Cattle Market Pulse

KY-TN Livestock Market Report

Guthrie, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 19, 2024

670 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $262.45/cwt -4.61 vs last sale · ≈ $2,065/hd at 787 lb · 73 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $275.82/cwt +0.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,354/hd at 491 lb · 32 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $311.03/cwt -1.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,661/hd at 534 lb · 31 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 670 1,143 819
Feeder cattle 529 941 641
Slaughter cattle 99 165 128
Replacement cattle 42 37 50

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 600 lbs. sold 6.00-8.00 lower and those over 600 lbs. were 5.00-6.00 higher. Feeder heifers traded 6.00-8.00 higher with instances of some being sharply higher. Today's offering varied widely in quality and didn't contain the large groups that was in last weeks sale but the demand was still good overall. Slaughter cows and bulls sold mostly steady.

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
365 365 3 370.00 $370.00 $1,350 +17.67
451 451 9 320.00 $320.00 $1,443 -27.25
490 value added 490 20 339.00 $339.00 $1,661 —
517 value added 517 10 330.00 $330.00 $1,706 —
542 542 21 296.00–303.00 $302.00 $1,637 -10.50
578 578 3 303.00 $303.00 $1,751 —
600–617 value added 608 21 289.00–290.00 $289.52 $1,760 —
704 704 4 258.00 $258.00 $1,816 +16.55
760–781 779 10 245.00–250.00 $249.51 $1,944 +4.51
788 value added 788 63 264.50 $264.50 $2,084 -4.25
820 820 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,878 —
1060 1060 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,226 —
1100 1100 1 185.00 $185.00 $2,035 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–445 433 2 275.00–290.00 $282.72 $1,224 —
453–471 466 7 255.00–270.00 $265.83 $1,239 +0.04
500–533 522 3 260.00–265.00 $263.40 $1,375 +8.80
627–635 630 5 252.50–262.50 $258.47 $1,628 +18.47
675 675 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,418 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
692 692 3 253.00 $253.00 $1,751 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
238 238 2 375.00 $375.00 $892 —
295 295 7 355.00 $355.00 $1,047 +13.81
300–303 302 3 335.00–345.00 $338.31 $1,022 +19.33
351–385 356 15 315.00–327.50 $325.70 $1,159 +2.70
422 422 18 313.00 $313.00 $1,321 +27.65
470–492 491 32 270.00–276.00 $275.82 $1,354 +0.79
540–541 541 12 265.00–267.00 $265.67 $1,437 —
600–616 614 10 249.00–255.00 $249.59 $1,532 -1.41
698 698 4 223.00 $223.00 $1,557 -1.96
725 value added 725 4 234.00 $234.00 $1,696 —
731 731 4 216.00 $216.00 $1,579 —
752 752 3 218.00 $218.00 $1,639 —
834 834 4 208.00 $208.00 $1,735 +5.00
1043 1043 2 168.00 $168.00 $1,752 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335–345 340 2 275.00–285.00 $280.07 $952 —
435–445 441 7 250.00–275.00 $264.42 $1,166 —
540 540 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,188 —
575 575 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,308 —
628 628 4 202.50–222.50 $212.50 $1,334 -2.76
765 765 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,549 —
875 875 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,553 -11.50
957 957 3 161.00 $161.00 $1,541 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,050 —
550 550 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,306 —
603–634 626 12 230.00–235.00 $233.80 $1,464 -1.75
660 660 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,393 -5.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1287 1287 3 165.00 $165.00 $2,124 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 3 395.00 $395.00 $928 —
300–323 314 5 380.00–390.00 $383.82 $1,205 +23.22
318 fancy 318 3 400.00 $400.00 $1,272 —
353 fancy 353 15 377.50 $377.50 $1,333 -10.50
361–378 366 7 355.00 $355.00 $1,299 -8.04
429 429 10 310.00 $310.00 $1,330 -27.00
458–491 483 16 284.00–285.00 $284.76 $1,375 -22.74
543 543 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,493 -11.54
551 551 13 288.00 $288.00 $1,587 —
613 613 14 271.00 $271.00 $1,661 +28.43
670–696 692 6 242.50–245.00 $244.60 $1,693 —
738 738 2 222.50 $222.50 $1,642 -16.78
780 780 4 223.00 $223.00 $1,739 -4.50
953 953 3 177.00 $177.00 $1,687 -1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 295.00 $295.00 $708 —
405 405 2 262.50 $262.50 $1,063 —
655 655 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,506 +2.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318–330 322 3 320.00–342.50 $327.69 $1,055 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1685 1432 75-80% 11 124.00–128.00 $125.48 $1,797 —
1385–1530 1457 75-80% 3 108.00–110.00 $109.03 $1,589 -7.81
1230–1800 1464 75-80% 27 111.00–123.00 $117.60 $1,722 +0.76
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–940 932 85-90% 3 126.00–133.00 $129.70 $1,209 +17.20
892–1125 950 85-90% 4 114.00–116.00 $115.41 $1,096 —
890–1350 1057 85-90% 6 90.00–96.00 $92.25 $975 -12.92
875–1275 1071 85-90% 9 102.50–108.00 $106.04 $1,136 +0.87
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1100 1063 80-85% 2 125.00–127.50 $126.21 $1,342 —
1040–1375 1205 80-85% 4 102.00–109.00 $104.26 $1,256 -9.08
1010–1385 1240 80-85% 10 110.00–117.00 $113.54 $1,408 +0.20

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1225 1163 2 151.00–156.00 $153.63 $1,787 —
1183 1183 2 131.00 $131.00 $1,550 —
1640–2100 1880 3 139.00–144.00 $141.46 $2,659 -1.37

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1150 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,975.00 $1,975.00
1145–1220 1185 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,650.00–2,150.00 $1,902.11
1055–1505 1286 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 17 1,550.00–2,250.00 $1,966.06
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,900.00–1,950.00 $1,925.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000–1080 1027 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,850.00–1,875.00 $1,866.23
1095 1095 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
925 925 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
925 925 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1025 1025 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00

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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
1250 1250 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00 —
1320 1320 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00 -773.42

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1120 1120 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00 —

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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.