Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 27, 2024

1,400 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 $274.58/cwt -3.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,327/hd at 483 lb · 168 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $301.20/cwt -12.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,552/hd at 515 lb · 54 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $269.02/cwt -16.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,151/hd at 428 lb · 50 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,400 1,285 827
Feeder cattle 1,288 1,112 707
Slaughter cattle 96 143 71
Replacement cattle 16 30 49

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers measuring 3.00 lower overall, with feeder heifers weighing up to 550 lbs. 5.00 lower and those weighing over 550 lbs. 4.00 higher. Feeder bulls unevenly steady overall with exception of those weighing up to 400 lbs. sharply lower. Slaughter cows and bulls steady to 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
295 295 2 345.00–350.00 $347.50 $1,025 —
305–330 319 11 330.00–355.00 $338.81 $1,081 +1.00
350 value added 350 2 355.00 $355.00 $1,242 -3.83
350–395 375 8 310.00–335.00 $322.59 $1,210 -5.93
413–418 value added 416 6 325.00–327.50 $326.26 $1,357 -5.32
410–430 420 2 279.00–285.00 $282.07 $1,185 -32.03
402–447 429 38 290.00–314.00 $307.12 $1,318 -6.98
450–480 470 8 292.50–310.00 $299.67 $1,408 -12.86
470–475 473 2 277.50–285.00 $281.27 $1,330 -31.26
473–496 value added 478 16 317.50–325.00 $323.23 $1,545 -1.56
500–540 515 24 282.50–307.50 $296.01 $1,524 -11.23
500–535 value added 515 25 310.00–315.00 $312.53 $1,610 -9.36
510–535 518 5 262.50–275.00 $269.44 $1,396 -37.80
551–557 value added 555 15 290.00–308.00 $295.32 $1,639 -9.48
555–587 577 6 267.50–280.00 $274.51 $1,584 -3.46
595 595 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,488 -15.00
600–640 617 11 257.50–279.00 $264.00 $1,629 +9.35
613–637 value added 620 35 283.00–294.00 $291.58 $1,808 +1.58
650 value added 650 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,722 -17.50
670 670 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,574 -20.75
672–675 673 3 255.00–260.00 $256.67 $1,727 +0.92
720 value added 720 6 245.00 $245.00 $1,764 -12.43
705–745 728 19 225.00–240.00 $231.44 $1,685 -6.56
750 750 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,669 —
753–775 value added 767 11 234.00–250.00 $236.90 $1,817 +1.90
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 value added 323 3 315.00 $315.00 $1,017 —
381 381 3 297.50 $297.50 $1,133 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
258–290 275 10 280.00–300.00 $296.72 $816 —
315–317 316 3 260.00–270.00 $266.68 $843 -36.40
310–340 331 14 277.50–305.00 $293.00 $970 -10.08
350–395 377 24 280.00–302.50 $291.52 $1,099 -3.44
375–385 380 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,026 -24.96
400–448 426 43 260.00–285.00 $272.88 $1,162 -10.47
420–447 438 7 240.00–250.00 $245.34 $1,075 -38.01
450–497 475 26 257.50–275.00 $263.57 $1,252 -7.75
455–495 485 11 240.00–252.50 $247.18 $1,199 -24.14
464–492 value added 485 131 277.50–281.50 $279.06 $1,353 -15.37
509–535 value added 515 17 267.50–274.00 $272.54 $1,404 +7.97
505–545 517 27 237.50–258.00 $246.17 $1,273 -4.70
535–537 536 3 230.00–235.00 $233.34 $1,251 -17.53
554–585 562 14 237.50–250.00 $240.40 $1,351 +2.39
550–585 value added 563 9 260.00–268.00 $265.28 $1,494 +14.00
555–590 581 4 217.50–225.00 $220.67 $1,282 -17.34
603 value added 603 16 248.00–253.50 $252.13 $1,520 +15.94
600–638 620 16 224.00–240.00 $232.30 $1,440 +11.48
630 630 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,323 -10.82
663–668 value added 666 6 228.00–229.00 $228.50 $1,522 —
655–680 670 3 195.00–200.00 $196.68 $1,318 -20.72
687–695 689 8 215.00 $215.00 $1,481 -2.40
686–693 690 6 190.00–199.00 $194.48 $1,342 -22.92
710 value added 710 6 213.00–215.00 $214.00 $1,519 +4.00
705–740 726 5 193.00–209.00 $202.79 $1,472 +9.03
777–787 value added 784 7 207.00–211.00 $208.13 $1,632 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–240 228 3 325.00–340.00 $333.43 $760 —
285–295 290 14 300.00–327.50 $321.63 $933 —
315–347 334 7 290.00–305.00 $296.94 $992 -34.73
350–390 368 15 280.00–325.00 $297.17 $1,094 -24.10
402 fancy 402 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,246 —
400–425 413 2 270.00–275.00 $272.58 $1,126 -27.60
400–447 421 19 280.00–305.00 $293.48 $1,236 -6.70
455–457 fancy 456 3 310.00–315.00 $313.34 $1,429 —
450–490 469 34 275.00–305.00 $290.59 $1,363 -4.73
471 value added 471 3 312.50 $312.50 $1,472 +0.98
490 490 2 260.00–267.50 $263.75 $1,292 -31.57
502–538 512 17 265.00–295.00 $284.15 $1,455 +30.99
505–545 530 5 255.00–260.00 $257.48 $1,365 +4.32
555–595 574 4 244.00–247.50 $245.99 $1,412 -18.89
550–585 577 32 252.50–270.00 $259.61 $1,498 -5.27
600–635 622 7 232.50–245.00 $239.63 $1,490 +1.97
665–683 677 5 234.00–240.00 $235.97 $1,598 -6.53
725 725 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,522 +2.95
780 780 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,599 +11.80

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1385 1198 80-85% 19 106.00–114.00 $110.05 $1,318 -1.09
1280–1350 1315 80-85% 2 123.00–124.00 $123.51 $1,624 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1240 1099 85-90% 15 93.00–110.00 $99.63 $1,095 -12.90
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1410 1299 75-80% 8 107.50–115.00 $112.05 $1,456 —
1380–1655 1509 75-80% 4 125.00–129.00 $127.46 $1,923 +16.73

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1895 1611 8 127.00–133.00 $129.30 $2,083 —
1185–1945 1739 5 139.00–149.00 $143.55 $2,496 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
825 825 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 920.00 $920.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1090–1210 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,725.00–1,900.00 $1,807.93
1345 1345 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,660.00 $1,660.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
965 965 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00
1050 1050 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
695 695 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920 920 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
835 835 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —

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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.