Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 17, 2026

497 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $426.82/cwt +9.34 vs last sale · ≈ $2,222/hd at 521 lb · 34 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $502.25/cwt +15.39 vs last sale · ≈ $2,623/hd at 522 lb · 28 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $482.91/cwt +31.43 vs last sale · ≈ $2,024/hd at 419 lb · 24 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 497 1,202 1,125
Feeder cattle 460 1,062 1,053
Slaughter cattle 37 91 72
Replacement cattle — 49 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week and based on a lighter test this week, feeder cattle sold unevenly steady with exception of heifers and bulls weighing up to 450 lbs. sharply higher. No comparisons available for slaughter cows and bulls due to limited comparable receipts, but a higher undertone was noted.

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
305 value added 305 1 650.00 $650.00 $1,982 —
322–340 328 3 550.00–600.00 $567.28 $1,861 -42.72
345 345 1 535.00 $535.00 $1,846 -75.00
380–393 389 7 525.00–580.00 $553.52 $2,153 -26.48
400 value added 400 1 610.00 $610.00 $2,440 —
400–438 421 8 500.00–560.00 $520.61 $2,192 -16.19
465–490 483 8 480.00–540.00 $490.76 $2,370 -28.16
500–527 512 11 480.00–500.00 $488.13 $2,499 +15.17
506–545 value added 529 17 470.00–550.00 $511.38 $2,705 -29.34
567 567 2 420.00 $420.00 $2,381 -42.91
560–584 573 13 450.00–470.00 $455.30 $2,609 -7.61
605–645 636 5 410.00–430.00 $422.14 $2,685 +2.26
685 value added 685 2 381.00 $381.00 $2,610 -15.00
705–710 709 4 365.00–372.50 $366.87 $2,601 +9.40
721 value added 721 3 380.00 $380.00 $2,740 —
769–772 value added 770 9 350.00–356.00 $354.66 $2,731 -0.32
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 value added 395 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,975 —
538 value added 538 5 445.00 $445.00 $2,394 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 525.00 $525.00 $1,470 —
300 300 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,350 —
395 value added 395 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,936 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–295 271 5 530.00–580.00 $554.28 $1,502 —
330–345 338 2 540.00–550.00 $545.11 $1,842 +42.32
353–395 375 19 490.00–535.00 $513.59 $1,926 +38.76
410 value added 410 3 520.00 $520.00 $2,132 +27.42
400–435 419 19 450.00–500.00 $483.68 $2,027 +82.38
430–435 433 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,819 +18.70
461 value added 461 3 465.00 $465.00 $2,144 —
450–495 474 7 417.50–460.00 $435.06 $2,062 +11.30
505 505 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,894 -39.15
505–525 value added 515 24 430.00–445.00 $437.35 $2,252 +1.84
500–542 537 9 400.00–410.00 $404.48 $2,172 -9.67
565–595 580 2 365.00–370.00 $367.56 $2,132 +0.27
565–598 value added 583 14 375.00–385.00 $382.18 $2,228 -0.67
605–630 618 2 345.00–350.00 $347.55 $2,148 -6.05
670–691 value added 678 21 345.00–362.50 $353.60 $2,397 -9.11
751 value added 751 3 320.00 $320.00 $2,403 —
865 value added 865 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,898 —
900–926 value added 921 5 319.00–322.00 $321.41 $2,960 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–433 432 6 440.00–445.00 $444.18 $1,919 +15.86
490 value added 490 2 425.00 $425.00 $2,082 —
522 value added 522 4 390.00 $390.00 $2,036 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–225 220 2 690.00–730.00 $710.45 $1,563 —
250–280 265 2 640.00–680.00 $658.87 $1,746 +33.74
305–345 335 6 540.00–580.00 $556.67 $1,865 +0.51
350–370 357 6 515.00–590.00 $558.01 $1,992 +106.67
400–430 417 5 500.00–550.00 $528.11 $2,202 +1.46
425–447 436 4 460.00–485.00 $472.18 $2,059 -54.47
455–495 472 15 455.00–505.00 $466.76 $2,203 -21.61
480 480 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,136 -43.37
500–545 515 15 430.00–475.00 $451.88 $2,327 -8.69
520 520 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,184 -40.57
565–580 572 3 395.00–405.00 $398.38 $2,279 -40.17
570–575 574 5 435.00–445.00 $436.99 $2,508 -1.56
651–690 662 5 365.00–367.50 $366.98 $2,429 +14.05
705 705 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,362 -25.54
710 710 3 362.00–367.50 $363.83 $2,583 +3.29
760–770 765 2 342.50–345.00 $343.74 $2,630 +3.24
815–845 835 3 310.00–325.00 $320.12 $2,673 +8.57
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,596 —
475 475 1 422.50 $422.50 $2,007 —
600–610 605 2 350.00 $350.00 $2,118 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1290 1191 80-85% 5 161.00–179.00 $167.29 $1,992 —
1140–1400 1238 80-85% 3 185.00–191.00 $188.41 $2,333 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1510 1407 75-80% 3 167.00–177.00 $171.20 $2,409 +4.98
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940 940 85-90% 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,401 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1485 1418 2 196.00–203.00 $199.33 $2,826 —
1790 1790 1 209.00 $209.00 $3,741 —

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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.