Sale reports / Tennessee / Carthage Livestock Auction / 2026-03-21

Carthage Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Carthage, Tennessee · Sat, Mar 21
● Final53 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2062
Feeder Cattle receipts
319 head
▼ 36 vs last sale 355▼ 272 vs year ago 591 · −46.0%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
74 head
▼ 18 vs last sale 92▼ 19 vs year ago 93 · −20.4%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week Feeder Steers lightly tested at 10.00 to 12.00 higher; Feeder Heifers well tested at 12.00 t0 20.00 higher; Feeder Bulls 20.00 higher with instances of 30.00 higher; Slaughter Cows 8.00 to 11.00 higher with Lean Cows sharply higher due to strong demand; Slaughter Bulls 10.00 higher due to good quality.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $403.74/cwt on 48 head, up $22.22 from the prior sale. That ranks 28 of 32 comparable sales and sits +42.58 against this barn's trailing median of $361.15.
Average price
$403.74
▲ 22.22 vs prior sale
48 head · 540 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,182
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$215
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$21.16/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−0.62
vs TN average
−12.38 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2543405.942,20543
Medium and Large 2-3517384.781,9895thin
One grade step is worth $21.16/cwt here — about $215 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale48 hd
403.74
—
TN average15 barns · 557 hd
404.35
−0.62
National average164 barns · 8,069 hd
416.12
−12.38
This barn, trailing median32 sales
361.15
+42.58
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

32 sales
430384338291median 361.1503/0705/0207/1109/1210/31
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $416.39, low $305.42, median $361.15 across 32 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,694192.023,25410
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,228176.742,17127
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,474175.022,57911
CowsLean 85-90%Average952153.511,46213

Every lot

53 lots · USDA AMS · Smith County Commission Co. - Carthage, TN
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers14 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 2-3280650.00/cwt650.00–650.001,8201
Steers300–350Medium and Large 2-3305600.00/cwt600.00–600.001,8301
Steers300–350Small 1-2345340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,1731
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2434505.38/cwt500.00–520.002,19315
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2514465.00/cwt465.00–465.002,3904
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2-3535414.94/cwt400.00–425.002,2203
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2-3565385.00/cwt385.00–385.002,1753
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2578435.00/cwt435.00–435.002,5146
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2-3600355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,1301
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Value Added651405.00/cwt405.00–405.002,6374
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2675394.89/cwt375.00–400.002,6665
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2-3685305.00/cwt305.00–305.002,0891
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2755345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,6051
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2860302.50/cwt302.50–302.502,6022
Feeder Cattle · Heifers15 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2325450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,4631
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3360395.94/cwt395.00–397.501,4258
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2405435.00/cwt435.00–435.001,7629
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed450475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,1383
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3455400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,8201
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2467432.50/cwt432.50–432.502,02025
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3517384.78/cwt365.00–390.001,9895
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2529415.26/cwt402.50–432.502,19732
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2584378.83/cwt377.50–385.002,21211
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added615375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,3063
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2622351.66/cwt342.50–359.002,1877
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2-3623320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,9944
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2653355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,3188
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2710320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,2721
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2773304.00/cwt304.00–304.002,3502
Feeder Cattle · Bulls13 lots · lightest first
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2386500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,93010
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3435375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,6311
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2446473.87/cwt465.00–475.002,11317
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2-3485380.72/cwt365.00–450.001,84610
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2509455.00/cwt455.00–455.002,3167
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2-3539399.94/cwt360.00–405.002,1569
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2580415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,40714
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2-3586359.72/cwt350.00–400.002,1087
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2647400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,5889
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 2-3650350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,2751
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2683365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,4932
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2745347.50/cwt347.50–347.502,5895
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1-2915280.00/cwt280.00–280.002,5622
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,509179.65/cwt170.00–189.002,7116
Bulls——1,870220.70/cwt210.00–230.004,1272
Bulls——2,075200.45/cwt195.00–206.004,1592
Slaughter Cattle · Cows8 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%944149.06/cwt140.00–161.001,40711
Cows—Lean 85-90%998177.99/cwt176.00–180.001,7762
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,176164.22/cwt162.00–166.001,9314
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,228174.03/cwt168.00–180.002,13715
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,255188.09/cwt184.00–204.002,3618
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,418159.08/cwt155.00–164.002,2563
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,463176.08/cwt170.00–181.002,5765
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,547189.20/cwt184.00–198.002,9273

This sale against other markets

Tennessee weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Tennessee auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.