Cattle Market Pulse

Volunteer Stockyards Market Report

Greeneville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Saturday, August 19, 2023

726 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $204.10/cwt -35.28 vs last sale · ≈ $1,069/hd at 524 lb · 23 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $215.85/cwt +1.83 vs last sale · ≈ $936/hd at 434 lb · 21 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $239.22/cwt +9.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,516/hd at 634 lb · 18 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 726 611 786
Feeder cattle 521 439 598
Slaughter cattle 172 150 164
Replacement cattle 33 22 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder heifers 4.00 lower overall, with feeder bulls sharply lower, and no comparisons available for feeder steers due to limited comparable receipts, but a lower undertone noted. Lower prices for feeder classes due, in part, to decreased buyer activity. Slaughter cows gauging 1.00 to 3.00 lower overall with slaughter bulls mostly steady. Let it be noted that today's replacement offerings included a fancy set of bred cows and cow/calf pairs.

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
255 255 1 247.50 $247.50 $631 —
310 fancy 310 1 270.00 $270.00 $837 —
335–336 336 5 238.00–247.00 $239.80 $806 -1.39
398 398 2 233.00 $233.00 $927 -9.50
414–425 416 5 227.00–230.00 $227.61 $947 -18.22
450–480 472 6 231.00–248.00 $235.23 $1,110 +10.23
543 543 4 235.00 $235.00 $1,276 -7.67
550–590 571 8 218.00–234.00 $227.25 $1,298 -10.45
615 615 2 228.00–230.00 $229.00 $1,408 -1.00
636 value added 636 16 240.50 $240.50 $1,530 —
670–675 673 2 210.00–229.00 $219.54 $1,478 -14.22
720 value added 720 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,570 —
735 735 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,544 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,224 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 215.00 $215.00 $645 -2.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–295 285 4 206.00–220.00 $211.65 $603 -4.22
320–345 334 5 207.50–212.00 $208.93 $698 -10.00
355–383 369 8 205.00–220.00 $211.53 $781 -5.18
420–440 432 17 207.00–219.00 $212.75 $919 -1.27
441 fancy 441 4 229.00 $229.00 $1,010 —
450–495 467 15 201.00–217.00 $208.63 $974 -5.42
505–545 519 16 199.00–216.00 $207.08 $1,075 +0.68
550–578 564 6 199.00–211.00 $206.21 $1,163 -10.59
586 value added 586 4 225.00 $225.00 $1,318 —
600–635 623 7 186.00–200.00 $192.60 $1,200 -5.57
631 value added 631 9 217.50 $217.50 $1,372 —
680 value added 680 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,306 —
685–690 688 2 183.00–189.00 $186.01 $1,280 —
705 705 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,269 -1.00
843 value added 843 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,560 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–278 277 4 222.50–225.00 $224.38 $622 —
320 320 1 232.50 $232.50 $744 -11.70
380 fancy 380 1 252.50 $252.50 $960 -25.00
365–395 386 6 220.00–242.50 $229.23 $885 -21.43
400–435 419 4 207.50–225.00 $213.79 $896 -24.11
460 460 1 195.00 $195.00 $897 -41.65
452–490 468 16 215.00–226.00 $221.85 $1,038 -14.80
510–525 fancy 515 3 222.00–227.50 $223.87 $1,153 -31.13
500–545 525 20 180.00–215.00 $201.13 $1,056 -36.94
550–590 572 13 177.50–200.00 $188.18 $1,076 -37.50
615–645 626 11 180.00–213.00 $198.76 $1,244 -10.32
655–698 684 3 179.00–182.00 $181.04 $1,238 -31.89
710 710 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,172 -28.03
785 785 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,334 -18.00
805–840 818 3 140.00–161.00 $147.55 $1,207 —
875 875 1 156.00 $156.00 $1,365 -26.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
578 578 2 161.00 $161.00 $931 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 150.00 $150.00 $750 —
585 585 1 165.00 $165.00 $965 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1370 1278 75-80% 3 95.00–97.00 $95.98 $1,227 +1.45
1165–1775 1410 75-80% 37 102.00–116.00 $109.41 $1,543 —
1395–1750 1558 75-80% 3 119.00–121.00 $120.40 $1,876 -0.60
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960 960 80-85% 1 93.00 $93.00 $893 —
940–1470 1107 80-85% 36 100.00–115.00 $109.28 $1,210 +14.89
1185–1270 1218 80-85% 4 116.00–123.00 $118.32 $1,441 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1190 1046 85-90% 12 86.00–105.00 $94.91 $993 —
1135–1180 1158 85-90% 2 107.00–115.00 $110.92 $1,284 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1360 1244 7 110.00–121.00 $116.55 $1,450 —
1515–1595 1555 2 115.00–117.00 $115.97 $1,803 —
1395–2050 1785 12 126.00–138.00 $132.09 $2,358 —
1800–1870 1835 2 141.00–143.00 $142.02 $2,606 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
1050 1050 (<2 yrs)Open 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800 800 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 875.00 $875.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000–1200 1100 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,200.00–1,950.00 $1,608.33
1150 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00
1000–1500 1213 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,300.00–1,525.00 $1,393.75
900–1450 1225 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 900.00–1,650.00 $1,262.50
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
1400 1400 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800 800 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 925.00 $925.00

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Bred Heifers

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800 800 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00
900 900 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00

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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 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 1,675.00–2,025.00 $1,841.67 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 1,575.00–2,375.00 $2,016.67 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 2,025.00–2,100.00 $2,062.50 —
— — Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —

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Heifer 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 2,100.00 $2,100.00 —

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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.