 3 340.00–357.00 $347.22 $1,424 —
490 490 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,690 —
500–535 518 2 320.00–322.00 $320.97 $1,663 —
577 577 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,789 —
690 690 1 287.00 $287.00 $1,980 —
710 710 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,718 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–440 433 2 320.00–325.00 $322.46 $1,396 —
490 490 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,592 —
515 515 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,416 —
555–580 568 2 299.00–300.00 $299.51 $1,701 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,313 —
345 345 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,622 —
365–370 368 3 475.00–480.00 $476.65 $1,754 +101.65
420 420 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,890 +44.00
460–490 475 2 395.00–400.00 $397.42 $1,888 —
500–545 520 4 360.00–372.00 $365.72 $1,902 +13.27
585–593 589 4 332.00–345.00 $336.74 $1,983 -1.26
665–670 668 2 285.00–292.00 $288.51 $1,927 —
800 800 1 302.00 $302.00 $2,416 —
865 865 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,946 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,100 —
395 395 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,797 —
410–425 418 2 427.00–430.00 $428.53 $1,791 —
475 475 4 370.00 $370.00 $1,758 —
530 530 1 329.00 $329.00 $1,744 —
590 590 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,888 —
690 690 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,725 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,428 —
385 385 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,617 —
440 440 1 387.00 $387.00 $1,703 —
475–495 485 2 320.00–342.00 $331.23 $1,606 —
570 570 1 249.00 $249.00 $1,419 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1445 1397 75-80% 3 135.00–148.00 $141.08 $1,971 —
1480 1480 75-80% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,480 —
1500–1605 1550 75-80% 4 154.00–160.00 $157.05 $2,434 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–985 943 80-85% 2 150.00–160.00 $154.77 $1,459 —
1060 1060 80-85% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,060 —
1020–1255 1110 80-85% 3 132.00–147.00 $139.77 $1,551 +36.33
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720 720 85-90% 1 167.00 $167.00 $1,202 —
820 820 85-90% 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,230 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–1710 1642 3 180.00–196.00 $187.23 $3,074 —
1530–2095 1857 3 168.00–175.00 $171.32 $3,181 —

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Bred Cows

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
670–895 783 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,350.00–1,825.00 $1,553.35

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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
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,950.00 $1,950.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 200.00 $200.00 $790 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 2 200.00–250.00 $225.00 $1,058 -65.00
600 600 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,050 —

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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.