Sale reports / West Virginia / Preston Farmers Market / 2025-03-16

Preston Farmers Market

Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-03-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-16

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Terra Alta, West Virginia · Sun, Mar 16

● Final41 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1876

← Jan 31Mar 16Mar 21 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

60 head

▲ 54 vs last sale 6▲ 60 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Slaughter Cattle receipts

25 head

▲ 8 vs last sale 17▲ 25 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Replacement Cattle receipts

37 head

▲ 30 vs last sale 7▲ 37 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Also sold hereSpecial Graded SaleWed Sep 30, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Nice offering of feeder cattle. Mostly #2 cattle are due to beinging lighter fleshed. Demand is beginning to strengthen as we get closer to grass time.

Nice offering of young lighter fleshed cows with good demand

*Report for Friday March 14, 2025*

Report for 3/14/25

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $240.01/cwt on 5 head. That ranks 1 of 8 comparable sales and sits −115.23 against this barn's trailing median of $355.23.

Average price

$240.01

5 head · 571 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,371

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$393

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 3

$40.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−27.91

vs WV average

−74.95 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	598	250.00	1,495	1thin
Medium and Large 2	578	246.68	1,426	3thin
Medium and Large 3	525	210.00	1,103	1thin

One grade step is worth $40.00/cwt here — about $393 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale5 hd

240.01

—

WV average4 barns · 48 hd

267.92

−27.91

National average179 barns · 17,787 hd

314.96

−74.95

This barn, trailing median8 sales

355.23

−115.23

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

8 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $426.30, low $303.86, median $355.23 across 8 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.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,848	162.55	3,004	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,454	132.14	1,921	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,190	103.45	1,231	11

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,286	$2,525	19
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,421	$2,066	14
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,270	$1,500	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,375	$2,700	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,300	$2,300	1thin

Every lot

41 lots · USDA AMS · Preston Farmers Market - Terra Alta, WV

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.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers9 lots · lightest first
Steers	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2	415	342.65/cwt	330.00–355.00	1,422	2
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1-2	469	364.07/cwt	360.00–368.00	1,707	2
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 2	480	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,632	1
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1-2	532	343.42/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,827	3
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 2	545	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,853	1
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 1-2	550	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,870	1
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 2	570	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,454	1
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1-2	610	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,013	1
Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 3	655	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,867	1
Feeder Cattle · Heifers17 lots · lightest first
Heifers	250–300	Medium and Large 2	285	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	912	1
Heifers	300–350	Medium and Large 2	323	304.98/cwt	260.00–318.00	985	6
Heifers	300–350	Medium 2	330	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	957	1
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1-2	355	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,047	1
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 3	377	261.08/cwt	235.00–290.00	984	3
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 2	395	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,185	1
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2	411	327.16/cwt	310.00–342.50	1,345	4
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 2	431	315.07/cwt	280.00–320.00	1,358	8
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 2	452	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,492	4
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 1-2	478	335.12/cwt	330.00–341.00	1,602	4
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 3	525	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,103	1
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 2	578	246.68/cwt	240.00–250.00	1,426	3
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1-2	598	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,495	1
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 2	625	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,563	1
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1-2	655	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,716	1
Heifers	900–950	Medium and Large 2	900	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,643	1
Heifers	900–950	Small 2Fleshy	915	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,693	1
Feeder Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls	300–350	Medium and Large 1-2	325	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,089	1
Bulls	350–400	Medium and Large 1-2	365	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,205	1
Bulls	350–400	Medium and Large 2	365	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,113	1
Bulls	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2	410	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,312	1
Bulls	400–450	Medium and Large 2	425	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,148	1
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,848	162.55/cwt	144.00–172.00	3,004	3
Slaughter Cattle · Cows3 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,010	86.12/cwt	81.00–89.00	870	3
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,258	109.95/cwt	100.00–120.00	1,383	8
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,454	132.14/cwt	123.00–144.00	1,921	11
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs2 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,300	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,375	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	1,085	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,286	2,524.88/head	1,900.00–3,150.00	2,525	19
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,421	2,065.84/head	1,600.00–2,600.00	2,066	14
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,455	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1

This sale against other markets

West Virginia weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every West Virginia auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

West Virginia feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →