Sale reports / Tennessee / Sweetwater Livestock Auction / 2024-05-01

Sweetwater Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Sweetwater, Tennessee · Wed, May 1
● Final53 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2067
Feeder Cattle receipts
106 head
▼ 3 vs last sale 109▼ 88 vs year ago 194 · −45.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
69 head
▲ 12 vs last sale 57▼ 1 vs year ago 70 · −1.4%
Replacement Cattle receipts
15 head
▲ 14 vs last sale 1▼ 6 vs year ago 21 · −28.6%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, breaker cows gauging 3.00 higher, with boning and lean cows 1.00 to 4.00 lower. No comparisons available for slaughter bulls and feeder classes due to limited comparable receipts.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $234.23/cwt on 14 head. That ranks 1 of 9 comparable sales and sits −140.75 against this barn's trailing median of $374.98.
Average price
$234.23
14 head · 562 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,316
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$199
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$18.02/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−21.98
vs TN average
−34.15 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2565235.521,33013thin
Medium and Large 2-3520217.501,1311thin
One grade step is worth $18.02/cwt here — about $199 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale14 hd
234.23
—
TN average13 barns · 789 hd
256.22
−21.98
National average173 barns · 11,009 hd
268.38
−34.15
This barn, trailing median9 sales
374.98
−140.75
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

9 sales
434393352311median 374.9803/1804/2907/0808/1909/23
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $419.81, low $325.16, median $374.98 across 9 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—High1,627145.962,3755thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,415124.231,75714
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,160120.071,39321
CowsLean 85-90%Average938109.531,02713
Dairy CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,668110.491,8432thin
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Average1,303108.681,4164thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,150$1,9001thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,100$1,8601thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)900$1,7751thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)920$1,4705
BullsN/AYoung (2-4 yrs)1,535$2,3501thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)—$1,7751thin

Every lot

53 lots · USDA AMS · East Tennessee Livestock Center - Sweetwater, 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 · Steers6 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2380330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,2541
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Value Added481314.00/cwt314.00–314.001,5104
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2515270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,3911
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2-3579260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,5054
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2748211.00/cwt211.00–211.001,5782
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2920200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,8401
Feeder Cattle · Heifers11 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2255280.00/cwt280.00–280.007141
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 2-3285265.00/cwt265.00–265.007551
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2378295.61/cwt290.00–305.001,1173
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2430260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,1181
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2470255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,1991
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Value Added471275.37/cwt273.00–280.001,2979
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3485247.50/cwt247.50–247.501,2001
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3520217.50/cwt217.50–217.501,1311
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2523237.04/cwt230.00–240.001,2405
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2591234.57/cwt229.00–240.001,3868
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2795185.00/cwt185.00–185.001,4711
Feeder Cattle · Bulls14 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2265325.00/cwt325.00–325.008611
Bulls300–350Small and Medium 1-2317261.18/cwt252.50–280.008283
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2385305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,1741
Bulls350–400Small and Medium 1-2385275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,0591
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2430280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,2041
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3Full445247.50/cwt247.50–247.501,1011
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2465280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,3021
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2507279.38/cwt270.00–282.501,4164
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2-3515227.50/cwt227.50–227.501,1721
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2583256.42/cwt250.00–263.001,4952
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2616226.50/cwt220.00–231.001,3955
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2690215.00/cwt215.00–215.001,4841
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2730210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,5331
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1-2945170.00/cwt170.00–170.001,6071
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Heifers500–550Medium and Large 3-4545195.00/cwt195.00–195.001,0631
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,580143.20/cwt135.00–151.002,2634
Bulls——1,815157.00/cwt157.00–157.002,8501
Slaughter Cattle · Cows10 lots · lightest first
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed845125.00/cwt125.00–125.001,0561
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed868116.53/cwt111.00–121.001,0112
Cows—Lean 85-90%928117.55/cwt116.00–119.001,0912
Cows—Lean 85-90%930100.46/cwt100.00–101.009342
Cows—Lean 85-90%963107.83/cwt105.00–112.001,0387
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,127127.52/cwt126.00–129.001,4376
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,197119.80/cwt112.00–125.001,43411
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,197104.54/cwt98.00–109.001,2513
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,403123.40/cwt117.00–129.001,73113
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,565135.00/cwt135.00–135.002,1131
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows2 lots · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,303108.68/cwt104.00–113.001,4164
Dairy Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,668110.49/cwt110.00–111.001,8432
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-21,5352,350.00/head2,350.00–2,350.002,3501
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Small and Medium 1-28001,125.00/head1,125.00–1,125.001,1252
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-21,0001,700.00/head1,700.00–1,700.001,7003
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-29001,775.00/head1,775.00–1,775.001,7751
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1001,860.00/head1,860.00–1,860.001,8601
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1501,900.00/head1,900.00–1,900.001,9001
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 2-3—1,775.00/head1,775.00–1,775.001,7751

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.