Sale reports / West Virginia / Preston Farmers Market / 2026-10-30

Preston Farmers Market

Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-10-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-10-30

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Terra Alta, West Virginia · Fri, Oct 30

● Final36 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1876

← Oct 23Oct 30latest

Feeder Cattle receipts

55 head

▼ 34 vs last sale 89▲ 24 vs year ago 31 · +77.4%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

24 head

▼ 14 vs last sale 38▲ 3 vs year ago 21 · +14.3%

Also sold hereSpecial Graded SaleWed Sep 30, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Lower than average attendance this week and likewise a lower run by half with smaller offerings of all classes of cattle but a slight increase in the short legs. Choice lambs, $300.00 per hundred. Ewes with fresh lambs, $235.00 per family. Select 2 Billies mostly $235.00 - $240.00 per head. Few slaughter hogs up to $60.00 per cwt. Small run of Feeders, not a great test, but Steers mostly lower this week while Heifers went the opposite way selling significantly higher. Boning Cows sold steady; Breakers and Lean Cows lower $3.00-$9.00; no test on Bulls. Heiferettes, $155.00-$215.00 per cwt.

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 $314.26/cwt on 11 head, up $10.39 from the prior sale (only 11 head in that comparison). That ranks 2 of 8 comparable sales and sits −40.98 against this barn's trailing median of $355.23.

Average price

$314.26

▲ 10.39 vs prior sale

11 head · 555 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,743

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$497

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$79.73/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−12.63

vs WV average

−64.38 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	560	336.00	1,882	8thin
Medium 2	540	256.27	1,385	3thin

One grade step is worth $79.73/cwt here — about $497 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 sale11 hd

314.26

—

WV average3 barns · 114 hd

326.88

−12.63

National average193 barns · 22,818 hd

378.64

−64.38

This barn, trailing median8 sales

355.23

−40.98

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	1,675	146.00	2,446	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,444	116.78	1,687	7thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,763	115.06	2,028	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,174	89.97	1,056	7thin
Heifers	Select	Average	1,095	199.09	2,180	2thin
Steers	Select	Average	1,018	240.00	2,443	3thin

Every lot

36 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 · Steers10 lots · lightest first
Steers	300–350	Medium and Large 1	325	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,398	1
Steers	350–400	Medium and Large 1	395	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,560	2
Steers	400–450	Medium and Large 1	403	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,330	3
Steers	400–450	Medium and Large 2	405	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,377	1
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1Value Added	485	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,770	1
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	515	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,751	2
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 2	515	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,622	1
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 1	563	347.67/cwt	340.00–355.00	1,957	2
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	619	339.85/cwt	335.00–350.00	2,104	3
Steers	700–750	Medium and Large 1	735	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,058	1
Feeder Cattle · Heifers13 lots · lightest first
Heifers	300–350	Medium and Large 1	314	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,083	2
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1	370	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,258	3
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 2	390	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,365	1
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1	413	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	1,388	3
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 2	435	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,370	2
Heifers	450–500	Medium 2	465	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,349	1
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 2	467	281.70/cwt	280.00–285.00	1,316	3
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 1	468	323.45/cwt	320.00–330.00	1,514	3
Heifers	500–550	Medium 2	518	241.91/cwt	225.00–260.00	1,253	2
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1	560	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	1,882	8
Heifers	550–600	Medium 2	585	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,667	1
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	605	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,815	1
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	665	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,796	1
Feeder Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	450–500	Medium and Large 1	488	332.54/cwt	325.00–340.00	1,623	2
Bulls	600–650	Medium and Large 1	620	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,984	1
Bulls	650–700	Medium and Large 1	650	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,853	1
Bulls	700–750	Medium and Large 1	735	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,580	1
Slaughter Cattle · Steers1 lot · lightest first
Steers	—	Select	1,018	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,443	3
Slaughter Cattle · Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Heifers	—	Select	1,095	199.09/cwt	180.00–220.00	2,180	2
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,675	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	2,446	1
Slaughter Cattle · Cows6 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,170	93.71/cwt	85.00–103.00	1,096	6
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,200	67.50/cwt	67.50–67.50	810	1
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,315	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,262	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,465	103.50/cwt	103.50–103.50	1,516	1
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,466	120.24/cwt	109.00–128.00	1,763	6
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,862	118.91/cwt	116.00–122.00	2,214	3

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 Oct 30, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 55Last week 89Year ago 31

Slaughter CattleReceipts 24Last week 38Year ago 21

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,675	146.00	146.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,170	85.00–103.00	93.71
1	—	1,200	67.50	67.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,862	116.00–122.00	118.91
1	—	1,465	103.50	103.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,466	109.00–128.00	120.24
1	—	1,315	96.00	96.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Select$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,095	180.00–220.00	199.09

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Select$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,018	240.00	240.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	465	290.00	290.00
2	500–550	518	225.00–260.00	241.91
1	550–600	585	285.00	285.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	650–700	665	270.00	270.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	390	350.00	350.00
2	400–450	435	315.00	315.00
3	450–500	467	280.00–285.00	281.70

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	300–350	314	345.00	345.00
3	350–400	370	340.00	340.00
3	400–450	413	336.00	336.00
3	450–500	468	320.00–330.00	323.45
8	550–600	560	336.00	336.00
1	600–650	605	300.00	300.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	488	325.00–340.00	332.54
1	600–650	620	320.00	320.00
1	650–700	650	285.00	285.00
1	700–750	735	215.00	215.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	325	430.00	430.00
2	350–400	395	395.00	395.00
3	400–450	403	330.00	330.00
2	500–550	515	340.00	340.00
2	550–600	563	340.00–355.00	347.67
3	600–650	619	335.00–350.00	339.85
1	700–750	735	280.00	280.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	405	340.00	340.00
1	500–550	515	315.00	315.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	485	365.00	365.00

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.