Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 21, 2026

1,046 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $469.85/cwt -48.76 vs last sale · ≈ $2,450/hd at 521 lb · 50 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $420.18/cwt -13.60 vs last sale · ≈ $2,222/hd at 529 lb · 47 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $475.15/cwt -13.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,016/hd at 424 lb · 41 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,046 1,420 923
Feeder cattle 883 1,233 820
Slaughter cattle 77 105 72
Replacement cattle 86 82 31

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, and based on a lighter test this week, feeder steers and bulls sold sharply lower with lower-quality offerings noted. Feeder heifers weighing up to 500 lbs. sold 10.00 lower with those weighing over 500 lbs. 5.00 to 15.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 4.00 higher with slaughter bulls steady.

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
330 value added 330 1 680.00 $680.00 $2,244 +0.87
377–395 385 12 520.00–545.00 $540.33 $2,080 -65.55
400 value added 400 2 630.00 $630.00 $2,520 +34.56
400–435 425 14 485.00–490.00 $486.43 $2,067 -69.50
415–440 427 12 520.00–585.00 $541.46 $2,312 -14.47
458–497 481 20 525.00–565.00 $538.37 $2,590 -6.88
500–545 519 25 465.00–500.00 $487.84 $2,532 +12.86
510–528 value added 523 5 520.00–530.00 $524.98 $2,746 -8.84
508–540 524 20 420.00–450.00 $433.57 $2,272 -41.41
560–588 581 23 440.00–475.00 $451.22 $2,622 +3.71
605 value added 605 9 455.00 $455.00 $2,753 —
610–635 629 9 417.50–435.00 $421.34 $2,650 -8.32
650 650 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,698 —
707 value added 707 2 380.00 $380.00 $2,687 -11.76
735–745 740 2 350.00–357.50 $353.78 $2,618 -22.22
805–845 value added 823 3 340.00–342.50 $341.16 $2,808 -2.84
825–835 830 2 322.50–336.00 $329.21 $2,732 —
1017 value added 1017 53 329.75 $329.75 $3,354 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 540.00 $540.00 $1,593 —
380 380 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,862 —
437 437 7 450.00 $450.00 $1,966 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482 482 2 495.00 $495.00 $2,386 —
595 595 1 430.00 $430.00 $2,558 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–342 327 13 520.00–580.00 $540.90 $1,769 -20.99
353–395 375 24 475.00–540.00 $508.35 $1,906 -8.90
385–395 392 3 450.00–465.00 $458.40 $1,797 -58.85
404–420 value added 410 14 510.00–517.00 $514.53 $2,110 -1.60
400–448 426 20 450.00–485.00 $470.39 $2,004 -14.67
448 448 7 410.00 $410.00 $1,837 -48.74
450–483 466 35 450.00–475.00 $463.97 $2,162 -0.10
455–490 473 6 420.00–430.00 $427.44 $2,022 -36.63
525 525 3 385.00 $385.00 $2,021 -39.61
505–547 529 44 405.00–445.00 $422.58 $2,235 -2.03
550–585 567 26 387.50–420.00 $398.41 $2,259 +33.41
605 value added 605 2 400.00 $400.00 $2,420 -47.00
600–637 626 16 370.00–390.00 $381.17 $2,386 +1.01
655–675 663 3 355.00–375.00 $363.43 $2,410 +6.55
707–730 713 9 340.00–345.00 $342.20 $2,440 +12.32
750–765 758 2 330.00–335.00 $332.52 $2,521 +12.52
853 value added 853 6 320.00 $320.00 $2,730 —
902 902 4 325.00 $325.00 $2,932 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,650 —
375 value added 375 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,725 —
397 397 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,667 -50.00
405–440 428 9 420.00–445.00 $439.44 $1,881 +6.23
420–445 value added 428 3 450.00 $450.00 $1,926 —
455–485 470 4 400.00–430.00 $412.42 $1,938 —
510–540 525 3 350.00–385.00 $362.00 $1,900 —
570 570 2 350.00–370.00 $360.00 $2,052 -5.00
610–615 612 3 360.00–361.00 $360.34 $2,205 —
677 677 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,302 —
705 705 2 325.00 $325.00 $2,291 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427 427 2 415.00 $415.00 $1,772 —
480 480 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,944 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
212–225 216 3 600.00–660.00 $639.20 $1,381 -27.27
280–285 283 2 600.00–650.00 $624.78 $1,768 -27.41
315–345 331 7 540.00–600.00 $582.93 $1,929 +12.93
360–395 366 6 500.00 $500.00 $1,830 -89.25
352–395 374 18 510.00–560.00 $538.75 $2,015 -50.50
405–437 426 16 500.00–530.00 $515.61 $2,196 -38.84
451–485 467 18 450.00–490.00 $468.12 $2,186 -5.49
465–477 thin fleshed 473 3 507.50–520.00 $511.60 $2,420 -53.48
525 thin fleshed 525 1 485.00 $485.00 $2,546 —
509–548 527 21 420.00–475.00 $459.39 $2,421 -22.13
558–596 576 16 420.00–460.00 $434.87 $2,505 -22.96
605–630 612 4 412.50–445.00 $429.23 $2,627 -7.08
640 640 1 392.50 $392.50 $2,512 -43.81
655–695 685 7 365.00–385.00 $369.92 $2,534 -21.29
710–745 722 3 347.50–370.00 $359.80 $2,598 -14.13
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 3 500.00 $500.00 $1,450 -80.35
350–385 368 2 455.00–480.00 $468.10 $1,723 —
410–445 431 7 460.00–487.50 $475.72 $2,050 -29.29
490 490 1 440.00 $440.00 $2,156 -30.00
575 575 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,185 —
690 690 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,380 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,656 -40.00
465–486 480 5 400.00–410.00 $401.98 $1,930 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
519 519 5 370.00 $370.00 $1,920 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1205 1205 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00 +100.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1265 1150 80-85% 12 177.00–195.00 $185.31 $2,131 +0.97
1170 1170 80-85% 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,977 -15.34
905–1395 1205 80-85% 6 197.00–199.50 $197.93 $2,385 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1550 1384 75-80% 8 180.00–195.00 $187.89 $2,600 —
1270–1640 1480 75-80% 4 198.00–213.00 $202.40 $2,996 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–935 888 85-90% 3 157.00–159.00 $158.00 $1,403 —
900–1190 1028 85-90% 7 168.00–178.00 $173.06 $1,779 +19.45

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340 1340 1 185.00 $185.00 $2,479 —
1365–2010 1768 13 205.00–225.00 $215.42 $3,809 —
1745–1995 1870 2 229.00–237.00 $232.73 $4,352 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1110 1110 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00
1145 1145 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00
1085–1245 1147 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 3,000.00–3,700.00 $3,350.15
1110–1250 1180 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,050.00–2,850.00 $2,473.73
1055–1360 1203 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 2,700.00–3,500.00 $2,943.45
1155–1255 1205 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,500.00–2,850.00 $2,682.26
1075–1465 1306 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 2,550.00–3,150.00 $2,866.99

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1320–1455 1388 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,750.00–2,850.00 $2,797.57
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
725 725 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00

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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
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,900.00 $3,900.00 —

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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.