Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 12, 2026

1,116 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $402.04/cwt +17.26 vs last sale · ≈ $2,450/hd at 610 lb · 70 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $449.07/cwt +2.19 vs last sale · ≈ $2,132/hd at 475 lb · 59 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $473.49/cwt -0.34 vs last sale · ≈ $2,063/hd at 436 lb · 53 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,116 919 0
Feeder cattle 988 738 0
Slaughter cattle 75 94 0
Replacement cattle 53 87 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers sold 5.00 higher with feeder heifers and bulls unevenly steady. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 4.00 to 6.00 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
265 265 1 650.00 $650.00 $1,722 +0.65
350–392 381 9 540.00–570.00 $560.20 $2,134 +4.18
410 value added 410 8 590.00 $590.00 $2,419 —
414–440 417 21 515.00–575.00 $564.71 $2,355 +32.35
475–484 value added 480 11 540.00–560.00 $544.50 $2,614 -10.50
450–499 486 41 500.00–530.00 $510.11 $2,479 +10.11
500–510 value added 507 10 519.00–545.00 $523.37 $2,653 —
505–535 519 4 510.00–525.00 $516.22 $2,679 +9.32
555–560 value added 559 5 500.00–515.00 $502.98 $2,812 —
555–592 580 13 460.00–490.00 $476.64 $2,765 +56.64
600–618 value added 613 21 465.00–480.00 $468.99 $2,875 -1.01
600–647 622 15 415.00–460.00 $450.10 $2,800 +9.69
665–695 value added 680 14 410.00–432.50 $422.90 $2,876 —
702 value added 702 6 412.00 $412.00 $2,892 +34.50
705–725 710 8 360.00–365.00 $363.72 $2,582 +1.25
758–783 value added 775 21 377.00–380.00 $377.98 $2,929 —
805 value added 805 8 358.00 $358.00 $2,882 +14.69
835 835 1 339.00 $339.00 $2,831 +12.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–385 383 2 510.00–520.00 $515.03 $1,973 —
505 505 1 460.00 $460.00 $2,323 —
580 580 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,349 —
645 value added 645 2 430.00 $430.00 $2,774 —
947 value added 947 2 320.00 $320.00 $3,030 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 2 550.00–570.00 $560.00 $1,400 +12.63
305–345 329 6 500.00–520.00 $508.20 $1,672 -16.42
355–391 379 25 480.00–520.00 $499.73 $1,894 +1.27
405–445 433 39 450.00–485.00 $471.73 $2,043 +1.49
435–440 439 4 430.00–440.00 $437.52 $1,921 -32.72
437–447 value added 445 10 490.00–520.00 $494.76 $2,202 -10.24
450–497 474 56 420.00–472.50 $451.07 $2,138 +2.40
480–495 488 3 410.00–415.00 $411.69 $2,009 -36.98
525–527 value added 526 6 432.50–440.00 $435.01 $2,288 -2.03
500–540 527 31 405.00–430.00 $421.67 $2,222 +4.25
525–530 528 3 390.00 $390.00 $2,059 -27.42
550–593 571 26 385.00–425.00 $404.11 $2,307 +10.40
601–628 value added 605 49 405.00–410.00 $409.15 $2,475 —
608–635 620 21 370.00–400.00 $385.46 $2,390 +0.68
655–695 669 9 330.00–355.00 $338.93 $2,267 —
700–740 727 5 327.50–332.50 $330.02 $2,399 -9.98
705–733 value added 730 11 338.00–350.00 $339.05 $2,475 -10.95
750–780 766 6 325.00–335.00 $332.26 $2,545 +5.17
768 value added 768 5 340.00 $340.00 $2,611 —
800 800 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,520 -14.04
839 value added 839 11 326.00 $326.00 $2,735 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 325 3 470.00–480.00 $473.28 $1,538 -1.53
350–375 365 4 470.00 $470.00 $1,716 —
435 435 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,870 —
440 value added 440 1 480.00 $480.00 $2,112 —
465–495 480 2 400.00–410.00 $404.84 $1,943 —
560–565 562 3 370.00–371.00 $370.66 $2,083 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–210 208 2 640.00–650.00 $645.06 $1,342 -27.09
265–270 266 4 560.00–595.00 $578.66 $1,539 -77.02
308–345 320 8 550.00–630.00 $597.23 $1,911 -10.76
352–395 372 17 520.00–590.00 $560.42 $2,085 +11.72
410 410 3 510.00 $510.00 $2,091 -34.38
400–445 422 18 520.00–570.00 $545.67 $2,303 +1.29
450–490 469 25 500.00–550.00 $511.89 $2,401 -24.00
503–540 516 23 470.00–510.00 $488.58 $2,521 +21.48
535–543 541 5 435.00–440.00 $435.99 $2,359 +15.99
550–595 576 15 420.00–470.00 $444.20 $2,559 +17.86
582–585 584 4 400.00 $400.00 $2,336 -26.34
600–610 605 3 410.00–440.00 $429.41 $2,598 +10.86
645–647 646 3 380.00–394.00 $384.66 $2,485 -33.89
650–655 653 2 395.00–400.00 $397.49 $2,596 +2.49
715 715 2 355.00–357.50 $356.25 $2,547 -5.58
765–790 778 2 330.00–345.00 $337.38 $2,625 -2.62
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 338 2 520.00–530.00 $525.11 $1,775 -24.89
405–440 423 2 495.00–500.00 $497.40 $2,104 —
475 475 1 490.00 $490.00 $2,328 -5.00
500–525 508 3 440.00–455.00 $446.80 $2,270 —
633–645 636 4 360.00–385.00 $378.66 $2,408 +18.66

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1455 1207 80-85% 26 174.00–189.00 $182.42 $2,202 +4.35
1115–1305 1209 80-85% 6 192.00–208.00 $197.81 $2,392 +19.74
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–1275 1023 85-90% 10 161.00–176.00 $168.92 $1,728 +20.57
1125–1195 1160 85-90% 2 155.00–158.00 $156.55 $1,816 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1655 1421 75-80% 10 170.00–186.50 $181.05 $2,573 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455–1930 1778 5 211.00–219.00 $216.99 $3,858 —
1650–2245 1957 5 225.00–251.00 $232.63 $4,553 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
781 781 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,450.00 $2,450.00
781 781 (<2 yrs)Open 4 2,450.00 $2,450.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1060–1245 1175 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,875.00–3,725.00 $3,339.61
1075–1470 1245 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 2,750.00–3,175.00 $2,914.14
1260–1470 1365 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,900.00–3,300.00 $3,115.38
1235–1505 1370 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,200.00–2,525.00 $2,378.51
1380–1510 1445 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,575.00–2,900.00 $2,744.81
1455 1455 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1200 1200 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00

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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
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,450.00 $3,450.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,950.00 $2,950.00 —
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 4,050.00 $4,050.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
788 788 5 265.00 $265.00 $2,088 —

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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 3 4,300.00 $4,300.00 —

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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.