Cattle Market Pulse

Volunteer Stockyards Market Report

Greeneville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Saturday, March 4, 2023

405 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Volunteer Stockyards report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $174.96/cwt +4.97 vs last sale · ≈ $825/hd at 472 lb · 13 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $181.54/cwt +21.28 vs last sale · ≈ $927/hd at 511 lb · 12 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $205.05/cwt +13.61 vs last sale · ≈ $884/hd at 431 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 405 568 949
Feeder cattle 257 414 724
Slaughter cattle 109 132 194
Replacement cattle 39 22 31

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder heifers weighing up to 550 lbs. and feeder bulls weighing up to 650 lbs. sharply higher, with limited comparable receipts for heavier classes of heifers and bulls and a lower undertone noted. No comparisons available for feeder steers due also to limited comparable receipts, but a higher undertone was noted. Slaughter cows holding mostly steady overall, with slaughter bulls 1.00 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
360–390 375 2 212.50–217.00 $214.66 $805 +14.66
420–440 430 2 210.00–220.00 $215.12 $925 +7.33
453–492 478 9 206.00–218.00 $210.49 $1,006 +6.33
515–535 525 2 162.00–190.00 $176.27 $925 -10.11
535–545 540 2 209.00–216.00 $212.53 $1,148 +26.15
550–575 563 2 209.00–215.00 $212.07 $1,194 +37.07
580 580 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,021 +1.00
610 610 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,183 +9.63
710 value added 710 2 179.00 $179.00 $1,271 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 180.00 $180.00 $666 -7.50
545 545 1 170.00 $170.00 $926 +2.50
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 180.00 $180.00 $945 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 187.50 $187.50 $488 +20.00
300–340 320 2 195.00–205.00 $199.69 $639 +17.12
355–370 361 4 182.50–199.00 $192.42 $695 +19.56
425–445 435 5 180.00–186.00 $182.62 $794 +12.35
450–490 470 12 170.00–185.00 $176.04 $827 +7.65
490 490 1 162.00 $162.00 $794 -6.39
502 fancy 502 3 188.00 $188.00 $944 —
507 value added 507 3 186.00 $186.00 $943 —
500–540 517 6 170.00–184.00 $176.08 $910 +26.08
570–590 578 4 157.00–161.00 $159.52 $922 +4.13
595 595 1 153.00 $153.00 $910 -2.39
595 value added 595 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,000 -4.00
620–645 633 2 146.00–155.00 $150.59 $953 -5.45
643 value added 643 2 168.00 $168.00 $1,080 —
655 fancy 655 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,074 —
670 670 1 144.00 $144.00 $965 +2.49
710–745 728 3 140.00–146.00 $143.31 $1,043 -2.02
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–380 375 3 150.00–172.50 $159.93 $600 +8.72
515–540 528 2 158.00–162.50 $160.20 $846 +16.93
555–595 573 3 144.00–154.00 $149.30 $855 —
655 655 1 131.00 $131.00 $858 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 170.00 $170.00 $586 +12.50
620–635 628 2 140.00–141.00 $140.51 $882 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 215.00 $215.00 $720 +31.59
360–390 fancy 375 2 221.00–224.00 $222.44 $834 +15.06
360–395 379 5 200.00–211.00 $205.79 $780 +19.03
400 fancy 400 1 212.00 $212.00 $848 +5.00
400–448 434 10 198.00–207.00 $204.35 $887 +13.95
450–485 466 8 197.50–206.00 $201.52 $939 +14.00
505 fancy 505 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,091 +6.49
500–545 521 4 180.00–202.00 $191.77 $999 +19.27
605–635 615 3 183.00–191.00 $186.08 $1,144 +10.71
675–680 678 2 160.00–164.00 $162.01 $1,098 -14.91
688 688 2 149.00 $149.00 $1,025 -27.92
715 715 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,037 -10.81
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–380 375 2 170.00–190.00 $179.87 $675 +25.18
565 565 1 167.50 $167.50 $946 +15.00
620–645 633 2 142.50–154.00 $148.36 $939 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–485 478 2 175.00–176.00 $175.51 $839 +13.50
525 525 1 175.00 $175.00 $919 +9.61
665 665 1 140.00 $140.00 $931 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1375 1158 80-85% 19 82.00–93.00 $87.41 $1,012 -0.39
1160 1160 80-85% 1 76.00 $76.00 $882 -11.80
1180–1305 1248 80-85% 3 99.00–108.00 $103.29 $1,289 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1510 1395 75-80% 3 97.00–105.00 $99.73 $1,391 —
1190–1740 1441 75-80% 12 84.00–95.00 $90.07 $1,298 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
866 866 85-90% 1 85.00 $85.00 $736 -15.08
970 970 85-90% 1 90.00 $90.00 $873 —
1055–1255 1147 85-90% 6 73.00–86.00 $81.21 $931 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110 1110 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,054 —
1145–2250 1666 12 115.00–124.00 $119.02 $1,983 —
1580–1800 1690 2 105.00–113.00 $109.26 $1,846 —
1465–2150 1939 4 130.00–138.00 $133.77 $2,594 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,025.00–1,250.00 $1,125.00
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 900.00–1,185.00 $980.83
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 800.00–975.00 $868.33
— — Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 850.00 $850.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 875.00–1,000.00 $925.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 785.00–800.00 $792.50
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 800.00–825.00 $812.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00

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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
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00 —

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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.