Sale reports / West Virginia / Preston Farmers Market / 2025-08-22

Preston Farmers Market

Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2025-08-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-08-22

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Terra Alta, West Virginia · Fri, Aug 22

● Final18 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1876

← Aug 8Aug 22Aug 29 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

25 head

▲ 24 vs last sale 1▼ 27 vs year ago 52 · −51.9%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

18 head

▲ 12 vs last sale 6▼ 26 vs year ago 44 · −59.1%

Also sold hereSpecial Graded SaleWed Sep 30, 2026

View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Light offering but strong demand for high dressing slaughter cows and bulls: beginning to see local demand for feeder cattle increase.

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 $325.93/cwt on 3 head. That ranks 4 of 8 comparable sales and sits −29.30 against this barn's trailing median of $355.23.

Average price

$325.93

3 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,803

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

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

$51.10/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−6.48

vs WV average

−33.87 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	500	360.00	1,800	1thin
Medium and Large 2	580	308.90	1,792	2thin

One grade step is worth $51.10/cwt here — about $8 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 sale3 hd

325.93

—

WV average3 barns · 43 hd

332.41

−6.48

National average158 barns · 7,895 hd

359.80

−33.87

This barn, trailing median8 sales

355.23

−29.30

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	—	High	1,974	206.37	4,073	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,433	164.54	2,358	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,364	154.50	2,107	4thin

Every lot

18 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 · Steers6 lots · lightest first
Steers	350–400	Medium and Large 1-2	385	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,733	4
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1-2	460	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,001	1
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1-2	525	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,021	1
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 1-2	595	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,053	1
Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 2	655	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,260	1
Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 1-2	670	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,278	1
Feeder Cattle · Heifers6 lots · lightest first
Heifers	300–350	Medium and Large 1-2	345	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,190	1
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1-2	385	378.33/cwt	355.00–390.00	1,457	3
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 2	405	344.44/cwt	300.00–390.00	1,395	2
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2	415	379.83/cwt	365.00–410.00	1,576	3
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1-2	500	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,800	1
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 2	580	308.90/cwt	300.00–317.50	1,792	2
Feeder Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	600–650	Medium and Large 3	625	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,563	1
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,930	198.34/cwt	188.00–206.00	3,828	5
Bulls	—	—	2,083	226.46/cwt	216.00–237.00	4,717	2
Slaughter Cattle · Cows3 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,293	169.78/cwt	167.00–172.00	2,195	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,364	154.50/cwt	143.00–162.00	2,107	4
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,489	162.45/cwt	153.00–169.00	2,419	5

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 →

Preston Farmers Market - Terra Alta, WV

Fri Aug 22, 2025

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Charleston, WV (LS-CW)

Feeder CattleReceipts 25Last week 1Year ago 52

Slaughter CattleReceipts 18Last week 6Year ago 44

Light offering but strong demand for high dressing slaughter cows and bulls: beginning to see local demand for feeder cattle increase.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	345	345.00	345.00
3	350–400	385	355.00–390.00	378.33
3	400–450	415	365.00–410.00	379.83
1	500–550	500	360.00	360.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	405	300.00–390.00	344.44
2	550–600	580	300.00–317.50	308.90

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	385	450.00	450.00
1	450–500	460	435.00	435.00
1	500–550	525	385.00	385.00
1	550–600	595	345.00	345.00
1	650–700	670	340.00	340.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	650–700	655	345.00	345.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	625	250.00	250.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,489	153.00–169.00	162.45
2	—	1,293	167.00–172.00	169.78

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,364	143.00–162.00	154.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	2,083	216.00–237.00	226.46
5	—	1,930	188.00–206.00	198.34

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.