Sale reports / North Carolina / North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction / 2026-08-26

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · North Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wed, Aug 26
● Final72 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2089
Feeder Cattle receipts
308 head
▼ 17 vs last sale 325▲ 269 vs year ago 39 · +689.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
15 head
▼ 1 vs last sale 16▲ 2 vs year ago 13 · +15.4%
Replacement Cattle receipts
10 head
▼ 19 vs last sale 29▲ 8 vs year ago 2 · +400.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle 1.00 To 6.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 4.00 To 8.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Heavy 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 $342.47/cwt on 10 head, down $15.51 from the prior sale (only 12 head in that comparison). That ranks 7 of 28 comparable sales and sits −29.28 against this barn's trailing median of $371.76.
Average price
$342.47
▼ 15.51 vs prior sale
10 head · 554 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,898
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$167
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$36.80/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+19.28
vs NC average
+4.45 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1551353.511,9477thin
Medium and Large 2562316.711,7803thin
One grade step is worth $36.80/cwt here — about $167 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 700–800 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 sale10 hd
342.47
—
NC average9 barns · 180 hd
323.19
+19.28
National average160 barns · 6,296 hd
338.02
+4.45
This barn, trailing median28 sales
371.76
−29.28
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—Average1,898200.503,8042thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,516156.182,3684thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,140155.651,7747thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low875133.501,1682thin

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)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,275$3,1001thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,085$2,0292thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,075$1,9164thin
Cow-Calf Pairs1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,250$4,0501thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,278$3,2002thin

Every lot

72 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 · Steers13 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1355485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,7221
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1435377.00/cwt377.00–377.001,6401
Steers450–500Medium and Large 3480310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,4881
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1486391.00/cwt391.00–391.001,9004
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2520345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,7941
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1543370.64/cwt369.00–382.002,01316
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1552392.00/cwt392.00–392.002,1647
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2580365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,1171
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1624356.50/cwt354.00–357.002,2256
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2640330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,1121
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1664341.00/cwt341.00–341.002,26416
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1745328.28/cwt325.00–329.002,44611
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1803293.00/cwt293.00–293.002,3533
Feeder Cattle · Heifers21 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 2Fleshy207292.00/cwt292.00–292.006042
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1230350.00/cwt350.00–350.008052
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1335402.46/cwt400.00–405.001,3482
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1391398.57/cwt392.00–408.001,5586
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2430350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,5051
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1438408.93/cwt379.00–413.001,79120
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2485346.04/cwt330.00–350.001,6786
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1489372.24/cwt360.00–375.001,82048
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1525359.50/cwt359.00–360.001,8872
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1561351.12/cwt340.00–357.001,9705
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2562316.71/cwt300.00–330.001,7803
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2605263.50/cwt262.00–265.001,5942
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1645331.00/cwt331.00–331.002,13561
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1664271.48/cwt260.00–275.001,8039
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2695250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,7381
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2753260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,9582
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed784389.00/cwt389.00–389.003,0509
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1865247.00/cwt247.00–247.002,1372
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 2880210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,8481
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1920229.00/cwt229.00–229.002,1071
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 2945215.00/cwt215.00–215.002,0321
Feeder Cattle · Bulls20 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 2230427.50/cwt400.00–455.009832
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1245540.00/cwt540.00–540.001,3231
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1277457.53/cwt450.00–475.001,2673
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1300480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,4401
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1370464.88/cwt450.00–475.001,7208
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1430393.42/cwt387.00–400.001,6922
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2445335.00/cwt335.00–335.001,4911
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2470305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,4341
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 3480265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,2721
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1490370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,8134
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1508371.06/cwt367.00–375.001,8852
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2532339.36/cwt330.00–352.001,8056
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1550355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,9531
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 3568227.60/cwt220.00–235.001,2932
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2588328.44/cwt315.00–342.001,9312
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2600305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,8301
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 3625230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,4381
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 2745230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,7141
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1750242.00/cwt242.00–242.001,8151
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 2750220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,6501
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Heifers3 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Heifers550–600Large 2595150.00/cwt150.00–150.008931
Beef/Dairy Heifers600–650Large 2610204.00/cwt204.00–204.001,2441
Beef/Dairy Heifers750–800Large 2765222.00/cwt222.00–222.001,6981
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Steers1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Steers550–600Large 3570185.00/cwt185.00–185.001,0551
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,575213.00/cwt213.00–213.003,3551
Bulls——2,220188.00/cwt188.00–188.004,1741
Slaughter Cattle · Cows6 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%875134.00/cwt134.00–134.001,1731
Cows—Lean 85-90%875133.00/cwt133.00–133.001,1641
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,060130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,3781
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,153159.93/cwt151.00–168.001,8446
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,458165.91/cwt164.00–169.002,4193
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,690127.00/cwt127.00–127.002,1461
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs3 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2504,050.00/head4,050.00–4,050.004,0501
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2753,300.00/head3,300.00–3,300.003,3001
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2803,100.00/head3,100.00–3,100.003,1001
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,0751,915.67/head1,450.00–2,400.001,9164
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,0852,028.69/head2,000.00–2,050.002,0292
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2753,100.00/head3,100.00–3,100.003,1001

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.