Cattle Market Pulse

Volunteer Stockyards Market Report

Greeneville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Saturday, September 20, 2025

407 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $345.81/cwt +6.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,789/hd at 517 lb · 13 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $327.95/cwt -18.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,563/hd at 477 lb · 12 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $365.46/cwt -4.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,360/hd at 372 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 407 542 645
Feeder cattle 312 438 427
Slaughter cattle 61 76 196
Replacement cattle 34 28 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cows sold unevenly steady with slaughter bulls 7.00 to 8.00 lower. No comparisons available for feeder cattle due to limited comparable receipts.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,634 -5.00
405–432 425 4 380.00–415.00 $406.67 $1,728 +1.49
460–490 475 2 362.50–375.00 $368.95 $1,753 -20.15
500–540 511 4 355.00–365.00 $359.91 $1,839 -13.51
520 520 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,755 -35.92
555 555 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,873 -25.02
630 value added 630 2 335.00 $335.00 $2,110 -28.65
640 640 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,112 -5.78
660–693 682 3 337.00–340.00 $337.97 $2,305 —
753 753 2 307.50 $307.50 $2,315 -1.50
755 value added 755 4 324.00 $324.00 $2,446 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 338 2 390.00–400.00 $394.89 $1,335 —
575 575 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,438 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–355 353 2 350.00–370.00 $360.07 $1,271 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
262 262 3 430.00 $430.00 $1,127 —
300 300 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,140 +7.46
350–380 367 3 335.00–340.00 $336.59 $1,235 +6.59
360–385 374 8 360.00–390.00 $376.28 $1,407 +3.31
415–440 428 6 345.00–365.00 $349.89 $1,498 -5.70
445 445 2 327.50 $327.50 $1,457 -28.09
455–495 475 11 320.00–345.00 $329.13 $1,563 -19.78
495 495 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,559 -7.50
500 500 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,500 -27.95
500–540 521 9 310.00–335.00 $321.65 $1,676 -6.30
550–565 560 3 302.50–305.00 $303.32 $1,699 -16.66
560–578 573 5 320.00–327.50 $321.96 $1,845 +1.98
620 620 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,736 -22.48
600–645 634 7 305.00–313.00 $308.43 $1,955 +5.95
650 650 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,690 —
650–695 670 3 270.00–280.00 $274.12 $1,837 -19.62
705–720 713 2 287.50–295.00 $291.21 $2,076 —
735 735 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,040 —
783 783 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,958 -44.00
800–835 817 3 240.00–250.00 $246.59 $2,015 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,015 —
330 330 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,204 —
410 410 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,332 —
555 555 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,748 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–380 363 3 390.00–430.00 $409.82 $1,488 -10.36
405–445 424 7 380.00–400.00 $391.32 $1,659 +29.87
430 430 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,548 -1.45
450–495 473 7 350.00–380.00 $366.62 $1,734 +6.60
485 485 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,625 ±0.00
510 thin fleshed 510 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,887 +2.45
500–530 518 12 322.50–360.00 $343.79 $1,781 +3.00
550–590 576 4 290.00–297.50 $293.04 $1,688 -3.23
560–595 578 6 305.00–325.00 $315.04 $1,821 +18.77
600–645 622 10 270.00–297.50 $281.23 $1,749 -25.72
650–670 659 4 272.50–300.00 $285.52 $1,882 +5.00
665–690 678 2 260.00–265.00 $262.55 $1,780 -17.97
735–745 740 2 262.50–275.00 $268.79 $1,989 +4.69
760 fancy 760 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,090 —
755–785 772 8 225.00–250.00 $239.98 $1,853 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,330 —
620 620 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,643 —
705 705 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,762 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,136 —
400 400 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,380 —
610 610 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,586 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245 1245 75-80% 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,731 —
1160–1795 1487 75-80% 11 145.00–155.00 $148.57 $2,209 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1325 1213 80-85% 7 146.00–156.00 $151.68 $1,840 —
1280 1280 80-85% 1 162.00 $162.00 $2,074 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995 995 85-90% 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,244 —
1150–1165 1157 85-90% 3 135.00–141.00 $137.00 $1,585 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475–1960 1718 2 165.00–168.00 $166.29 $2,857 —
1375–2200 1790 11 175.00–189.00 $182.31 $3,263 —
1915–2030 1973 2 193.00–195.00 $193.97 $3,827 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,700.00 $2,700.00
1250 1250 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,150.00 $3,150.00
1150–1500 1325 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,150.00–2,500.00 $2,325.00
1250–1500 1375 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,350.00–2,550.00 $2,437.50
1400 1400 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,400.00 $3,400.00
1300–1650 1514 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 2,700.00–3,000.00 $2,871.43
1500–1700 1600 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,300.00–2,500.00 $2,400.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1150 1150 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00
1400 1400 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,350.00 $3,350.00

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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 1 3,700.00 $3,700.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 3,450.00 $3,450.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,300.00 $3,300.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 2,550.00 $2,550.00 —

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135 1135 85-90% 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,339 —
1145–1435 1312 85-90% 3 129.00–131.00 $129.69 $1,702 —

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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.