Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 5, 2026

919 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $393.71/cwt -27.43 vs last sale · ≈ $2,287/hd at 581 lb · 35 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $506.90/cwt -15.04 vs last sale · ≈ $2,737/hd at 540 lb · 35 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $384.78/cwt +21.23 vs last sale · ≈ $2,366/hd at 615 lb · 34 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 919 993 0
Feeder cattle 738 833 0
Slaughter cattle 94 69 0
Replacement cattle 87 91 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers sold steady to 10.00 lower, with feeder heifers 5.00 to 25.00 lower, and bulls uneven. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 6.00 lower with slaughter bulls 3.00 higher.

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
205–235 225 3 660.00–700.00 $672.15 $1,512 —
260–290 269 4 630.00–670.00 $649.35 $1,747 -32.13
310–335 323 2 650.00–660.00 $655.19 $2,116 +15.19
355–371 363 11 540.00–600.00 $556.02 $2,018 -17.92
400–445 429 19 510.00–570.00 $532.36 $2,284 -39.99
450 value added 450 4 555.00 $555.00 $2,498 —
450–480 462 7 520.00–560.00 $536.99 $2,481 -2.05
480 480 1 500.00 $500.00 $2,400 -39.04
500–545 540 35 490.00–515.00 $506.90 $2,737 -15.04
560–595 568 10 450.00–470.00 $455.61 $2,588 -17.42
575 575 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,415 -53.03
600 value added 600 3 470.00 $470.00 $2,820 ±0.00
600–645 624 10 415.00–455.00 $440.41 $2,748 +11.20
658 658 5 405.00 $405.00 $2,665 +21.96
710 value added 710 3 377.50 $377.50 $2,680 -17.50
710–721 719 5 360.00–372.50 $362.47 $2,606 +12.47
810 810 1 327.00 $327.00 $2,649 —
810–849 value added 833 13 340.00–345.50 $343.31 $2,860 -4.34
934 value added 934 28 342.50 $342.50 $3,199 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,500 -30.00
385 385 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,925 —
400 400 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,600 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–440 427 3 450.00–480.00 $463.05 $1,977 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–235 218 4 580.00–600.00 $592.93 $1,293 —
260 value added 260 1 630.00 $630.00 $1,638 —
255–292 278 8 540.00–580.00 $547.37 $1,522 -20.79
310–348 341 26 500.00–540.00 $524.62 $1,789 -25.74
350–399 386 19 470.00–520.00 $498.46 $1,924 -23.18
405–446 428 26 450.00–490.00 $470.24 $2,013 -3.00
433 value added 433 3 505.00 $505.00 $2,187 +10.82
450–496 475 30 430.00–480.00 $448.67 $2,131 -13.79
475 475 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,995 -42.46
505–528 value added 515 9 430.00–445.00 $437.04 $2,251 —
505–535 521 11 400.00–427.50 $417.42 $2,175 -4.72
535 535 1 390.00 $390.00 $2,086 +10.00
550–597 581 35 385.00–415.00 $393.71 $2,287 -27.43
600–635 615 34 370.00–405.00 $384.78 $2,366 +21.23
697 value added 697 7 349.00 $349.00 $2,433 —
700 700 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,380 —
705 value added 705 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,468 —
750–797 771 5 320.00–335.00 $327.09 $2,522 -7.91
805–830 820 4 320.00–341.00 $329.04 $2,698 -3.03
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,454 +10.00
292 value added 292 2 540.00 $540.00 $1,577 —
315–340 328 2 470.00–480.00 $474.81 $1,557 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–235 225 3 660.00–700.00 $672.15 $1,512 —
250 thin fleshed 250 1 740.00 $740.00 $1,850 -5.05
260–290 270 3 630.00–670.00 $655.68 $1,770 -24.13
310–330 323 6 590.00–650.00 $607.99 $1,964 +10.36
360 360 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,800 -38.28
355–390 372 15 520.00–575.00 $548.70 $2,041 +10.42
400–445 418 10 520.00–570.00 $544.38 $2,276 +47.85
430–440 437 5 480.00–500.00 $486.00 $2,124 -53.58
455 455 1 490.00 $490.00 $2,230 +37.46
450–480 461 9 515.00–560.00 $535.89 $2,470 +83.35
500–530 509 7 450.00–500.00 $467.10 $2,378 -23.95
525 525 2 420.00 $420.00 $2,205 -71.05
550–598 580 7 420.00–440.00 $426.34 $2,473 -29.52
595 595 1 395.00 $395.00 $2,350 -60.86
605–635 622 15 405.00–440.00 $418.55 $2,603 -4.51
655 655 1 395.00 $395.00 $2,587 +5.00
705–740 714 5 345.00–382.50 $361.83 $2,583 +21.83
760 760 5 340.00 $340.00 $2,584 —
805 805 3 310.00 $310.00 $2,496 —
850–877 868 3 285.00–295.00 $288.26 $2,502 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,898 —
370 370 2 460.00 $460.00 $1,702 —
470 470 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,326 +95.00
585 585 1 410.00 $410.00 $2,398 —
637 637 2 360.00 $360.00 $2,293 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–295 280 2 590.00 $590.00 $1,652 —
375 375 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,669 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1525 1216 80-85% 35 167.00–191.00 $178.07 $2,165 —
1170–1350 1268 80-85% 5 193.00–205.00 $198.81 $2,521 -0.79
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1335 1313 75-80% 2 192.00–200.00 $195.93 $2,573 -1.07
1275–1730 1499 75-80% 9 169.00–182.00 $175.26 $2,627 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740–1050 944 85-90% 5 158.00–167.50 $163.11 $1,540 —
925–1120 1007 85-90% 3 147.00–149.00 $148.35 $1,494 -16.32

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1705 1555 2 183.00–194.00 $187.97 $2,923 —
1160–1885 1641 7 209.00–217.00 $214.17 $3,515 —
1345–2045 1847 9 221.00–228.00 $223.91 $4,136 —
2250 2250 1 200.00 $200.00 $4,500 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
895–935 911 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 2,650.00–2,800.00 $2,711.58
1015–1110 1063 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,600.00–3,100.00 $2,838.82
1170 1170 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00
1170 1170 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00
975–1370 1173 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,900.00–3,500.00 $3,250.53
1060–1340 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,350.00–2,700.00 $2,545.42
1155–1370 1241 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,625.00–2,950.00 $2,793.33
1045–1490 1268 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,900.00–3,350.00 $3,164.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
770–775 773 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,400.00 $2,400.00
945 945 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00
890–1080 995 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,150.00–2,500.00 $2,291.54
1025–1065 1045 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,050.00–2,100.00 $2,075.48
1035–1075 1055 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,300.00–2,600.00 $2,447.16
1190 1190 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910 910 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,050.00 $3,050.00
925 925 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00
880–1062 1001 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 2,700.00–2,800.00 $2,729.29
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
700–735 718 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,150.00–2,200.00 $2,175.61
740 740 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00

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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)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 4,100.00 $4,100.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 3,100.00–3,400.00 $3,300.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 3,100.00 $3,100.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,700.00 $3,700.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,050.00 $3,050.00 —
— — Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,100.00 $3,100.00 —
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,050.00 $3,050.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 2,850.00–3,050.00 $2,950.00 —

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Heifer 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 5,500.00 $5,500.00 —

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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.