Sale reports / West Virginia / Preston Farmers Market / 2026-05-15

Preston Farmers Market

Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-05-15
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-15

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Terra Alta, West Virginia · Fri, May 15

● Final34 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1876

← May 8May 15May 22 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

39 head

▼ 36 vs last sale 75▲ 19 vs year ago 20 · +95.0%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

21 head

▲ 12 vs last sale 9▲ 2 vs year ago 19 · +10.5%

Also sold hereSpecial Graded SaleWed Sep 30, 2026

View

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 $404.82/cwt on 9 head, up $20.88 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 6 of 8 comparable sales and sits +49.59 against this barn's trailing median of $355.23.

Average price

$404.82

▲ 20.88 vs prior sale

9 head · 533 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,156

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$49

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

$36.32/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+7.36

vs WV average

−12.29 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	513	425.00	2,180	4thin
Medium and Large 1-2	548	388.68	2,132	5thin

One grade step is worth $36.32/cwt here — about $49 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 sale9 hd

404.82

—

WV average5 barns · 58 hd

397.46

+7.36

National average171 barns · 11,385 hd

417.11

−12.29

This barn, trailing median8 sales

355.23

+49.59

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	1,760	210.00	3,696	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,515	171.02	2,590	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,675	144.00	2,412	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,084	141.42	1,533	8thin

Every lot

34 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 · Steers5 lots · lightest first
Steers	100–150	Medium and Large 1-2	125	650.00/cwt	650.00–650.00	813	1
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 2	478	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,960	2
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 2	543	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,226	2
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 4	600	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,200	1
Steers	700–750	Medium and Large 2	745	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,533	1
Feeder Cattle · Heifers12 lots · lightest first
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 3	405	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,215	1
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2	415	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,411	1
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 1-2	480	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,896	1
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 2	513	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,180	4
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1-2	513	392.56/cwt	390.00–395.00	2,014	2
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1-2	572	386.09/cwt	350.00–405.00	2,208	3
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 3	600	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,500	1
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 2	625	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,000	1
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1-2	645	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,193	2
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 3	675	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,924	1
Heifers	750–800	Medium and Large 2	750	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,475	1
Heifers	750–800	Medium and Large 3	773	287.56/cwt	285.00–290.00	2,223	2
Feeder Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls	100–150	Medium and Large 1-2	100	1,450.00/head	1,450.00–1,450.00	1,450	1
Bulls	150–200	Medium and Large 2	165	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	924	1
Bulls	150–200	Medium and Large 1-2	195	650.00/cwt	650.00–650.00	1,268	1
Bulls	200–250	Medium and Large 1-2	225	610.00/cwt	610.00–610.00	1,373	1
Bulls	250–300	Medium and Large 1-2	295	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	1,682	1
Bulls	400–450	Medium and Large 2	445	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,780	1
Bulls	450–500	Medium and Large 2	480	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,896	2
Bulls	650–700	Medium and Large 1-2	675	382.50/cwt	370.00–395.00	2,582	2
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Steers1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Steers	600–650	Medium 3	635	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,397	2
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,575	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,993	1
Bulls	—	—	1,945	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	4,474	1
Slaughter Cattle · Cows6 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	933	116.57/cwt	100.00–130.00	1,088	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,020	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	2,060	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,157	139.25/cwt	120.00–161.00	1,611	5
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,513	185.60/cwt	180.00–191.00	2,808	2
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,515	167.38/cwt	152.00–185.00	2,536	8
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,675	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,412	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 →

Preston Farmers Market - Terra Alta, WV

Fri May 15, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 39Last week 75Year ago 20

Slaughter CattleReceipts 21Last week 9Year ago 19

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,675	144.00	144.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,515	152.00–185.00	167.38
2	—	1,513	180.00–191.00	185.60

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,020	202.00	202.00
2	—	933	100.00–130.00	116.57
5	—	1,157	120.00–161.00	139.25

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,945	230.00	230.00
1	—	1,575	190.00	190.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	415	340.00	340.00
1	450–500	480	395.00	395.00
2	500–550	513	390.00–395.00	392.56
3	550–600	572	350.00–405.00	386.09
2	600–650	645	340.00	340.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	500–550	513	425.00	425.00
1	600–650	625	320.00	320.00
1	750–800	750	330.00	330.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	405	300.00	300.00
1	600–650	600	250.00	250.00
1	650–700	675	285.00	285.00
2	750–800	773	285.00–290.00	287.56

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	100–150	125	650.00	650.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	478	410.00	410.00
2	500–550	543	410.00	410.00
1	700–750	745	340.00	340.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 4$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	600	200.00	200.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	100–150	100	1,450.00	1,450.00
1	150–200	195	650.00	650.00
1	200–250	225	610.00	610.00
1	250–300	295	570.00	570.00
2	650–700	675	370.00–395.00	382.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	150–200	165	560.00	560.00
1	400–450	445	400.00	400.00
2	450–500	480	395.00	395.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Steers — Medium 3$ per cwt · actual wt
2	600–650	635	220.00	220.00

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.