Cattle Market Pulse

Athens Regional Stockyard Market Report

Athens, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 17, 2024

662 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Athens Regional Stockyard report →

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $264.89/cwt +12.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,364/hd at 515 lb · 38 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $298.16/cwt -5.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,258/hd at 422 lb · 17 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $282.06/cwt +1.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,317/hd at 467 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 662 735 0
Feeder cattle 524 735 0
Slaughter cattle 138 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week Feeder Steers/ Bulls 5.00 to 8.00 higher; Feeder Heifers 7.00 to 10.00 higher; Slaughter Cows/ Bulls Steady. Feeder Cattle quality good with strong demand. Slaughter Cattle quality fair with good demand.

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
220 220 1 430.00 $430.00 $946 +30.00
300–345 335 10 360.00–415.00 $378.21 $1,267 +6.25
350 350 2 340.00–410.00 $375.00 $1,312 —
400–435 425 6 325.00–335.00 $332.44 $1,413 +2.44
415–449 value added 432 8 340.00–350.00 $346.19 $1,496 +3.91
475–490 484 12 310.00–330.00 $313.79 $1,519 -3.22
505–545 531 12 295.00–315.00 $309.16 $1,642 -0.84
541 value added 541 4 320.00 $320.00 $1,731 +10.85
552–588 572 10 290.00–300.00 $297.56 $1,702 +10.34
600–638 623 6 265.00–275.00 $270.06 $1,682 -7.44
644 value added 644 4 279.00 $279.00 $1,797 -6.00
660 value added 660 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,782 —
650–695 673 2 260.00–265.00 $262.58 $1,767 +3.90
700–725 value added 713 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,854 —
740 740 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,739 -8.31
770 770 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,810 +0.13
810 810 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,822 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 330.00 $330.00 $759 -25.00
255–285 272 7 240.00–350.00 $287.86 $783 —
300–320 310 3 320.00–345.00 $333.23 $1,033 +28.23
355 355 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,100 -30.00
400–435 424 4 200.00–310.00 $258.94 $1,098 +23.94
453–490 469 12 260.00–315.00 $289.23 $1,356 —
510–533 526 5 250.00–280.00 $262.89 $1,383 —
565–595 583 6 235.00–285.00 $265.68 $1,549 -1.00
640 640 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,632 —
665 665 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,463 -21.11
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,504 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 345.00 $345.00 $862 -2.96
310–345 334 4 305.00–335.00 $315.84 $1,055 -5.78
350–395 377 9 300.00–330.00 $311.39 $1,174 -5.23
400–405 value added 403 3 310.00–315.00 $311.65 $1,256 +8.24
400–438 426 14 280.00–305.00 $295.27 $1,258 —
450–498 467 16 275.00–295.00 $282.06 $1,317 +3.89
500–503 value added 501 17 273.00–278.00 $274.18 $1,374 +1.40
525 525 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,155 -28.02
500–545 526 20 245.00–265.00 $259.23 $1,364 +11.21
555–577 568 5 245.00–260.00 $247.93 $1,408 +9.18
615 615 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,353 +20.00
600–631 624 10 230.00–245.00 $241.59 $1,508 +41.59
627 value added 627 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,568 —
675–695 686 5 225.00–235.00 $230.55 $1,582 +30.55
695 695 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,390 ±0.00
725–745 738 3 215.00–225.00 $220.05 $1,624 +2.04
760–785 773 5 215.00–220.00 $216.00 $1,670 —
793 793 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,586 —
815 815 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,752 —
965 965 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,930 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 315.00 $315.00 $803 -10.00
300–310 303 3 270.00–325.00 $293.08 $888 +13.08
352–395 369 8 235.00–290.00 $275.28 $1,016 -13.90
400–443 429 10 220.00–275.00 $262.82 $1,127 +15.41
455–495 478 8 220.00–265.00 $254.55 $1,217 +7.92
506–540 521 10 200.00–255.00 $243.60 $1,269 +16.15
550–585 565 10 200.00–245.00 $233.97 $1,322 +0.94
615–645 634 4 195.00–205.00 $199.98 $1,268 —
655–685 675 5 200.00–220.00 $212.03 $1,431 +15.84
780 780 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,326 —
865 865 3 185.00–190.00 $186.67 $1,615 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,139 —
580 580 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,073 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,190 +10.00
355–393 373 5 360.00 $360.00 $1,343 +20.00
410–447 430 9 315.00–335.00 $325.31 $1,399 +5.31
455–495 477 8 305.00–325.00 $310.42 $1,481 -3.84
510–523 520 6 280.00–310.00 $304.19 $1,582 -0.81
550–585 560 4 270.00–295.00 $284.97 $1,596 +17.51
585 585 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,550 -2.46
600–635 613 9 245.00–260.00 $253.11 $1,552 +4.93
685 685 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,678 -4.92
700–740 718 6 220.00–245.00 $235.12 $1,688 +8.85
765–775 770 2 220.00–230.00 $224.97 $1,732 —
815–835 821 5 205.00–225.00 $218.99 $1,798 —
895 895 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,880 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–330 323 2 260.00–295.00 $277.91 $898 —
388 388 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,106 +39.87
405 405 1 230.00 $230.00 $932 -55.00
450–485 467 9 260.00–300.00 $285.02 $1,331 +16.36
540–545 542 3 230.00–250.00 $238.32 $1,292 -0.21
550–590 577 8 225.00–275.00 $250.20 $1,444 +2.66
615–630 623 2 225.00–235.00 $230.06 $1,433 -5.29
650–695 665 4 200.00–235.00 $223.41 $1,486 —
700–745 723 2 180.00–195.00 $187.73 $1,357 —
900–940 929 4 170.00–185.00 $179.96 $1,672 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,400 —
630 630 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,386 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1545 1163 85-90% 19 98.00–110.00 $104.23 $1,212 —
810–1425 1174 85-90% 18 82.50–95.00 $89.13 $1,046 —
975–1555 1218 85-90% 4 113.00–117.00 $115.36 $1,405 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1545 1195 80-85% 22 112.00–121.00 $117.42 $1,403 —
1000–1655 1212 80-85% 10 100.00–110.00 $106.54 $1,291 —
1180–1305 1246 80-85% 7 126.00–135.00 $128.41 $1,600 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1470 1303 75-80% 3 104.00–110.00 $108.01 $1,407 —
1315–1790 1475 75-80% 10 114.00–120.00 $117.00 $1,726 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–2055 1548 9 125.00–141.00 $135.66 $2,100 —
1380–2015 1788 4 148.00–155.00 $152.85 $2,733 —

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Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,604 —

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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.