Cattle Market Pulse

Athens Regional Stockyard Preconditioned Sale Market Report

Athens, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Special)

Sale of Thursday, October 15, 2026

797 head sold ·Official USDA report

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $347.84/cwt ≈ $2,282/hd at 656 lb · 90 head
light 6-weight M&L 2 heifers $328.10/cwt ≈ $2,110/hd at 643 lb · 86 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $350.75/cwt ≈ $2,329/hd at 664 lb · 80 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 797 883 1,395
Feeder cattle 797 883 1,395

Market comments — USDA reporter

All cattle on a vaccination program and weaned a minimum of 60 days.

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
463 463 13 427.00 $427.00 $1,977 —
530 530 16 388.00 $388.00 $2,056 —
553–581 574 42 361.00–375.00 $364.21 $2,091 —
656 656 90 328.00–351.50 $347.84 $2,282 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 7 401.00 $401.00 $1,825 -7.66
551 551 24 365.00 $365.00 $2,011 +17.86
728–749 744 55 319.00–338.00 $332.93 $2,477 —
899 899 57 321.25 $321.25 $2,888 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 thin fleshed 345 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,449 —
461 461 11 417.00 $417.00 $1,922 —
543 543 13 323.00 $323.00 $1,754 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
641 641 16 325.50 $325.50 $2,086 —
680 680 7 319.00 $319.00 $2,169 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,105 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
453 453 11 422.50 $422.50 $1,914 +63.15
520 520 29 365.50 $365.50 $1,901 +18.50
627 627 62 341.00 $341.00 $2,138 —
764 764 53 316.50 $316.50 $2,418 +1.50
1080 1080 2 235.00 $235.00 $2,538 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 388 3 435.00 $435.00 $1,688 —
571 571 30 355.50 $355.50 $2,030 —
664 664 80 350.75 $350.75 $2,329 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
466 466 4 356.00 $356.00 $1,659 —
563 563 19 335.00 $335.00 $1,886 —
642–649 643 86 305.00–330.50 $328.10 $2,110 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
459 459 15 398.00 $398.00 $1,827 +53.00
515 515 11 306.00 $306.00 $1,576 —

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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.