Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 28, 2021

1,071 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Knoxville Livestock Center report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $130.30/cwt -5.20 vs last sale · ≈ $617/hd at 473 lb · 45 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $144.44/cwt -13.28 vs last sale · ≈ $758/hd at 525 lb · 36 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $140.70/cwt -4.71 vs last sale · ≈ $799/hd at 568 lb · 31 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,071 726 0
Feeder cattle 839 618 0
Slaughter cattle 131 62 0
Replacement cattle 101 46 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder classes gauging 5.00 to 6.00 lower overall, with weaker demand noted. Slaughter cows measuring 2.00 to 4.00 lower with slaughter bulls 2.00 higher.

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
270–295 283 2 177.50–180.00 $178.69 $506 —
305–340 321 6 155.00–165.00 $161.57 $519 -8.43
380–395 388 2 160.00–175.00 $167.35 $649 -10.65
410–440 426 13 152.50–157.50 $154.35 $658 -5.76
455–492 471 10 142.50–150.00 $145.55 $686 -16.71
505–545 525 36 140.00–147.00 $144.44 $758 -13.28
550–594 568 31 135.00–145.50 $140.70 $799 -4.71
600–642 614 8 132.00–139.00 $137.24 $843 -3.25
652–695 679 8 130.00–132.50 $131.36 $892 -7.37
705–745 709 14 130.00–137.00 $131.93 $935 -8.71
765 765 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,033 +5.00
855 value added 855 7 131.00 $131.00 $1,120 —
855 855 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,069 —
900–915 908 2 123.00–124.00 $123.50 $1,121 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
461 461 4 138.00 $138.00 $636 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 144.00 $144.00 $547 —
410–440 425 2 145.00 $145.00 $616 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 322 11 128.00–139.00 $134.03 $432 —
370–385 fancy 378 2 140.00–142.50 $141.23 $534 —
355–395 380 13 128.00–137.00 $131.39 $499 -7.98
405–415 fancy 410 2 140.00–142.50 $141.27 $579 —
400–445 431 23 127.00–133.00 $129.74 $559 -6.89
450–495 471 40 125.00–134.00 $129.40 $609 -3.77
492 value added 492 5 137.50 $137.50 $676 -8.00
500–535 512 21 125.00–132.50 $127.23 $651 -4.95
551–580 562 23 120.00–128.50 $124.50 $700 -4.58
575 575 1 115.00 $115.00 $661 -14.08
600–647 626 17 110.00–120.00 $116.20 $727 -7.05
645 645 1 103.00 $103.00 $664 -20.25
660–682 676 10 110.00–119.00 $114.58 $775 -3.47
725 725 2 110.00 $110.00 $798 -2.81
760–787 778 3 107.00–110.00 $109.02 $848 +0.51
835–845 840 3 101.00–107.50 $104.16 $875 -5.15

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–265 258 2 166.00–177.50 $171.58 $443 —
310–340 323 3 170.00–172.50 $170.88 $552 -4.12
350–395 378 13 150.00–163.00 $155.64 $588 -9.56
405 fancy 405 1 155.00 $155.00 $628 —
400–440 429 13 140.00–150.00 $147.16 $631 -4.11
450 fancy 450 2 150.00–152.50 $151.25 $681 -6.25
456–495 473 22 136.00–147.50 $140.80 $666 -9.34
500–547 528 19 130.00–140.00 $134.79 $712 -5.60
560–590 576 5 126.00–132.00 $128.37 $739 -9.47
600–645 618 4 120.00–129.00 $122.26 $756 -8.46
650–652 652 5 120.00–134.00 $131.21 $855 +8.22
720–742 732 6 108.00–110.00 $109.00 $798 -2.57
865–867 866 3 105.00–112.50 $110.00 $953 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1395 1171 80-85% 25 60.00–69.00 $64.55 $756 —
1330–1475 1403 80-85% 2 71.50–74.00 $72.69 $1,020 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1250 1064 85-90% 19 54.50–62.50 $58.72 $625 —
1230 1230 85-90% 1 70.50 $70.50 $867 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1665 1328 75-80% 19 61.00–67.00 $63.79 $847 -13.71

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1830 1612 6 87.50–98.00 $93.91 $1,514 —
1985 1985 1 103.00 $103.00 $2,045 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 630.00 $630.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
955 955 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 810.00 $810.00
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00
910–1200 1087 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 750.00–900.00 $831.67
955–1295 1110 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 780.00–1,100.00 $977.12
990–1355 1142 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 650.00–810.00 $722.48
1135–1240 1188 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 760.00–790.00 $775.66

↑ Back to top

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) 1 760.00 $760.00
1095 1095 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 910.00 $910.00
1075–1150 1103 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 825.00–925.00 $890.26

↑ Back to top

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 1,240.00 $1,240.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 930.00 $930.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.