Sale reports / North Carolina / North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction / 2026-09-16

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wed, Sep 16
● Final75 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2089
Feeder Cattle receipts
131 head
▲ 7 vs last sale 124▲ 65 vs year ago 66 · +98.5%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
23 head
▲ 1 vs last sale 22▲ 20 vs year ago 3 · +666.7%
Replacement Cattle receipts
3 head
▲ 2 vs last sale 1▲ 3 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

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

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $323.22/cwt on 14 head, up $3.69 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 4 of 28 comparable sales and sits −48.54 against this barn's trailing median of $371.76.
Average price
$323.22
▲ 3.69 vs prior sale
14 head · 559 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,808
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$343
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2
$49.96/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+13.61
vs NC average
−31.09 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1570341.301,9467thin
Medium 1548315.491,7274thin
Medium 2550291.341,6033thin
One grade step is worth $49.96/cwt here — about $343 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale14 hd
323.22
—
NC average8 barns · 224 hd
309.61
+13.61
National average171 barns · 9,246 hd
354.31
−31.09
This barn, trailing median28 sales
371.76
−48.54
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

28 sales
457397337276median 371.7603/0404/2906/1709/0910/28
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $442.88, low $290.32, median $371.76 across 28 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,750179.283,1366thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average770158.501,2202thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,484143.932,1368thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Very Low1,046138.141,4456thin
SteersChoice and PrimeHigh1,290199.002,5671thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)783$1,5532thin
Cow-Calf Pairs2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)945$1,9501thin

Every lot

75 lots · USDA AMS · Wilkes Livestock Exchange - North Wilkesboro, NC
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers16 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1245430.00/cwt430.00–430.001,0541
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1340505.00/cwt505.00–505.001,7171
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1385495.00/cwt495.00–495.001,9062
Steers400–450Medium 2425350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,4881
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1445439.00/cwt439.00–439.001,9541
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1467429.00/cwt429.00–429.002,0033
Steers500–550Medium 1500375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,8751
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1523399.00/cwt399.00–399.002,0872
Steers500–550Medium 2540300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,6201
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1560352.46/cwt350.00–355.001,9742
Steers550–600Medium 1585337.00/cwt337.00–337.001,9711
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1625336.00/cwt334.00–340.002,1003
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1682319.50/cwt318.00–324.002,1794
Steers650–700Medium 1695299.00/cwt299.00–299.002,0782
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1723332.00/cwt332.00–332.002,4002
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1755314.00/cwt314.00–314.002,3711
Feeder Cattle · Heifers21 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1290370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,0731
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1340370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,2582
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1385382.08/cwt379.00–385.001,4712
Heifers350–400Medium 1395320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,2641
Heifers400–450Medium 1410347.22/cwt340.00–357.001,4243
Heifers400–450Medium 2433322.46/cwt320.00–325.001,3962
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1436372.57/cwt364.00–382.001,6249
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1469378.84/cwt370.00–387.001,7776
Heifers450–500Medium 1490345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,6911
Heifers450–500Medium 2490325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,5931
Heifers500–550Medium 2515275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,4161
Heifers500–550Medium 1518320.97/cwt320.00–322.001,6632
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1538367.49/cwt366.00–369.001,9772
Heifers550–600Medium 2568299.51/cwt299.00–300.001,7012
Heifers550–600Medium 1577310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,7892
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1583330.83/cwt322.00–333.001,9295
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1610318.84/cwt314.00–327.001,94513
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1670306.00/cwt306.00–306.002,0501
Heifers650–700Medium 1690287.00/cwt287.00–287.001,9801
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1710287.00/cwt287.00–287.002,0381
Heifers700–750Medium 1710242.00/cwt242.00–242.001,7181
Feeder Cattle · Bulls22 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium 1275400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,1001
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1295445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,3131
Bulls300–350Medium 2340420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,4281
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1345470.00/cwt470.00–470.001,6221
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1368476.65/cwt475.00–480.001,7543
Bulls350–400Medium 2385420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,6171
Bulls350–400Medium 1395455.00/cwt455.00–455.001,7971
Bulls400–450Medium 1418428.53/cwt427.00–430.001,7912
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1420450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,8901
Bulls400–450Medium 2440387.00/cwt387.00–387.001,7031
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1475397.42/cwt395.00–400.001,8882
Bulls450–500Medium 1475370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,7584
Bulls450–500Medium 2485331.23/cwt320.00–342.001,6062
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1520365.72/cwt360.00–372.001,9024
Bulls500–550Medium 1530329.00/cwt329.00–329.001,7441
Bulls550–600Medium 2570249.00/cwt249.00–249.001,4191
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1589336.74/cwt332.00–345.001,9834
Bulls550–600Medium 1590320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,8881
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1668288.51/cwt285.00–292.001,9272
Bulls650–700Medium 1690250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,7251
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1800302.00/cwt302.00–302.002,4161
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1865225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,9461
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Steers2 lots · lightest first
Dairy Steers450–500Large 3470225.00/cwt200.00–250.001,0582
Dairy Steers600–650Large 3600175.00/cwt175.00–175.001,0501
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Heifers350–400Large 3395200.00/cwt200.00–200.007901
Slaughter Cattle · Steers1 lot · lightest first
Steers—Choice and Prime1,290199.00/cwt199.00–199.002,5671
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,642187.23/cwt180.00–196.003,0743
Bulls——1,857171.32/cwt168.00–175.003,1813
Slaughter Cattle · Cows8 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%720167.00/cwt167.00–167.001,2021
Cows—Lean 85-90%820150.00/cwt150.00–150.001,2301
Cows—Boner 80-85%943154.77/cwt150.00–160.001,4592
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,060100.00/cwt100.00–100.001,0601
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,110139.77/cwt132.00–147.001,5513
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,397141.08/cwt135.00–148.001,9713
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,480100.00/cwt100.00–100.001,4801
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,550157.05/cwt154.00–160.002,4344
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-29451,950.00/head1,950.00–1,950.001,9501
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium 27831,553.35/head1,350.00–1,825.001,5532

This sale against other markets

North Carolina weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every North Carolina auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.