Cattle Market Pulse

East Tennessee Livestock Center Market Report

Sweetwater, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Wednesdays

Sale of Wednesday, September 2, 2026

163 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (243)

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $319.00/cwt ≈ $2,743/hd at 860 lb · 61 head
Sweetwater, TN 8-weight steers sold at $319/cwt, running $5/cwt above the TN average ($314) and $1/cwt under Dickson, TN ($320). TN 8-weight steers are down $29 from their mid-July peak of $342. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 163 179 231
Feeder cattle 103 116 144
Slaughter cattle 54 58 72
Replacement cattle 6 5 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

**No market trends available due to reporter absence last week.

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
403–448 431 8 370.00–375.00 $371.75 $1,602 -38.25
705 705 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,186 -27.51
860 value added 860 61 319.00 $319.00 $2,743 —
980 value added 980 1 276.00 $276.00 $2,705 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 373.00 $373.00 $1,268 —
730 730 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,190 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,625 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
408 408 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,428 -21.10
470–475 value added 474 4 335.00–340.00 $336.24 $1,594 -23.76
510 510 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,581 -37.41
597 597 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,791 -51.23
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,508 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,244 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–420 413 3 360.00–370.00 $366.73 $1,515 -43.27
735 735 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,984 -22.46
788 788 3 270.00 $270.00 $2,128 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030 1030 80-85% 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,483 —
895–1465 1177 80-85% 9 153.50–166.00 $160.15 $1,885 -2.89
1190–1310 1250 80-85% 2 171.00–174.00 $172.43 $2,155 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1210 1051 85-90% 5 142.00–160.00 $148.90 $1,565 -7.96
1050–1170 1110 85-90% 3 130.00–137.50 $134.21 $1,490 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140 1140 75-80% 1 179.00 $179.00 $2,041 —
1315 1315 75-80% 1 164.00 $164.00 $2,157 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075 1075 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,258 —
1505–2045 1759 5 190.00–200.00 $196.35 $3,454 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00
— — Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,375.00 $2,375.00
— — Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,375.00 $2,375.00

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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 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —

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Price trend

high 356.00 low 313.00 Sep 2025 Sep 2026

850–899 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Aug 19, 2026)

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