Sale reports / North Carolina / North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction / 2026-08-12

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wed, Aug 12
● Final43 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2089
Feeder Cattle receipts
79 head
▲ 15 vs last sale 64▲ 46 vs year ago 33 · +139.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
12 head
▼ 6 vs last sale 18▲ 5 vs year ago 7 · +71.4%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter 1.00 To 6.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 10.00 To 12.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Average To Attractive 2 Goats

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $385.50/cwt on 8 head, down $36.64 from the prior sale (only 14 head in that comparison). That ranks 6 of 19 comparable sales and sits −36.64 against this barn's trailing median of $422.14.
Average price
$385.50
▼ 36.64 vs prior sale
8 head · 547 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,107
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$126
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1
$15.73/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+12.45
vs NC average
−16.33 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1551391.402,1555thin
Medium 1540375.672,0293thin
One grade step is worth $15.73/cwt here — about $126 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 sale8 hd
385.50
—
NC average8 barns · 174 hd
373.05
+12.45
National average153 barns · 6,255 hd
401.83
−16.33
This barn, trailing median19 sales
422.14
−36.64
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

19 sales
527467407346median 422.1403/1104/2906/1708/2610/14
Steers 500–600 lb: high $513.26, low $360.41, median $422.14 across 19 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—High1,762208.443,6734thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,302163.432,1273thin
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,124159.951,7985thin

Every lot

43 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 · Steers10 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium 1350335.00/cwt335.00–335.001,1731
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1425455.00/cwt455.00–455.001,9343
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1461442.73/cwt442.00–445.002,0414
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1505392.00/cwt392.00–392.001,9802
Steers500–550Medium 1540375.67/cwt375.00–377.002,0293
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1581391.00/cwt391.00–391.002,2723
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1682355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,4212
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1723372.00/cwt372.00–372.002,6902
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1883320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,82610
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1900300.00/cwt300.00–300.002,7001
Feeder Cattle · Heifers9 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1325400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,3001
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1420429.00/cwt429.00–429.001,8021
Heifers400–450Medium 1440400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,7601
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1488377.46/cwt370.00–385.001,8422
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1515373.46/cwt372.00–375.001,9232
Heifers550–600Medium 1572344.68/cwt335.00–355.001,9726
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1574350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,0095
Heifers600–650Medium 1610302.00/cwt302.00–302.001,8421
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1627341.93/cwt340.00–350.002,1445
Feeder Cattle · Bulls17 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium 1250345.00/cwt345.00–345.008631
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1295450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,3281
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1320460.00/cwt460.00–460.001,4721
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1370400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,4801
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1415445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,8471
Bulls400–450Medium 1435425.00/cwt425.00–425.001,8491
Bulls400–450Medium 2435305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,3271
Bulls450–500Medium 1455370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,6841
Bulls450–500Medium 2465220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,0231
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1470439.00/cwt439.00–439.002,0631
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1523403.59/cwt397.00–410.002,1112
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1560377.00/cwt377.00–377.002,1111
Bulls550–600Large 1580275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,5951
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1620357.00/cwt357.00–357.002,2134
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1650367.00/cwt367.00–367.002,3863
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1745304.00/cwt304.00–304.002,2651
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1810270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,1871
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Heifers400–450Medium 2410350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,4351
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,753211.25/cwt207.00–215.003,7033
Bulls——1,790200.00/cwt200.00–200.003,5801
Slaughter Cattle · Cows4 lots · lightest first
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,088151.19/cwt149.00–155.001,6453
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,178173.08/cwt171.00–175.002,0392
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,260157.15/cwt149.00–164.001,9802
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,385176.00/cwt176.00–176.002,4381

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.