Sale reports / North Carolina / North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction / 2025-12-17

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wed, Dec 17
● Final29 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2089
Feeder Cattle receipts
40 head
▲ 24 vs last sale 16▼ 18 vs year ago 58 · −31.0%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
17 head
▼ 4 vs last sale 21▼ 4 vs year ago 21 · −19.0%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle Mostly Steady Feeder Cattle 2.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Light Quality Attractive Baby Calve 675.00

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $348.08/cwt on 13 head. That ranks 8 of 28 comparable sales and sits −23.68 against this barn's trailing median of $371.76.
Average price
$348.08
13 head · 528 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,837
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$604
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2
$115.06/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+22.67
vs NC average
−41.83 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1525372.561,9569thin
Medium 1543328.501,7822thin
Medium 2525257.501,3522thin
One grade step is worth $115.06/cwt here — about $604 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale13 hd
348.08
—
NC average9 barns · 257 hd
325.41
+22.67
National average175 barns · 15,310 hd
389.91
−41.83
This barn, trailing median28 sales
371.76
−23.68
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—High1,863153.502,8592thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,496140.382,1008thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Very Low999124.831,2466thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low695102.007091thin

Every lot

29 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 · Heifers11 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium 2255320.00/cwt320.00–320.008161
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1310370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,1471
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2368346.61/cwt340.00–350.001,2763
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1375392.00/cwt392.00–392.001,4701
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1415358.40/cwt345.00–365.001,4876
Heifers500–550Medium 1500337.00/cwt337.00–337.001,6851
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1505377.00/cwt377.00–377.001,9045
Heifers500–550Medium 2525257.50/cwt245.00–270.001,3522
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1550367.00/cwt367.00–367.002,0194
Heifers550–600Medium 1585320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,8721
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1600345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,0701
Feeder Cattle · Bulls9 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1230425.00/cwt425.00–425.009781
Bulls350–400Medium 1385332.00/cwt332.00–332.001,2781
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1430380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,6342
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1451390.01/cwt385.00–395.001,7594
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1555399.00/cwt399.00–399.002,2141
Bulls550–600Medium 1555252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,3991
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1640359.00/cwt359.00–359.002,2982
Bulls750–800Medium 1750232.00/cwt232.00–232.001,7401
Bulls950–1000Medium 1985160.00/cwt160.00–160.001,5761
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,845167.00/cwt167.00–167.003,0811
Bulls——1,880140.00/cwt140.00–140.002,6321
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%695102.00/cwt102.00–102.007091
Cows—Boner 80-85%905120.00/cwt120.00–120.001,0861
Cows—Boner 80-85%965129.90/cwt125.00–135.001,2542
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,038139.60/cwt137.00–142.001,4492
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,08090.00/cwt90.00–90.009721
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,440133.40/cwt130.00–135.001,9213
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,529144.57/cwt140.00–150.002,2105

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.