Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 3, 2026

1,210 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $323.00/cwt ≈ $3,059/hd at 947 lb · 57 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $409.11/cwt -24.78 vs last sale · ≈ $2,117/hd at 517 lb · 50 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $438.59/cwt -70.96 vs last sale · ≈ $1,870/hd at 426 lb · 49 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,210 901 1,840
Feeder cattle 1,059 794 1,564
Slaughter cattle 97 80 112
Replacement cattle 54 27 164

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers weighing up to 700 lbs. sold 12.00 to 30.00 lower with those weighing over 700 lbs. mostly steady, and feeder heifers and bulls sold sharply lower. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady to 5.00 lower overall.

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
315–325 320 2 585.00–600.00 $592.38 $1,896 -77.54
340 value added 340 1 670.00 $670.00 $2,278 —
350 value added 350 1 700.00 $700.00 $2,450 —
360–385 377 3 560.00–620.00 $596.15 $2,247 -33.37
378 378 3 510.00 $510.00 $1,928 -119.52
400–417 value added 411 3 580.00–590.00 $586.76 $2,412 —
413–440 426 14 500.00–560.00 $520.84 $2,219 -27.86
455–480 468 8 500.00–515.00 $511.92 $2,396 -48.08
495 495 2 480.00 $480.00 $2,376 -80.00
495 value added 495 4 530.00 $530.00 $2,624 —
502–545 523 11 465.00–500.00 $473.93 $2,479 -12.41
500–543 value added 532 4 525.00 $525.00 $2,793 -1.17
535 535 2 450.00 $450.00 $2,408 -36.34
555 value added 555 5 467.50 $467.50 $2,595 -27.17
550–581 573 6 420.00–460.00 $441.08 $2,527 +11.08
600–632 623 9 400.00–425.00 $411.20 $2,562 -16.30
626–635 value added 628 5 430.00 $430.00 $2,700 -30.00
650–696 value added 664 10 425.00–465.00 $437.58 $2,906 —
655–695 683 37 375.00–415.00 $403.06 $2,753 +17.81
733 value added 733 6 377.50 $377.50 $2,767 -7.83
750–778 value added 764 6 357.00–362.50 $359.70 $2,748 -3.87
765–785 775 2 351.00–352.50 $351.76 $2,726 —
790 790 1 342.50 $342.50 $2,706 —
805–815 810 2 330.00–340.00 $335.03 $2,714 —
860 value added 860 17 340.00 $340.00 $2,924 —
855–877 866 4 328.00–335.00 $333.27 $2,886 —
947 value added 947 57 323.00 $323.00 $3,059 —
958 value added 958 33 318.00 $318.00 $3,046 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 410.00 $410.00 $2,194 —
587 587 2 395.00 $395.00 $2,319 —
641 641 3 380.00 $380.00 $2,436 —
964 value added 964 8 310.00 $310.00 $2,988 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,224 -70.00
320 320 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,504 —
417 417 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,668 -85.00
815 815 1 255.00 $255.00 $2,078 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–340 326 14 470.00–510.00 $481.51 $1,570 -46.85
315–345 328 4 450.00–460.00 $454.96 $1,492 -73.40
350–397 380 36 440.00–490.00 $473.38 $1,799 +0.90
370–395 thin fleshed 383 2 495.00–500.00 $497.58 $1,906 —
400–448 426 35 405.00–450.00 $427.90 $1,823 -81.65
420–441 value added 426 13 460.00–465.00 $463.43 $1,974 —
440 thin fleshed 440 1 490.00 $490.00 $2,156 —
450–495 471 22 410.00–455.00 $425.18 $2,003 -4.82
455–490 473 5 370.00–400.00 $390.11 $1,845 -39.89
460–495 value added 481 6 470.00–510.00 $490.24 $2,358 —
500–525 513 4 370.00–380.00 $372.46 $1,911 -27.54
516 value added 516 4 440.00 $440.00 $2,270 -17.11
505–535 518 42 390.00–422.50 $409.66 $2,122 +9.66
562 value added 562 15 404.00 $404.00 $2,270 —
550–585 564 25 370.00–390.00 $379.81 $2,142 -9.48
572–585 576 3 360.00–365.00 $361.69 $2,083 -27.60
600–642 625 18 330.00–355.00 $340.31 $2,127 -31.04
612–635 value added 627 21 357.50–370.00 $358.61 $2,248 -20.39
655–685 670 8 325.00–340.00 $334.71 $2,243 -10.23
680 value added 680 7 347.50 $347.50 $2,363 —
707–735 717 7 325.00–330.00 $326.58 $2,342 +9.64
