Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 28, 2024

724 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 $281.82/cwt +3.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,335/hd at 474 lb · 36 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $307.16/cwt +16.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,750/hd at 570 lb · 29 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $311.74/cwt -11.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,178/hd at 378 lb · 27 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 724 789 742
Feeder cattle 609 611 539
Slaughter cattle 98 148 180
Replacement cattle 17 30 23

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers unevenly steady overall, with feeder heifers 2.00 higher, and feeder bulls sharply higher. Slaughter cows and bulls gauging 1.00 to 5.00 higher, with exception of boning cows 10.00 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
325 325 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,202 +12.76
360–395 384 6 335.00–375.00 $341.25 $1,310 +1.77
410–445 433 4 320.00–337.50 $324.45 $1,405 -4.55
450–482 474 11 320.00–335.00 $322.73 $1,530 +7.73
531 value added 531 3 331.00 $331.00 $1,758 +13.50
500–549 538 16 310.00–322.50 $319.20 $1,717 +13.11
557–568 value added 562 7 312.00–320.00 $315.97 $1,776 —
551–596 572 22 293.00–309.00 $304.36 $1,741 +13.55
605–623 617 9 277.50–290.00 $284.60 $1,756 -13.93
625 value added 625 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,906 —
660–680 672 9 265.00–275.00 $271.00 $1,821 -14.01
712–732 722 8 257.00–271.00 $261.89 $1,891 +4.40
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332–336 value added 334 5 330.00–337.50 $334.52 $1,117 —
355 355 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,136 —
430 430 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,312 —
495 495 2 295.00–305.00 $300.00 $1,485 —
601 value added 601 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,623 —
650–690 677 3 250.00–255.00 $253.40 $1,716 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412 value added 412 2 312.50 $312.50 $1,288 —
771 771 4 242.00 $242.00 $1,866 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
301–345 322 8 310.00–340.00 $328.86 $1,059 +2.78
360–395 378 27 296.00–320.00 $311.74 $1,178 +4.89
410 value added 410 7 320.00 $320.00 $1,312 -8.73
405–446 427 19 285.00–312.50 $297.50 $1,270 -0.77
465–466 value added 466 5 292.50–300.00 $294.00 $1,370 -6.00
454–495 475 31 274.00–287.50 $279.86 $1,329 +4.13
500–545 521 20 270.00–283.00 $279.09 $1,454 +2.73
548 value added 548 4 290.00 $290.00 $1,589 —
550 550 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,375 -14.02
550–595 570 22 257.50–275.00 $261.65 $1,491 -2.37
600–623 617 4 240.00–248.00 $246.06 $1,518 -2.69
620–640 633 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,456 -18.75
650 650 2 218.00 $218.00 $1,417 —
650–685 676 12 224.00–245.00 $234.43 $1,585 —
700–726 709 11 224.50–228.00 $225.94 $1,602 -1.84
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–330 327 5 280.00–297.50 $291.30 $953 —
370 370 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,045 —
405–445 433 4 270.00–282.00 $275.59 $1,193 —
480–490 485 2 264.00–267.50 $265.73 $1,289 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570–598 value added 589 6 237.50–240.00 $239.19 $1,409 —
630 630 2 231.00 $231.00 $1,455 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230–235 232 3 395.00–430.00 $418.17 $970 —
275 275 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,114 +10.00
320–335 330 3 380.00–390.00 $386.77 $1,276 +34.45
365–390 380 4 337.50–355.00 $346.22 $1,316 +9.03
405–445 430 19 312.50–337.50 $330.09 $1,419 +18.15
455–490 472 8 300.00–335.00 $315.71 $1,490 +13.81
530–545 539 11 300.00–312.50 $307.15 $1,656 +20.05
565–597 576 8 280.00–297.50 $293.39 $1,690 +18.12
615 615 2 277.50–283.00 $280.25 $1,724 +24.59
715 715 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,805 +27.50
757–795 771 4 217.50–245.00 $232.89 $1,796 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285–290 288 2 355.00–375.00 $365.09 $1,051 —
578 578 3 255.00 $255.00 $1,474 —
685 685 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,712 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,222 —
455 455 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,285 —
525 525 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,509 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 320.00 $320.00 $800 —
530 530 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,510 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–1450 1104 80-85% 31 126.00–144.00 $135.21 $1,493 —
1225 1225 80-85% 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,507 +13.00
1075–1545 1324 80-85% 6 147.00–157.00 $151.92 $2,011 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1635 1422 75-80% 13 129.50–148.00 $138.25 $1,966 +0.83
1465 1465 75-80% 1 152.00 $152.00 $2,227 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–880 850 85-90% 2 129.00–131.00 $130.04 $1,105 +31.77
800–1065 890 85-90% 10 110.00–126.00 $118.73 $1,057 +20.46

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435–2110 1703 6 154.00–168.00 $162.06 $2,760 +2.16
1660–2050 1855 2 171.00–173.00 $172.11 $3,193 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
880 880 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00
1075–1300 1188 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,700.00–2,150.00 $1,946.32
1200 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,175.00 $2,175.00
1210 1210 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,390.00 $1,390.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
925 925 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00

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Bred Heifers

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
750 750 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00

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Beef Dairy Steers

Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
597 597 2 282.50 $282.50 $1,687 —

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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
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,880.00 $1,880.00 —
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,725.00 $2,725.00 —

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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.