Cattle Market Pulse

KY-TN Livestock Market Report

Guthrie, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 7, 2023

823 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest KY-TN Livestock Market report →

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $169.22/cwt -18.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,053/hd at 622 lb · 45 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $192.66/cwt -13.34 vs last sale · ≈ $927/hd at 481 lb · 43 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $186.38/cwt -14.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,019/hd at 547 lb · 39 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 823 985 627
Feeder cattle 652 804 501
Slaughter cattle 145 145 100
Replacement cattle 26 36 26

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers sold mostly steady and feeder heifers were 8.00-10.00 lower. The feeder calf prices are still reflecting the downward trend on the futures market. Slaughter cows were mostly steady and slaughter bulls traded steady to 3.00 lower.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 2 230.00 $230.00 $816 -13.00
400 fancy 400 6 260.00 $260.00 $1,040 —
451 fancy 451 8 260.00 $260.00 $1,173 —
456 456 9 251.00 $251.00 $1,145 +4.00
544 value added 544 10 241.00 $241.00 $1,311 —
551 value added 551 10 238.00 $238.00 $1,311 —
560–590 583 8 214.00–220.00 $218.56 $1,274 —
635–638 638 22 216.00–220.00 $219.64 $1,401 +5.64
739–742 741 19 189.00–194.00 $190.05 $1,408 -4.95
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 185.00 $185.00 $509 —
631 631 4 173.00 $173.00 $1,092 -7.20
733 733 2 171.00 $171.00 $1,253 —
795 795 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,391 —
850 850 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,402 —
930 930 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,604 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–275 268 8 227.50–240.00 $235.86 $632 +8.36
308 fancy 308 7 252.50 $252.50 $778 —
358–372 361 23 227.50–238.00 $235.65 $851 +8.19
424 424 19 200.00 $200.00 $848 -10.51
455 fancy 455 7 207.00 $207.00 $942 —
457–491 486 36 189.00–190.00 $189.87 $923 -16.13
532–549 547 39 182.00–187.00 $186.38 $1,019 —
558–589 570 13 179.00–182.00 $180.81 $1,031 -11.97
618–623 622 45 168.00–174.00 $169.22 $1,053 -18.65
699 699 7 171.00 $171.00 $1,195 -4.00
703 703 19 161.00 $161.00 $1,132 -2.73
804 804 5 136.00 $136.00 $1,093 —
890–891 891 7 137.50–141.00 $140.50 $1,252 —
905 905 1 137.50 $137.50 $1,244 —
1020 1020 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,326 —
1050 1050 1 132.50 $132.50 $1,391 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 2 217.50 $217.50 $609 +9.14
300–333 322 3 180.00–207.50 $198.96 $641 +13.65
441 441 4 170.00 $170.00 $750 -17.83
455 455 1 162.50 $162.50 $739 -10.40
613 613 2 153.00 $153.00 $938 —
685–697 695 6 139.00–152.00 $149.86 $1,042 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 2 252.50 $252.50 $631 +23.89
304–305 304 6 240.00–242.50 $241.66 $735 -15.84
367 fancy 367 13 259.00 $259.00 $951 —
365–398 385 5 230.00–240.00 $233.79 $900 -11.88
436 436 21 250.25 $250.25 $1,091 +11.71
484 484 28 235.00 $235.00 $1,137 +14.41
552 552 28 219.00 $219.00 $1,209 +16.00
620–631 629 36 170.00–176.00 $175.01 $1,101 -12.49
706–710 707 24 163.00–166.00 $165.50 $1,170 -15.00
780 780 4 157.00 $157.00 $1,225 —
884–895 888 6 144.00–150.00 $145.18 $1,289 —
1040 1040 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,300 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 220.00 $220.00 $550 +20.00
333 333 2 210.00 $210.00 $699 +22.50
375 375 2 190.00–195.00 $192.50 $722 +7.64
440 440 2 185.00 $185.00 $814 —
453 453 4 189.00 $189.00 $856 +14.00
520–543 530 8 167.00–185.00 $174.37 $924 +3.31
555–596 589 6 165.00–172.00 $170.90 $1,007 —
635 635 1 150.00 $150.00 $952 -22.46
735 735 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,066 —
800–845 823 2 137.50–140.00 $138.78 $1,142 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
447 447 3 212.50 $212.50 $950 —
470 470 5 208.00 $208.00 $978 +14.52

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–1400 1373 75-80% 2 52.00–66.00 $59.14 $812 —
1320–1620 1453 75-80% 6 75.00–79.00 $77.00 $1,119 —
1300–2025 1479 75-80% 32 80.00–89.00 $85.33 $1,262 —
1265–1855 1524 75-80% 28 90.00–101.00 $92.92 $1,416 -2.65
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1325 1193 80-85% 8 90.00–108.00 $93.27 $1,113 —
1115–1350 1219 80-85% 11 80.00–88.00 $83.55 $1,018 +0.54
1230 1230 80-85% 1 65.00 $65.00 $800 -11.20
1200–1360 1300 80-85% 6 75.00–79.00 $77.47 $1,007 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835 835 85-90% 1 95.00 $95.00 $793 —
870–1145 977 85-90% 6 56.00–66.00 $62.59 $612 -13.57
965–1070 1013 85-90% 3 85.00–87.00 $85.70 $868 +21.37
930–1320 1050 85-90% 13 69.00–79.00 $74.96 $787 -8.38

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–2270 1656 7 107.00–113.00 $109.05 $1,806 —
1625–1970 1759 5 95.00–105.00 $99.86 $1,757 —
1615–2345 1938 6 117.00–124.00 $119.51 $2,316 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1180–1410 1292 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,025.00–1,550.00 $1,340.39
1200–1635 1371 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,275.00–1,550.00 $1,405.29
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,275.00 $1,275.00
1000–1035 1018 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,375.00–1,600.00 $1,489.43
1075 1075 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
750 750 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 875.00–900.00 $887.50
755–765 760 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 925.00–1,025.00 $975.33
875 875 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1050 thin fleshed 1050 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1125 1125 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
920 thin fleshed 920 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 950.00 $950.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765 765 1 125.00 $125.00 $956 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.