743 value added 743 4 332.50 $332.50 $2,470 —
750–770 760 4 325.00–330.00 $326.27 $2,480 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–460 458 2 350.00–400.00 $374.86 $1,717 —
570–593 588 5 347.50–352.50 $348.47 $2,049 —
730 value added 730 2 305.00 $305.00 $2,226 —
831 value added 831 12 307.00 $307.00 $2,551 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–340 329 4 425.00–430.00 $426.14 $1,402 —
355 355 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,420 —
435 435 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,675 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 690.00 $690.00 $1,518 -50.00
250–295 276 4 610.00–670.00 $633.71 $1,749 +16.24
315–345 329 6 585.00–610.00 $594.23 $1,955 -27.53
355–395 379 12 535.00–605.00 $566.69 $2,148 +1.08
400–447 418 17 510.00–590.00 $541.01 $2,261 -11.06
420–447 433 7 492.50–495.00 $494.31 $2,140 +4.31
450–497 479 33 445.00–500.00 $472.36 $2,263 -27.64
500–540 521 5 380.00–410.00 $396.87 $2,068 -115.40
500–545 523 20 430.00–480.00 $461.74 $2,415 -50.53
550–590 563 4 395.00–400.00 $397.56 $2,238 -75.15
550–585 577 10 420.00–460.00 $432.33 $2,495 -40.38
600–645 625 10 350.00–375.00 $359.66 $2,248 -37.60
625 625 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,125 -57.26
660 660 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,178 -20.00
650–690 669 8 340.00–375.00 $358.00 $2,395 +8.00
700–742 730 10 337.00–357.50 $343.31 $2,506 -24.19
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 660.00 $660.00 $1,551 —
315 315 1 545.00 $545.00 $1,717 +45.00
366 366 3 515.00 $515.00 $1,885 -10.00
505–545 525 2 360.00–397.50 $378.04 $1,985 —
636 636 3 340.00 $340.00 $2,162 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
985–1215 1135 (<2 yrs)N/A 3 2,550.00–3,675.00 $3,039.90 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,323 -34.83
385 385 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,886 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 80-85% 1 152.50 $152.50 $1,380 —
1065–1540 1237 80-85% 14 156.00–174.50 $165.06 $2,042 -13.29
1215–1470 1357 80-85% 7 177.00–190.00 $184.99 $2,510 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–1485 1423 75-80% 2 180.00–187.00 $183.65 $2,613 —
1340–1785 1518 75-80% 10 157.00–171.00 $165.26 $2,509 -1.16
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1125 1083 85-90% 2 132.00–139.00 $135.64 $1,469 -21.57
945–1435 1181 85-90% 4 149.00–155.50 $152.62 $1,802 -12.38

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1770 1770 1 220.00 $220.00 $3,894 —
1425–2240 1813 17 184.50–205.00 $196.53 $3,563 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1030 1030 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00
990–1250 1134 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,700.00–3,200.00 $2,918.74
1070–1230 1143 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,500.00–3,175.00 $2,722.38
1165 1165 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00
1085–1335 1210 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,500.00–2,525.00 $2,511.21
1075–1685 1337 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,650.00–3,700.00 $3,225.25
1340 1340 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00
— — Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,800.00–3,425.00 $3,143.75
— — Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 7 3,200.00–3,850.00 $3,453.57

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Bred Heifers

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
715–720 718 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,950.00–2,100.00 $2,024.74
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,450.00 $3,450.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

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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.