Sale reports / North Carolina / North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction / 2026-02-25

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wed, Feb 25
● Final77 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2089
Feeder Cattle receipts
239 head
▲ 20 vs last sale 219▲ 198 vs year ago 41 · +482.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
23 head
▲ 7 vs last sale 16▲ 0 vs year ago 23 · +0.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
2 head
▲ 0 vs last sale 2▲ 2 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle 10.00 To 15.00 Higher Feeder Cattle Somewhat Lower Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy Quality Average To Attractive Baby calf 800.00

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $417.38/cwt on 49 head. That ranks 25 of 28 comparable sales and sits +45.63 against this barn's trailing median of $371.76.
Average price
$417.38
49 head · 533 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,224
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$373
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2
$96.27/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+33.68
vs NC average
−13.03 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1519445.072,30827
Medium and Large 2547407.352,23013thin
Medium 2555348.801,9359thin
One grade step is worth $96.27/cwt here — about $373 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 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 sale49 hd
417.38
—
NC average8 barns · 318 hd
383.71
+33.68
National average177 barns · 14,680 hd
430.41
−13.03
This barn, trailing median28 sales
371.76
+45.63
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—Average1,515201.553,0544thin
CowsLean 85-90%High835195.001,6281thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,264168.072,1245thin
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,076148.211,59413

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 Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,235$2,6001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,305$4,3751thin

Every lot

77 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 · Steers15 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1230600.00/cwt600.00–600.001,3801
Steers250–300Medium and Large 2Full275500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,3751
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1279630.77/cwt610.00–640.001,7604
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1330612.52/cwt575.00–630.002,0213
Steers300–350Medium and Large 3330265.00/cwt265.00–265.008751
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1350560.00/cwt560.00–560.001,9601
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2350515.00/cwt515.00–515.001,8033
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2435400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,7401
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2485424.81/cwt405.00–439.002,0603
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1487465.00/cwt465.00–465.002,2653
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2510420.00/cwt420.00–420.002,1421
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1533470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,50511
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1563443.34/cwt440.00–445.002,4963
Steers550–600Medium and Large 3570240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,3681
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1810339.00/cwt339.00–339.002,7462
Feeder Cattle · Heifers28 lots · lightest first
Heifers150–200Medium and Large 1150535.00/cwt535.00–535.008031
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1245570.00/cwt570.00–570.001,3971
Heifers250–300Medium 2275445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,2241
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1290570.08/cwt550.00–575.001,6535
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 2293467.39/cwt455.00–480.001,3692
Heifers300–350Medium 2320400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,2802
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1324494.83/cwt480.00–500.001,6034
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2333440.84/cwt425.00–475.001,4685
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2355400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,4201
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1383445.19/cwt437.00–450.001,7053
Heifers400–450Medium 2420405.00/cwt405.00–405.001,7012
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1423501.34/cwt500.00–510.002,12117
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2428463.42/cwt425.00–485.001,98322
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1464487.00/cwt487.00–487.002,2604
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2468419.91/cwt410.00–430.001,9657
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2513380.76/cwt372.00–385.001,9535
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1516442.00/cwt442.00–442.002,28126
Heifers500–550Medium 2525352.00/cwt352.00–352.001,8482
Heifers550–600Medium 2563363.37/cwt350.00–370.002,0466
Heifers550–600Medium 2Full565255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,4411
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2569423.97/cwt417.00–435.002,4128
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1585525.00/cwt525.00–525.003,0711
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1625337.81/cwt332.00–347.002,1113
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2650300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,9501
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1705315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,2211
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1785285.00/cwt285.00–285.002,2371
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 2885260.00/cwt260.00–260.002,3011
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1895245.00/cwt245.00–245.002,1931
Feeder Cattle · Bulls22 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1245505.00/cwt505.00–505.001,2371
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed255695.00/cwt695.00–695.001,7721
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1278640.14/cwt635.00–645.001,7802
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1327598.52/cwt590.00–610.001,9573
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2333534.90/cwt525.00–540.001,7813
Bulls350–400Medium 2350450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,5751
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2362481.56/cwt475.00–500.001,7434
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1367576.26/cwt575.00–580.002,1154
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1415565.00/cwt565.00–565.002,3451
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2424480.69/cwt475.00–500.002,0386
Bulls400–450Medium 2434456.24/cwt450.00–470.001,9804
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1465505.00/cwt505.00–505.002,3481
Bulls450–500Medium 2475406.72/cwt400.00–415.001,9323
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2482461.37/cwt452.00–472.002,2249
Bulls500–550Medium 2515390.00/cwt390.00–390.002,0091
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1532430.03/cwt422.00–432.002,2886
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1560429.00/cwt429.00–429.002,4021
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1610372.00/cwt372.00–372.002,2691
Bulls600–650Medium 2620300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,8601
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1650350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,2751
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1745307.00/cwt307.00–307.002,2871
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1800306.00/cwt306.00–306.002,4482
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,020249.00/cwt249.00–249.002,5401
Bulls——1,538171.09/cwt170.00–172.002,6312
Bulls——1,965215.00/cwt215.00–215.004,2251
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%835195.00/cwt195.00–195.001,6281
Cows—Boner 80-85%995130.08/cwt125.00–138.001,2944
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,080114.49/cwt110.00–120.001,2362
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,113182.95/cwt173.00–200.002,0363
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,126157.15/cwt146.00–164.001,7704
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,258176.97/cwt175.00–178.002,2263
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,273154.73/cwt150.00–160.001,9702
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2352,600.00/head2,600.00–2,600.002,6001
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,3054,375.00/head4,375.00–4,375.004,3751

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.