Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 21, 2023

716 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $196.52/cwt +17.54 vs last sale · ≈ $823/hd at 419 lb · 24 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $202.91/cwt -2.23 vs last sale · ≈ $978/hd at 482 lb · 23 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $204.43/cwt +17.97 vs last sale · ≈ $767/hd at 375 lb · 23 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 716 1,009 1,011
Feeder cattle 572 857 834
Slaughter cattle 120 132 125
Replacement cattle 24 20 52

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers weighing up to 500 lbs. 4.00 higher, with those weighing over 500 lbs. sharply higher. Feeder heifers 6.00 to 7.00 higher with feeder bulls mostly steady overall. Slaughter cows and bulls 1.00 to 4.00 higher overall.

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
335 335 2 215.00 $215.00 $720 -6.15
360–395 379 7 221.50–234.00 $227.58 $863 +2.09
405–445 423 4 220.00–230.00 $222.66 $942 +7.98
450–495 470 6 210.00–224.00 $219.70 $1,033 +2.89
510–530 520 6 202.00–217.00 $208.93 $1,086 +13.16
527–535 fancy 530 3 223.00–225.00 $223.67 $1,185 +7.47
555–580 569 6 187.00–205.00 $195.35 $1,112 +8.98
610–615 611 4 183.00–198.00 $190.98 $1,167 +13.70
607–635 value added 623 6 200.00–206.00 $202.85 $1,264 +5.97
650–670 value added 657 6 197.00–207.00 $200.13 $1,315 +14.50
650–691 682 8 184.00–192.00 $186.42 $1,271 +9.47
741–745 742 4 175.00–176.00 $175.75 $1,304 +1.66
751–795 value added 773 10 169.00–179.00 $172.22 $1,331 +5.22
770–785 778 2 157.00–159.00 $158.01 $1,229 —
835 value added 835 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,336 —
850 value added 850 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,360 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472–480 475 3 171.00–203.00 $192.21 $913 —
590 590 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,032 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 200.00 $200.00 $430 —
270 270 1 190.00 $190.00 $513 +1.14
278 fancy 278 4 217.00 $217.00 $603 —
305–340 321 7 187.50–207.50 $201.45 $647 +15.69
335 fancy 335 1 217.50 $217.50 $729 —
355–385 fancy 361 7 212.50–219.00 $216.88 $783 +14.88
350–390 377 11 184.00–203.00 $195.34 $736 +10.08
390 value added 390 5 207.00 $207.00 $807 —
400–448 418 22 183.00–202.50 $194.16 $812 +19.29
430 fancy 430 2 222.50 $222.50 $957 —
460–485 value added 473 5 185.00–196.00 $188.55 $892 +3.86
450–495 480 15 167.50–180.00 $172.88 $830 +4.94
470–490 fancy 482 3 194.00 $194.00 $935 —
510–547 534 20 159.00–176.00 $167.60 $895 +8.25
550–580 value added 558 5 169.00–174.00 $170.19 $950 —
550–577 567 15 155.00–167.50 $160.91 $912 +0.89
605–640 625 10 149.00–160.00 $153.86 $962 +6.15
665 value added 665 3 155.00 $155.00 $1,031 —
650–695 673 8 139.00–152.50 $146.04 $983 -5.96
731 value added 731 5 153.00 $153.00 $1,118 —
758–785 value added 763 6 140.50–144.00 $141.10 $1,077 —
845 value added 845 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,200 +3.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–312 value added 310 3 225.00–230.00 $228.36 $708 —
315–340 321 5 197.50–208.00 $201.22 $646 -12.95
370 fancy 370 2 227.50 $227.50 $842 —
371 value added 371 10 230.00 $230.00 $853 —
350–395 384 7 197.00–215.00 $209.85 $806 -4.40
405–415 fancy 412 3 227.50–230.00 $228.32 $941 —
400–440 427 19 197.50–222.00 $207.72 $887 +1.39
457–485 fancy 470 4 217.50–228.00 $220.83 $1,038 —
450–497 483 11 184.00–202.50 $191.97 $927 -13.17
486 value added 486 8 209.00 $209.00 $1,016 —
500 value added 500 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,085 —
500–515 fancy 508 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,041 —
500–545 520 8 180.00–197.50 $191.74 $997 -2.86
565 fancy 565 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,181 —
565–595 587 14 180.00–197.00 $189.75 $1,114 +5.32
600–640 610 16 176.00–190.00 $182.47 $1,113 +1.61
655–686 668 14 165.00–180.00 $173.85 $1,161 +5.37
680 fancy 680 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,258 —
720–740 729 4 150.00–159.00 $154.76 $1,128 -2.99
765 765 2 155.00 $155.00 $1,186 +12.58
807 807 2 144.50 $144.50 $1,166 +20.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–420 418 2 191.00–192.50 $191.75 $802 —
495 495 1 162.50 $162.50 $804 -10.92
530 530 1 150.00 $150.00 $795 -17.00
570–595 588 7 168.00–171.00 $168.83 $993 -1.69
600–645 627 3 160.00–167.50 $163.53 $1,025 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1815 1464 75-80% 19 83.00–94.50 $89.36 $1,308 -8.22
1380–1740 1560 75-80% 2 98.00–107.50 $102.20 $1,594 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1460 1179 80-85% 12 83.00–92.50 $86.51 $1,020 +4.39
1210 1210 80-85% 1 78.00 $78.00 $944 —
1130–1290 1223 80-85% 3 95.50–100.50 $98.03 $1,199 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1225 1015 85-90% 9 70.50–80.50 $75.06 $762 +0.56
1045–1170 1106 85-90% 4 82.00–87.50 $84.49 $934 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1440 1373 2 97.00–98.00 $97.52 $1,339 —
1320–2190 1736 12 107.00–118.00 $111.88 $1,942 —
1565–2155 1934 6 123.00–133.00 $125.81 $2,433 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
935–1015 975 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,175.00–1,275.00 $1,222.95
1060 1060 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00
1105 1105 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1110 1110 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00
1165 1165 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00
1180 1180 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
775 775 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00

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Bred Heifers

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
770 770 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
785 785 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 780.00 $780.00

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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.