Sale reports / North Carolina / North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction / 2026-04-08

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wed, Apr 8
● Final52 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2089
Feeder Cattle receipts
174 head
▲ 53 vs last sale 121▲ 140 vs year ago 34 · +411.8%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
23 head
▼ 6 vs last sale 29▲ 15 vs year ago 8 · +187.5%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle 7.00 To 12.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 10.00 To 16.00 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 $402.33/cwt on 17 head, up $16.71 from the prior sale (only 16 head in that comparison). That ranks 24 of 28 comparable sales and sits +30.57 against this barn's trailing median of $371.76.
Average price
$402.33
▲ 16.71 vs prior sale
17 head · 545 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,192
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$209
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$32.67/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+31.19
vs NC average
−26.03 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1547411.942,25412thin
Medium and Large 2539379.262,0455thin
One grade step is worth $32.67/cwt here — about $209 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale17 hd
402.33
—
NC average8 barns · 178 hd
371.14
+31.19
National average175 barns · 10,626 hd
428.36
−26.03
This barn, trailing median28 sales
371.76
+30.57
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
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,368184.832,5284thin
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,089170.281,85415
CowsLean 85-90%Low868150.231,3044thin

Every lot

52 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
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1395522.00/cwt522.00–522.002,0621
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1420447.00/cwt447.00–447.001,8771
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1478491.66/cwt490.00–495.002,3503
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1509517.55/cwt490.00–520.002,63412
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1578487.49/cwt485.00–490.002,8182
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1605437.00/cwt437.00–437.002,6441
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1725347.00/cwt347.00–347.002,5161
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1825337.00/cwt337.00–337.002,7802
Feeder Cattle · Heifers20 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 2218474.71/cwt470.00–480.001,0352
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1220510.34/cwt505.00–515.001,1232
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1285480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,3681
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1323483.69/cwt469.00–510.001,5623
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2340455.00/cwt455.00–455.001,5471
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1378485.10/cwt470.00–500.001,8342
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1420477.79/cwt457.00–507.002,0074
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2437457.51/cwt422.00–489.001,9996
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1468475.18/cwt459.00–485.002,22413
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2496448.00/cwt442.00–450.002,2224
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2508392.00/cwt392.00–392.001,9912
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1514403.04/cwt372.00–447.002,0725
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2560370.77/cwt360.00–382.002,0763
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1571418.29/cwt397.00–435.002,3887
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 3650305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,9831
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1684345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,3604
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1716346.64/cwt325.00–349.002,48221
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1760325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,4701
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 3800270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,1601
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1825307.00/cwt307.00–307.002,5332
Feeder Cattle · Bulls17 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1225567.33/cwt565.00–570.001,2762
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1273551.15/cwt525.00–570.001,5054
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1311519.17/cwt510.00–527.001,6154
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2340380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,2921
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2368455.71/cwt385.00–520.001,6772
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1385516.00/cwt487.00–545.001,9872
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2415417.00/cwt417.00–417.001,7311
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1435484.07/cwt470.00–502.002,1064
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1482480.48/cwt460.00–497.002,31613
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1525454.55/cwt440.00–470.002,3866
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2555440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,4421
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1560447.50/cwt435.00–460.002,5062
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 3610275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,6781
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1620402.58/cwt392.00–427.002,4964
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1668389.69/cwt375.00–395.002,60311
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1710370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,6271
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 2795297.00/cwt297.00–297.002,3611
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%855152.00/cwt152.00–152.001,3001
Cows—Lean 85-90%868127.45/cwt125.00–130.001,1062
Cows—Lean 85-90%880194.00/cwt194.00–194.001,7071
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,078178.34/cwt172.00–185.001,9238
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,098163.41/cwt152.00–168.001,7946
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,120147.00/cwt147.00–147.001,6461
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,368184.83/cwt180.00–188.002,5284

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.