Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 10, 2024

1,000 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $281.34/cwt +12.77 vs last sale · ≈ $1,875/hd at 667 lb · 109 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $282.21/cwt +11.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,221/hd at 433 lb · 37 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $240.95/cwt +2.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,524/hd at 633 lb · 36 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,000 942 902
Feeder cattle 852 796 814
Slaughter cattle 115 132 73
Replacement cattle 33 14 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers measuring 10.00 higher with feeder heifers 8.00 higher overall. Feeder bulls weighing up to 500 lbs. mostly steady with those weighing over 500 lbs. sharply higher. Slaughter cows gauging 3.00 to 7.00 lower with slaughter bulls 5.00 lower. Today's offerings included the following load lot: 1 load ML 1 preconditioned Steers, 665 lbs., $287.00 per cwt., medium flesh, mostly black/bwf.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,344 —
370–395 386 4 335.00–365.00 $354.90 $1,370 -12.47
400–420 value added 413 5 350.00–365.00 $356.07 $1,471 —
405–440 428 6 335.00–345.00 $343.28 $1,469 +10.54
450–478 value added 469 5 340.00–360.00 $348.43 $1,634 +2.43
450–480 470 6 325.00–337.50 $333.38 $1,567 +7.58
505–540 528 12 292.50–315.00 $307.09 $1,621 +22.31
520–541 value added 537 5 318.00–320.00 $318.39 $1,710 +15.39
555–590 567 15 270.00–290.00 $278.05 $1,577 +38.05
605–645 629 25 262.50–278.00 $268.20 $1,687 +8.95
637 value added 637 2 282.50 $282.50 $1,800 +13.62
650–684 value added 666 98 268.00–287.00 $283.85 $1,890 +12.06
652–682 671 11 250.00–265.00 $258.93 $1,737 +9.78
721–737 value added 729 24 255.00–260.00 $258.00 $1,881 —
753–780 value added 769 21 242.50–253.00 $249.81 $1,921 +13.29
800 800 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,920 —
800 value added 800 6 245.00 $245.00 $1,960 +7.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–395 380 2 310.00–317.50 $313.60 $1,192 —
675 675 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,637 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
312 value added 312 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,006 —
315–345 330 2 270.00–282.50 $275.97 $911 -19.41
305–345 335 11 290.00–312.50 $305.48 $1,023 +10.10
350–395 365 13 282.50–312.50 $293.93 $1,073 -4.85
390–395 393 2 270.00–277.50 $273.77 $1,076 -25.01
400–405 value added 403 2 300.00–317.00 $308.55 $1,243 +21.03
400–445 421 4 260.00–267.50 $264.88 $1,115 -2.90
420–437 431 4 262.50–267.50 $263.72 $1,137 -4.06
412–445 437 27 277.50–296.00 $285.56 $1,248 +17.78
455–470 463 2 250.00–255.00 $252.46 $1,169 -9.87
450–497 477 17 260.00–285.00 $269.31 $1,285 +6.98
519 value added 519 9 277.00 $277.00 $1,438 —
500–547 525 19 240.00–265.00 $256.05 $1,344 +12.41
517–545 526 3 220.00–232.50 $228.19 $1,200 -15.45
557–573 value added 569 9 257.00–265.00 $258.74 $1,472 —
550–593 574 15 235.00–251.00 $243.23 $1,396 +8.19
600–620 610 2 220.00–225.00 $222.54 $1,357 -1.53
600–647 618 16 228.00–239.00 $235.33 $1,454 +11.26
648 value added 648 18 248.00 $248.00 $1,607 +2.94
682–683 value added 683 5 240.00–247.50 $244.50 $1,670 +11.50
705–745 728 6 212.50–227.50 $217.45 $1,583 +13.28
732 value added 732 7 229.00 $229.00 $1,676 +6.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 275 2 395.00 $395.00 $1,086 —
300 fancy 300 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,215 —
310–340 331 7 350.00–395.00 $379.63 $1,257 -3.53
350–385 367 16 335.00–372.50 $350.63 $1,287 -10.47
400–440 fancy 420 2 357.50–365.00 $361.43 $1,518 —
400–445 427 13 320.00–345.00 $332.12 $1,418 +3.21
465–495 479 22 292.50–322.50 $312.31 $1,496 -4.11
500–546 525 19 275.00–302.50 $288.80 $1,516 +16.83
560 fancy 560 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,624 —
550–585 567 17 250.00–280.00 $270.61 $1,534 +11.65
620 620 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,364 -12.60
615–645 629 7 235.00–255.00 $245.22 $1,542 +12.62
655–697 686 9 229.00–245.00 $237.23 $1,627 +9.82
710–740 723 4 224.00–235.00 $229.48 $1,659 +25.20
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1150 1150 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00 —
1450 1450 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1305 1132 80-85% 5 115.00–127.00 $121.06 $1,370 —
890–1400 1145 80-85% 12 109.00–122.50 $115.42 $1,322 —
1195–1385 1290 80-85% 2 102.00–104.00 $102.93 $1,328 -23.10
1105–1655 1325 80-85% 6 124.00–131.00 $127.20 $1,685 -2.81
1485 1485 80-85% 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,990 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390–1535 1441 75-80% 4 123.50–129.00 $126.05 $1,816 —
1485–1500 1493 75-80% 3 104.50–109.00 $106.67 $1,593 -22.47
1270–1905 1615 75-80% 12 111.50–127.00 $117.85 $1,903 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755 755 85-90% 1 89.00 $89.00 $672 —
825–1295 1035 85-90% 10 94.00–106.00 $100.52 $1,040 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500–1815 1645 4 122.00–130.00 $126.34 $2,078 —
1245–2320 1768 8 132.00–147.00 $141.27 $2,498 —
1525–2295 1779 4 138.00–149.00 $144.64 $2,573 —
1940 1940 1 152.00 $152.00 $2,949 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
905–935 920 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,800.00–1,950.00 $1,876.22
970 970 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00
990–1020 1005 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,825.00–1,850.00 $1,837.69
985–1240 1149 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,525.00–1,650.00 $1,592.69
1330 1330 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,775.00 $1,775.00
1440 1440 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
985 985 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00

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Bred Heifers

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
905 905 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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
— — Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 1,600.00–1,925.00 $1,762.50 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 1,850.00–1,925.00 $1,887.50 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 2,050.00–2,625.00 $2,375.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00 —

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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.