Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 20, 2024

1,285 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $302.50/cwt +21.82 vs last sale · ≈ $1,734/hd at 573 lb · 99 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $255.04/cwt +22.58 vs last sale · ≈ $1,826/hd at 716 lb · 65 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $277.66/cwt +26.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,309/hd at 471 lb · 62 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,285 681 716
Feeder cattle 1,112 632 572
Slaughter cattle 143 35 120
Replacement cattle 30 14 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, all classes of feeder cattle sharply higher with exception of bulls weighing 400 to 550 lbs. 4.00 higher. Heavy receipts and premium prices for preconditioned cattle was noted. Slaughter cows gauging 4.00 to 7.00 higher with slaughter bulls 2.00 to 4.00 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
305–340 323 5 330.00–360.00 $337.81 $1,091 +12.59
350–365 value added 358 6 355.00–362.50 $358.83 $1,285 —
355–395 374 11 320.00–335.00 $328.52 $1,229 +3.20
400–435 value added 413 5 330.00–337.50 $331.58 $1,369 —
415–435 423 3 310.00–317.50 $314.10 $1,329 +28.58
450–490 465 5 307.50–315.00 $312.53 $1,453 +50.03
460–497 value added 486 15 319.00–330.00 $324.79 $1,578 +12.83
500–535 509 9 290.00–315.00 $307.24 $1,564 +13.81
502–537 value added 517 17 317.50–327.00 $321.89 $1,664 +20.60
530–535 533 2 262.50–270.00 $266.27 $1,419 -27.16
555–595 value added 573 91 298.00–306.00 $304.80 $1,747 +20.65
560–595 574 7 267.50–290.00 $277.97 $1,596 +11.47
590 590 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,564 -1.50
600–649 622 21 250.00–269.00 $254.65 $1,584 +0.79
627 value added 627 2 290.00 $290.00 $1,818 +18.20
660 value added 660 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,864 —
655–695 669 18 252.50–265.00 $255.75 $1,711 +35.88
690–692 691 3 225.00–231.00 $229.00 $1,582 +9.13
712–727 value added 713 57 250.00–258.00 $257.43 $1,835 +24.97
736 736 8 238.00 $238.00 $1,752 —
775 value added 775 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,821 —
805 805 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,731 —
815 value added 815 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,801 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,279 —
542 542 2 264.00 $264.00 $1,431 —
575 575 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,524 —
600–625 615 6 240.00–248.00 $243.85 $1,500 —
670 670 2 247.00 $247.00 $1,655 +18.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 fancy 320 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,032 —
305–335 322 19 280.00–312.50 $303.08 $976 +43.08
362–395 value added 374 18 310.00–324.00 $319.01 $1,193 +30.62
360–395 381 27 280.00–305.00 $294.96 $1,124 +29.57
405–448 423 16 275.00–290.00 $283.35 $1,199 +27.80
430–435 value added 433 2 300.00–301.00 $300.50 $1,301 +26.36
460–478 value added 467 17 291.00–298.00 $294.43 $1,375 +27.43
450–495 473 45 255.00–287.50 $271.32 $1,283 +25.04
500–510 value added 506 18 262.50–270.00 $264.57 $1,339 +11.88
500–545 524 43 240.00–260.00 $250.87 $1,315 +33.37
557–582 value added 568 7 250.00–253.00 $251.28 $1,427 +16.66
550–595 576 20 230.00–242.50 $238.01 $1,371 +16.73
600–623 value added 610 12 232.50–241.00 $236.19 $1,441 +14.25
605–635 622 10 215.00–230.00 $220.82 $1,374 +5.50
656–657 656 5 217.00–218.00 $217.40 $1,426 +24.90
730 value added 730 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,533 -1.00
735–740 738 2 190.00–197.50 $193.76 $1,430 —
754–775 758 7 180.00–196.00 $192.10 $1,456 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440–445 443 2 242.50–260.00 $251.30 $1,113 —
525–530 528 2 225.00–238.00 $231.47 $1,222 —
550–590 574 4 217.50–227.50 $224.30 $1,287 —
635 635 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,270 —
655 655 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,376 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–335 323 7 317.50–345.00 $331.67 $1,071 +29.17
355–395 374 11 310.00–337.50 $321.27 $1,202 +19.41
400–448 value added 415 18 320.00–332.50 $329.85 $1,369 —
405–445 426 19 290.00–305.00 $300.18 $1,279 +8.41
455–485 value added 468 5 310.00–315.00 $311.52 $1,458 —
450–495 477 19 280.00–305.00 $295.32 $1,409 -0.91
500–545 527 3 250.00–260.00 $253.16 $1,334 +9.49
510–545 527 10 267.50–282.50 $275.80 $1,453 +32.13
527–542 value added 535 4 287.50 $287.50 $1,538 —
551–597 value added 567 10 282.50–287.50 $285.23 $1,617 —
550–590 572 10 250.00–272.50 $264.88 $1,515 +27.88
555–595 584 5 225.00–245.00 $239.71 $1,400 +2.71
610 610 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,372 -12.97
600–637 value added 622 4 250.00–257.00 $254.79 $1,585 —
610–645 634 13 232.50–242.50 $237.66 $1,507 -0.31
660 660 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,600 +29.24
702–705 value added 704 4 214.00–218.00 $216.00 $1,521 —
710–745 728 3 205.00–211.00 $207.05 $1,507 +3.78
775–795 785 2 189.00–197.50 $193.20 $1,517 —
842 842 4 177.50 $177.50 $1,495 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1575 1166 80-85% 29 103.00–117.00 $111.14 $1,296 +6.89
1190–1330 1260 80-85% 2 90.00–94.00 $91.89 $1,158 —
1100–1605 1274 80-85% 8 118.00–136.00 $124.31 $1,584 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1410 1408 75-80% 2 96.00–101.00 $98.50 $1,387 -6.87
1360–1600 1481 75-80% 4 119.00–120.00 $119.75 $1,773 —
1175–1905 1507 75-80% 23 105.50–117.00 $110.73 $1,669 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1095 995 85-90% 5 84.00–92.00 $88.69 $882 —
905–1330 1067 85-90% 15 94.00–109.00 $102.82 $1,097 —
1000–1145 1073 85-90% 2 112.00–113.00 $112.53 $1,207 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205 1205 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,446 —
1185–2280 1694 8 123.00–133.00 $128.81 $2,182 —
1615–1995 1805 2 137.00 $137.00 $2,473 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1045 1045 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1310–1330 1320 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,330.00–1,625.00 $1,478.62

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800–1005 900 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,075.00–1,425.00 $1,215.56
840–980 900 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 975.00–1,600.00 $1,363.44
1005 1005 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
680 680 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00

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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 2,025.00 $2,025.00 —

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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.