Cattle Market Pulse

KY-TN Livestock Market Report

Guthrie, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 21, 2024

819 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $310.95/cwt -1.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,455/hd at 468 lb · 59 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $281.28/cwt -20.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,336/hd at 475 lb · 49 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $259.48/cwt -7.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,399/hd at 539 lb · 43 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 819 929 890
Feeder cattle 659 766 781
Slaughter cattle 140 124 71
Replacement cattle 20 39 38

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers sold 4.00-6.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs. traded sharply higher and those over 600 lbs. were 4.00-6.00 lower. A good quality offering today that contained several calves in "green" condition which the buyers are showing a strong preference for. Slaughter cows sold 5.00-7.00 higher and slaughter bulls were 3.00-5.00 higher.

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
371 371 4 335.00 $335.00 $1,243 —
410 410 4 331.00 $331.00 $1,357 +1.00
460 460 12 327.00 $327.00 $1,504 +8.99
520–537 529 12 285.00–310.00 $304.09 $1,609 +4.78
617–626 625 23 282.00–286.25 $285.70 $1,786 +13.20
695 value added 695 7 252.00 $252.00 $1,751 —
723–728 726 5 232.00–242.00 $238.02 $1,728 -1.73
803 803 2 226.00 $226.00 $1,815 +0.74
901 901 6 214.00 $214.00 $1,928 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 225.00 $225.00 $900 —
570 570 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,368 —
600–640 620 2 200.00–205.00 $202.58 $1,256 —
740 740 1 192.50 $192.50 $1,424 —
1145 1145 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,832 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
428 428 3 292.50 $292.50 $1,252 —
580 580 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,522 +50.00
890 890 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,914 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
297–298 297 9 312.50–330.00 $326.10 $969 +6.50
303 fancy 303 4 332.50 $332.50 $1,007 —
360–373 364 36 302.50–310.00 $307.65 $1,120 +13.11
427–430 428 37 283.00–294.00 $290.42 $1,243 +20.04
454–491 475 49 275.00–296.00 $281.28 $1,336 +11.28
533–543 539 43 252.00–267.00 $259.48 $1,399 -0.83
608–630 616 30 233.00–240.00 $238.78 $1,471 +6.91
631 value added 631 5 245.00 $245.00 $1,546 -5.50
690 690 3 216.00 $216.00 $1,490 —
742 value added 742 11 223.00 $223.00 $1,655 -16.00
745 745 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,564 +0.03
768 768 5 211.00 $211.00 $1,620 +6.00
1155 1155 2 159.00 $159.00 $1,836 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 3 285.00 $285.00 $755 ±0.00
373 373 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,026 +27.50
455–495 463 13 220.00–240.00 $236.43 $1,095 +6.43
500–520 508 3 230.00–245.00 $236.61 $1,202 -1.38
663 663 2 187.50 $187.50 $1,243 -2.50
725–747 742 4 175.00–187.50 $178.06 $1,321 —
773 773 2 182.00 $182.00 $1,407 —
850 850 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,445 —
950 950 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,568 —
1010–1043 1032 3 135.00–143.00 $140.39 $1,449 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 250.00 $250.00 $750 —
365 365 1 235.00 $235.00 $858 +17.50
445 445 1 220.00 $220.00 $979 —
494 494 4 175.00 $175.00 $864 —
865 865 1 137.50 $137.50 $1,189 —
950 950 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,330 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–280 270 3 340.00–355.00 $346.67 $936 -0.83
301 301 5 350.00 $350.00 $1,054 —
358–365 363 16 341.00–345.00 $342.23 $1,242 +9.73
422 422 24 333.00 $333.00 $1,405 +11.25
454–481 468 59 310.00–312.00 $310.95 $1,455 +19.42
504–544 539 31 293.50–295.00 $293.68 $1,583 +5.06
554 554 7 290.00 $290.00 $1,607 +5.00
612–624 614 32 272.00–272.50 $272.40 $1,673 +19.42
693 693 11 246.00 $246.00 $1,705 +6.69
723–736 732 7 227.00–227.50 $227.14 $1,663 —
800 800 5 206.00 $206.00 $1,648 +4.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 320.00 $320.00 $976 +40.00
365–395 385 3 290.00–310.00 $296.32 $1,141 -2.04
425 425 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,148 —
452–495 467 6 250.00–272.50 $263.45 $1,230 -6.55
539 539 5 251.00 $251.00 $1,353 -10.98
605–635 612 8 222.50–245.00 $242.08 $1,482 +17.08
710 710 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,473 +2.50
910–930 920 2 167.50–170.00 $168.76 $1,553 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–345 327 3 260.00–285.00 $275.08 $900 +45.08
390 390 1 235.00 $235.00 $916 -25.00
463–470 465 3 220.00–225.00 $221.68 $1,031 —
770 770 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,386 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1885 1403 75-80% 35 128.00–141.00 $132.72 $1,862 +18.29
1300–1600 1421 75-80% 14 114.00–127.00 $121.85 $1,731 +7.42
1435–1470 1453 75-80% 2 106.00–109.00 $107.48 $1,562 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1275 1185 80-85% 13 107.00–119.00 $111.52 $1,322 -5.63
1010–1360 1200 80-85% 20 122.00–138.00 $127.02 $1,524 —
1200 1200 80-85% 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,176 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 85-90% 1 81.00 $81.00 $628 —
810–1080 895 85-90% 5 84.00–94.00 $89.48 $801 +6.28
885–1140 1012 85-90% 11 99.00–108.00 $103.37 $1,046 +4.01
900–1150 1058 85-90% 5 110.00–120.00 $114.25 $1,209 +2.21

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1890 1381 4 116.00–120.00 $118.29 $1,634 —
1330–2115 1548 6 124.00–133.00 $130.34 $2,018 —
1380–2240 1857 16 137.00–150.00 $141.77 $2,633 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 thin fleshed 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00
1220–1320 1270 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,500.00–1,600.00 $1,548.03
1235–1450 1343 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,900.00–2,000.00 $1,954.00
1465 1465 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,800.00 $1,800.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
940 thin fleshed 940 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
945 945 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
965 965 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —
1100 1100 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —
1240 1240 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,675.00 $2,675.00 —
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
990 990 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,850.00 $1,850.00 —
1060 1060 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
900 900 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,950.00 $1,950.00 —

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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.