Cattle Market Pulse

Athens Regional Stockyard Market Report

Athens, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 17, 2026

671 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $482.58/cwt +1.91 vs last sale · ≈ $2,036/hd at 422 lb · 29 head
heavy 2-weight M&L 1-2 steers $633.47/cwt +34.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,782/hd at 281 lb · 20 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $461.61/cwt +13.79 vs last sale · ≈ $2,183/hd at 473 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 671 1,169 1,501
Feeder cattle 441 817 1,096
Slaughter cattle 110 156 174
Replacement cattle 120 196 231

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week. All classes of Feeder Cattle 5.00 to 15.00 higher. Slaughter Cows steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter Bulls mostly steady. Quality and demand good, on a lighter test of market.

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
250 thin fleshed 250 1 680.00 $680.00 $1,700 —
250–295 283 19 610.00–640.00 $631.02 $1,786 +32.47
320 thin fleshed 320 1 650.00 $650.00 $2,080 —
305–340 325 4 585.00–620.00 $604.10 $1,963 +29.63
350–380 360 3 540.00–575.00 $561.06 $2,020 +6.35
370 fancy 370 1 610.00 $610.00 $2,257 —
405–440 423 10 535.00–585.00 $569.73 $2,410 +35.84
470–485 477 3 500.00–535.00 $516.80 $2,465 +17.78
505–540 523 13 480.00–515.00 $503.05 $2,631 +28.24
548 548 6 430.00 $430.00 $2,356 -10.00
555 thin fleshed 555 1 490.00 $490.00 $2,720 +5.00
555–565 560 2 425.00–430.00 $427.48 $2,394 +47.48
560–570 564 4 440.00–480.00 $450.11 $2,539 +70.11
585 585 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,428 -19.69
600–615 thin fleshed 608 2 450.00–455.00 $452.47 $2,751 —
600–640 620 2 405.00–415.00 $409.84 $2,541 +40.73
675–685 677 7 367.00–385.00 $371.45 $2,515 -0.82
710–715 713 2 360.00–365.00 $362.51 $2,585 +12.51
830 830 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,905 —
925 925 1 342.00 $342.00 $3,164 +52.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 590.00 $590.00 $1,446 —
250–295 273 7 580.00–600.00 $590.24 $1,611 +140.54
300–340 316 13 440.00–570.00 $517.76 $1,636 +71.92
350–370 360 2 460.00–490.00 $474.58 $1,708 +5.25
400–405 403 2 445.00–515.00 $480.22 $1,935 +31.45
485 485 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,158 +23.12
515 515 3 425.00 $425.00 $2,189 +10.88
605 605 2 360.00 $360.00 $2,178 —
700 700 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,310 —
750 750 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,912 -80.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–280 271 9 590.00–620.00 $611.63 $1,658 +106.63
320 320 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,408 -69.41
325 thin fleshed 325 1 620.00 $620.00 $2,015 —
320–345 337 9 540.00–585.00 $569.53 $1,919 +60.12
350 thin fleshed 350 1 560.00 $560.00 $1,960 +20.00
350–390 365 10 510.00–535.00 $523.26 $1,910 +21.06
410 thin fleshed 410 1 540.00 $540.00 $2,214 ±0.00
400–438 419 19 460.00–525.00 $495.81 $2,077 +73.36
405–443 429 9 445.00–450.00 $448.28 $1,923 -37.36
455–495 471 13 462.00–505.00 $477.02 $2,247 +19.55
460–485 477 6 420.00–440.00 $428.23 $2,043 -29.24
505–540 thin fleshed 523 2 445.00–450.00 $447.58 $2,341 —
523–540 532 6 410.00–425.00 $418.39 $2,226 -12.22
555–575 563 7 375.00–415.00 $394.94 $2,224 +39.94
575 thin fleshed 575 1 425.00 $425.00 $2,444 —
580–590 585 2 350.00–360.00 $355.04 $2,077 -30.41
615 615 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,091 -33.80
610–640 620 4 350.00–390.00 $372.30 $2,308 -1.50
650 650 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,470 +32.03
710–745 730 3 320.00–335.00 $326.72 $2,385 -27.58
765–780 773 2 320.00–325.00 $322.48 $2,493 +20.10
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–295 285 2 445.00–570.00 $505.31 $1,440 +128.74
330–340 335 2 380.00–425.00 $402.84 $1,350 -44.29
385 385 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,925 +94.97
400–430 420 3 400.00–435.00 $419.64 $1,762 +33.27
465–485 478 4 390.00–410.00 $402.62 $1,925 +64.52
500–545 518 4 390.00–400.00 $397.58 $2,059 +46.12
560–585 573 2 320.00–335.00 $327.66 $1,877 +9.55

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–397 387 6 550.00–610.00 $578.81 $2,240 +45.17
400–435 416 16 530.00–570.00 $548.68 $2,283 +24.50
455–495 476 9 480.00–525.00 $505.16 $2,405 +7.49
510–515 fancy 513 2 510.00–530.00 $519.95 $2,667 -5.05
505–540 518 13 465.00–500.00 $483.18 $2,503 +11.25
580 fancy 580 1 460.00 $460.00 $2,668 -25.00
555–598 589 5 360.00–425.00 $399.61 $2,354 +9.54
600–640 614 5 355.00–365.00 $358.97 $2,204 -11.94
600–620 fancy 615 4 390.00–395.00 $391.22 $2,406 —
660–680 670 2 355.00–365.00 $360.07 $2,412 +9.16
780 780 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,652 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–395 387 3 425.00–520.00 $467.22 $1,808 +9.98
420–425 423 3 425.00–515.00 $479.92 $2,030 +31.70
460–495 478 3 300.00–445.00 $370.63 $1,772 -6.05
510–540 522 6 340.00–450.00 $426.98 $2,229 +30.64
590 590 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,947 -25.22
653–670 657 4 325.00–335.00 $332.45 $2,184 +9.89
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,950 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1355 1257 80-85% 3 174.00–176.00 $175.28 $2,203 —
1160–1650 1346 80-85% 4 130.00–149.00 $140.10 $1,886 -38.14
945–1890 1362 80-85% 43 151.00–171.00 $162.25 $2,210 +19.65
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 85-90% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,288 +5.09
950–1440 1151 85-90% 9 125.00–137.00 $130.41 $1,501 —
1000–1480 1189 85-90% 7 153.00–164.00 $156.43 $1,860 +11.12
1025–1550 1245 85-90% 13 140.00–148.00 $143.25 $1,783 +10.74
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1605 1459 75-80% 4 155.00–162.00 $157.05 $2,291 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1665–2190 1870 6 190.00–200.00 $195.48 $3,655 +2.37
1820–2110 1930 3 204.00–211.00 $208.39 $4,022 -1.62
2425 2425 1 177.00 $177.00 $4,292 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1010–1060 1035 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,600.00 $2,600.00
1190 1190 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00
1145–1525 1398 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,400.00–3,450.00 $3,163.41
1505 1505 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,550.00 $3,550.00
1645 1645 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,350.00 $3,350.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00
995–1060 1028 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,250.00–2,500.00 $2,371.05

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1050 1050 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 4,150.00 $4,150.00 —

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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.