Cattle Market Pulse

Volunteer Stockyards Market Report

Greeneville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Saturday, March 2, 2024

333 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $280.39/cwt +3.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,345/hd at 480 lb · 11 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $230.20/cwt +14.80 vs last sale · ≈ $1,202/hd at 522 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 333 366 405
Feeder cattle 202 272 257
Slaughter cattle 81 83 109
Replacement cattle 50 11 39

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cows and bulls steady to 2.00 higher overall. No comparisons available for feeder classes due to limited comparable receipts, but a higher undertone for heifers was noted. Continued increased demand from farmer-feeders was noted.

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
385 value added 385 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,222 —
505–538 value added 528 4 275.00–286.00 $277.63 $1,466 —
560–565 value added 563 6 270.00–275.00 $271.66 $1,529 —
580–590 585 2 255.00–265.00 $260.04 $1,521 -24.96
653 value added 653 2 236.00 $236.00 $1,541 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 261.00 $261.00 $1,357 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 value added 305 1 285.00 $285.00 $869 —
345 345 2 260.00–277.50 $268.75 $927 +8.27
355–375 366 7 252.50–265.00 $257.93 $944 -2.51
420–445 433 3 246.00–248.00 $247.32 $1,071 +24.72
465–495 478 9 230.00–255.00 $240.78 $1,151 +12.90
500–545 522 10 217.50–237.00 $228.92 $1,195 +27.65
525 value added 525 1 243.00 $243.00 $1,276 +3.00
555–575 value added 565 2 231.00–244.00 $237.38 $1,341 -9.62
595 595 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,250 -9.30
625 fancy 625 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,406 —
605–645 626 5 197.50–213.00 $206.44 $1,292 -3.69
670–675 673 6 190.00–206.00 $199.69 $1,344 -2.11
700 700 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,400 +3.80
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–435 423 3 215.00–231.00 $224.38 $949 —
465–480 473 2 217.00–220.00 $218.52 $1,034 —
695 695 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,286 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,076 —
585 585 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,082 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 325.00 $325.00 $910 +31.17
365–380 374 9 310.00–327.50 $317.10 $1,186 +12.53
405–415 fancy 410 2 315.00–316.00 $315.49 $1,294 —
415–445 428 5 272.50–307.50 $287.46 $1,230 -12.50
440 440 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,177 -32.46
465 fancy 465 2 290.00–297.50 $293.75 $1,366 —
450–495 483 9 260.00–285.00 $277.42 $1,340 -6.26
510–540 523 3 247.50–262.50 $254.09 $1,329 -3.42
550 550 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,265 -10.00
555–595 568 3 240.00–264.00 $251.30 $1,427 +11.30
710 710 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,562 +10.85
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–285 280 2 230.00–285.00 $257.01 $720 —
355 355 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,012 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1700 1700 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 3,650.00 $3,650.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1465 1168 80-85% 18 104.00–119.00 $113.12 $1,321 —
995–1335 1220 80-85% 3 96.00–101.00 $98.18 $1,198 —
1455–1665 1560 80-85% 2 126.00–136.00 $131.34 $2,049 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1510 1380 75-80% 2 93.00–99.00 $96.28 $1,329 -26.59
1190–1560 1405 75-80% 8 105.00–119.00 $113.80 $1,599 +0.60
1270–1680 1442 75-80% 5 121.00–123.00 $121.73 $1,755 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–955 893 85-90% 3 81.00–89.00 $85.72 $765 —
845–1205 1009 85-90% 7 95.00–107.00 $100.35 $1,013 +2.44

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290 1290 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,625 —
1295–2000 1674 7 128.00–139.00 $133.79 $2,240 —
1665–1780 1723 2 142.00–145.00 $143.55 $2,473 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
850–1100 925 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,150.00–1,700.00 $1,346.25
950 950 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00
900–1050 975 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,400.00–1,500.00 $1,450.00
900–1100 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,475.00–1,500.00 $1,487.50
950–1350 1050 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,125.00–1,355.00 $1,261.00
1050 1050 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
900–1400 1092 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 925.00–1,470.00 $1,249.17
900–1350 1093 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 1,175.00–1,500.00 $1,332.14
950–1300 1125 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 900.00–1,450.00 $1,175.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
700 700 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
750 750 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00
850 850 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
850 850 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00

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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
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 2,250.00–2,600.00 $2,425.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00 —

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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.