Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 18, 2023

1,236 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $274.77/cwt +14.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,226/hd at 446 lb · 122 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $216.16/cwt +12.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,027/hd at 475 lb · 56 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $209.11/cwt +14.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,098/hd at 525 lb · 42 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,236 940 904
Feeder cattle 1,046 763 706
Slaughter cattle 143 147 167
Replacement cattle 47 30 31

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers mostly steady overall, with feeder heifers weighing up to 550 lbs. sharply higher and those weighing over 550 lbs. 6.00 higher, and feeder bulls 2.00 higher. Slaughter cows gauging 1.00 higher overall with slaughter bulls 5.00 lower. Today's offerings included the following load lot: 1 load ML 1-2 Steers, 449 lbs, 279.00, medium flesh, various colors.

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
275 275 1 274.00 $274.00 $754 —
330 value added 330 1 277.50 $277.50 $916 —
330 330 1 252.50 $252.50 $833 —
355–385 368 9 247.50–262.50 $254.74 $937 +0.88
365–390 value added 384 4 272.50–273.00 $272.88 $1,048 —
400–445 419 12 225.00–247.50 $235.96 $989 -24.72
449 value added 449 110 279.00 $279.00 $1,253 —
450–492 472 14 240.00–261.00 $248.17 $1,171 -2.72
467–491 value added 483 9 269.00–280.00 $275.87 $1,332 +10.87
495 495 3 215.00 $215.00 $1,064 -35.89
510–525 521 4 197.50–210.00 $204.41 $1,065 -27.74
515–538 522 18 230.00–241.00 $236.63 $1,235 +4.48
521–527 value added 523 9 254.00–270.00 $264.12 $1,381 +4.21
552–570 value added 562 13 260.00–268.00 $262.98 $1,478 +4.24
555–582 567 5 200.00–210.00 $202.99 $1,151 -27.19
550–592 574 21 222.50–250.00 $233.91 $1,343 +3.73
612 value added 612 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,506 -2.00
602–645 618 7 225.00–240.00 $232.59 $1,437 -2.58
660 value added 660 2 226.00 $226.00 $1,492 +2.37
654–695 661 7 208.50–222.50 $212.23 $1,403 +4.73
700 700 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,505 +32.50
710–725 718 2 180.00–181.00 $180.49 $1,296 -2.01
810 810 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,442 +6.98
855–860 857 3 177.50 $177.50 $1,521 —
950 950 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,577 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
457–490 474 4 205.00–210.00 $207.59 $984 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
497 497 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,093 —
650 650 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,235 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–297 286 12 225.00–240.00 $228.28 $653 —
315–335 326 4 207.50–210.00 $209.40 $683 -1.85
300–340 328 11 220.00–240.00 $230.57 $756 +19.32
342 fancy 342 6 246.00 $246.00 $841 —
350–395 378 23 215.00–237.50 $226.43 $856 +13.25
400–445 421 25 210.00–227.50 $218.15 $918 +10.14
405–440 fancy 423 2 234.00–235.00 $234.52 $992 —
436 436 3 200.00 $200.00 $872 -8.01
450–456 value added 455 6 228.00–230.00 $229.67 $1,045 +19.67
450–497 476 44 210.00–222.50 $215.96 $1,028 +15.19
485–495 488 3 195.00–207.50 $203.28 $992 +2.51
491 491 3 205.00 $205.00 $1,007 +4.23
515 515 1 180.00 $180.00 $927 -12.51
500–547 518 25 197.00–212.50 $206.26 $1,068 +13.75
531–540 value added 537 16 215.00–216.00 $215.37 $1,157 +10.37
550–595 576 16 190.00–207.50 $197.09 $1,135 +6.51
600–640 615 17 175.00–187.50 $181.87 $1,119 +0.27
605–637 value added 617 7 194.00–202.50 $195.19 $1,204 —
657 value added 657 4 184.00 $184.00 $1,209 -0.58
670–690 680 2 170.00–173.00 $171.52 $1,166 +10.52
700–735 715 5 163.00–167.50 $165.24 $1,181 +1.46
768 768 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,306 +16.23

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308 value added 308 3 274.00 $274.00 $844 —
300–330 fancy 315 2 275.00–287.50 $280.95 $885 +12.17
300–340 329 10 235.00–253.00 $241.49 $795 +6.02
350–395 376 31 235.00–259.00 $247.58 $931 +7.11
370–390 fancy 380 2 267.50–268.00 $267.74 $1,017 —
402 fancy 402 2 257.50 $257.50 $1,035 +2.50
405–445 425 16 230.00–252.50 $243.05 $1,033 +4.86
450–495 468 25 224.00–245.00 $235.62 $1,103 +20.62
465–485 fancy 475 2 250.00–257.50 $253.67 $1,205 +6.17
500–535 fancy 518 2 232.50–235.00 $233.79 $1,211 -1.83
517–545 526 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,105 -9.59
505–548 533 19 216.00–230.00 $222.01 $1,183 +2.42
555–590 575 17 212.50–227.50 $220.41 $1,267 -1.55
602–635 617 11 202.50–216.00 $209.14 $1,290 -4.10
660–695 683 7 179.00–202.50 $186.23 $1,272 -1.36
720–740 733 4 180.00–185.00 $181.75 $1,332 +5.30
750–775 764 4 167.50–175.00 $172.22 $1,316 -2.92
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 2 228.00 $228.00 $844 —
450–475 462 3 204.00–217.00 $210.38 $972 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1255 1144 80-85% 7 102.00–120.00 $107.41 $1,229 —
945–1480 1192 80-85% 28 87.50–99.00 $94.20 $1,123 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1240 1004 85-90% 15 79.00–91.50 $84.86 $852 -9.75
915–1155 1035 85-90% 2 73.50–77.00 $75.05 $777 -9.81
1025–1080 1053 85-90% 2 93.00–94.00 $93.51 $985 +20.04
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365 1365 75-80% 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,406 +9.23
1210–1675 1441 75-80% 16 89.00–99.00 $94.97 $1,369 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170 1170 1 114.50 $114.50 $1,340 —
1400–1855 1628 2 128.00–130.00 $128.86 $2,098 —
1415–1890 1633 17 113.00–125.00 $119.82 $1,957 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
735–915 835 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 825.00–850.00 $840.87

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815–930 873 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 900.00–975.00 $935.03
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1050–1225 1115 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,010.00–1,180.00 $1,085.05
1025–1180 1118 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 830.00–1,130.00 $952.65
1040–1225 1160 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 980.00–1,225.00 $1,069.06
1170 1170 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,130.00 $1,130.00
970–1465 1243 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,170.00–1,380.00 $1,279.92

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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 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00 —
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,570.00 $1,570.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00 —
— — Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,510.00 $1,510.00 —

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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.