Sale reports / North Carolina / North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction / 2026-02-18

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wed, Feb 18
● Final62 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2089
Feeder Cattle receipts
219 head
▲ 114 vs last sale 105▲ 219 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
16 head
▼ 6 vs last sale 22▲ 16 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
2 head
▼ 2 vs last sale 4▲ 2 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle 9.00 To 14.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 35.00 To 84.00 Higher Demand Very Good Activity Active Offerings Average Quality Average To Attractive

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $458.97/cwt on 52 head. That ranks 29 of 28 comparable sales and sits +87.22 against this barn's trailing median of $371.76.
Average price
$458.97
52 head · 559 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,564
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$602
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2
$115.26/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+68.45
vs NC average
+29.80 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1552515.012,84517thin
Medium and Large 2562444.562,49725
Medium 2561399.752,24310thin
One grade step is worth $115.26/cwt here — about $602 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 sale52 hd
458.97
—
NC average9 barns · 340 hd
390.52
+68.45
National average184 barns · 15,729 hd
429.17
+29.80
This barn, trailing median28 sales
371.76
+87.22
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—Average1,463205.193,0025thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,440167.502,4122thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average830152.501,2662thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,137148.811,6927thin

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)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)950$2,8001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,050$2,2001thin

Every lot

62 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 · Steers8 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1328672.56/cwt670.00–675.002,2062
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1395615.00/cwt615.00–615.002,4291
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1405610.00/cwt610.00–610.002,4711
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2420550.00/cwt550.00–550.002,3101
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2450400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,8001
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1510502.00/cwt502.00–502.002,5601
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1680415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,8225
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1850350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,9751
Feeder Cattle · Heifers20 lots · lightest first
Heifers150–200Medium and Large 1190445.00/cwt445.00–445.008461
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1240440.00/cwt440.00–440.001,0561
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1270430.83/cwt415.00–445.001,1632
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1320533.59/cwt525.00–540.001,7073
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2335471.47/cwt445.00–495.001,5793
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1357550.05/cwt540.00–560.001,9643
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2382506.46/cwt480.00–530.001,9353
Heifers400–450Medium 2413422.53/cwt410.00–427.001,7454
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1423521.03/cwt500.00–524.002,20421
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2423471.31/cwt450.00–495.001,9947
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1450486.75/cwt480.00–489.002,1904
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2488421.13/cwt405.00–435.002,0555
Heifers500–550Medium 2510408.10/cwt385.00–420.002,0813
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2534535.00/cwt535.00–535.002,8574
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1547590.00/cwt590.00–590.003,2274
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1554491.93/cwt449.00–500.002,72513
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2567427.33/cwt424.00–431.002,42321
Heifers550–600Medium 2583396.17/cwt390.00–406.002,3107
Heifers600–650Medium 2600300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,8001
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1730347.00/cwt347.00–347.002,5333
Feeder Cattle · Bulls23 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1240525.00/cwt525.00–525.001,2601
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 2253525.00/cwt525.00–525.001,3282
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1291640.00/cwt640.00–640.001,8624
Bulls300–350Medium 2305550.00/cwt550.00–550.001,6781
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2310635.00/cwt635.00–635.001,9691
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1325667.98/cwt667.00–670.002,1713
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1359645.39/cwt635.00–649.002,3174
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2377574.38/cwt535.00–600.002,1659
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1400595.00/cwt595.00–595.002,3801
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2416508.83/cwt495.00–525.002,1175
Bulls400–450Medium 2435462.00/cwt462.00–462.002,0101
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1464527.42/cwt522.00–529.002,4477
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2487500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,4355
Bulls450–500Medium 2493429.90/cwt410.00–450.002,1192
Bulls500–550Medium 2518481.55/cwt449.00–500.002,49413
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2520590.00/cwt590.00–590.003,0682
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1525675.00/cwt675.00–675.003,5441
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1573434.34/cwt430.00–445.002,4898
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2595375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,2311
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2610370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,2571
Bulls600–650Medium 2610300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,8301
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1630400.98/cwt399.00–402.002,5263
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1685397.00/cwt397.00–397.002,7191
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,250194.86/cwt190.00–200.002,4362
Bulls——1,605212.07/cwt205.00–216.003,4043
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%770139.00/cwt139.00–139.001,0701
Cows—Lean 85-90%890166.00/cwt166.00–166.001,4771
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,048114.53/cwt110.00–120.001,2002
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,140172.87/cwt162.00–183.001,9712
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,195155.63/cwt155.00–156.001,8603
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,380178.00/cwt178.00–178.002,4561
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,500157.00/cwt157.00–157.002,3551
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-29502,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8001
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,0502,200.00/head2,200.00–2,200.002,2001

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.