Name: Carthage Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week Feeder Heifers 10.00 to 12.00 lower; No trends on Feeder Steers/ Bulls due to lack of comparable data; Slaughter Cows steady to 2.00 lower; Slaughter Bulls 2.00 higher on a light test.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $386.52/cwt on 62 head, down $20.16 from the prior sale. That ranks 17 of 29 comparable sales and sits +5.01 against this barn's trailing median of $381.51.

Average price

$386.52

▼ 20.16 vs prior sale

62 head · 560 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,165

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$408

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Small 1-2

$65.38/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−24.49

vs TN average

−37.55 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	558	395.38	2,207	51
Medium and Large 2-3	572	346.96	1,985	10thin
Small 1-2	545	330.00	1,799	1thin

One grade step is worth $65.38/cwt here — about $408 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

29 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $416.39, low $322.76, median $381.51 across 29 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale62 hd

386.52

—

TN average15 barns · 586 hd

411.00

−24.49

National average166 barns · 11,250 hd

424.07

−37.55

This barn, trailing median29 sales

381.51

+5.01

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	High	1,637	202.32	3,313	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,502	180.04	2,705	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,237	174.60	2,159	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	995	140.40	1,397	6thin

Every lot, as filed

49 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,490	187.95/cwt	186.00–192.00	2,800	3
Heifers	Small 1-2	500–550	545	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,799	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	504	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,268	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	577	388.00/cwt	388.00–388.00	2,239	6
Bulls	—	—	1,765	225.66/cwt	220.00–230.00	3,983	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,252	174.63/cwt	170.00–181.00	2,186	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,196	162.55/cwt	155.00–168.00	1,944	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,507	177.07/cwt	170.00–182.00	2,668	8
Bulls	—	—	1,735	196.31/cwt	190.00–205.00	3,406	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	572	346.96/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,985	10
Bulls	Small 1-2	550–600	565	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,034	2
Steers	Small 1-2	400–450	435	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,740	3
Bulls	Small 1-2	400–450	425	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,679	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	379.74/cwt	375.00–385.00	2,221	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	750–800	778	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	2,548	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	600–650	619	451.00/cwt	451.00–451.00	2,792	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	350–400	377	437.13/cwt	395.00–465.00	1,648	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	450–500	460	447.12/cwt	430.00–465.00	2,057	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	350–400	398	502.50/cwt	502.50–502.50	2,000	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	718	308.75/cwt	307.50–310.00	2,217	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	890	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	2,737	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	720	356.00/cwt	356.00–356.00	2,563	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	650–700	650	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,405	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	800–850	843	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,972	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	475	428.70/cwt	425.00–450.00	2,036	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	412.98/cwt	410.00–427.50	2,181	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	666	411.86/cwt	411.00–412.50	2,743	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	375	487.50/cwt	487.50–487.50	1,828	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	815	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,628	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	663	332.30/cwt	331.00–335.00	2,203	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	465	519.84/cwt	500.00–527.50	2,417	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	900–950	928	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	3,118	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	464.54/cwt	452.50–475.00	2,718	21
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	698	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	2,635	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	534	486.94/cwt	475.00–490.00	2,600	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	627	403.11/cwt	402.50–405.00	2,527	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	314	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,664	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	450–500	490	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,279	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	700–750	710	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,432	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	508	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,362	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	450–500	473	402.09/cwt	400.00–405.00	1,902	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	300–350	310	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,395	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	550–600	576	479.00/cwt	479.00–479.00	2,759	7
Bulls	—	—	1,412	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,612	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	985	152.66/cwt	150.00–155.00	1,504	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,068	142.65/cwt	140.00–145.00	1,524	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	933	125.90/cwt	125.00–127.00	1,175	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,241	185.09/cwt	182.00–188.00	2,297	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	300–350	305	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	1,632	1

How this sale compares

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.

Tennessee feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Smith County Commission Co. - Carthage, TN

Sat May 2, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Nashville, TN (LS-NV)

Feeder CattleReceipts 401Last week 376Year ago 362

Slaughter CattleReceipts 71Last week 59Year ago 40

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,490	186.00–192.00	187.95
8	—	1,507	170.00–182.00	177.07
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	1,252	170.00–181.00	174.63
7	—	1,196	155.00–168.00	162.55
8	—	1,241	182.00–188.00	185.09
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	985	150.00–155.00	152.66
2	—	1,068	140.00–145.00	142.65
2	—	933	125.00–127.00	125.90
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,765	220.00–230.00	225.66
3	—	1,735	190.00–205.00	196.31
3	—	1,412	185.00	185.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Small 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	545	330.00	330.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	310	450.00	450.00
5	350–400	377	395.00–465.00	437.13
20	450–500	473	400.00–405.00	402.09
10	550–600	572	340.00–350.00	346.96
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	300–350	314	530.00	530.00
16	350–400	375	487.50	487.50
26	450–500	475	425.00–450.00	428.70
24	500–550	528	410.00–427.50	412.98
27	550–600	585	375.00–385.00	379.74
12	650–700	663	331.00–335.00	332.30
2	700–750	718	307.50–310.00	308.75
3	850–900	890	307.50	307.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
3	750–800	778	327.50	327.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	398	502.50	502.50
2	450–500	460	430.00–465.00	447.12
4	500–550	504	450.00	450.00
6	550–600	577	388.00	388.00
Bulls — Small 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	425	395.00	395.00
2	550–600	565	360.00	360.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	650–700	698	377.50	377.50
Steers — Small 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	435	400.00	400.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
7	550–600	576	479.00	479.00
4	600–650	619	451.00	451.00
2	800–850	843	352.50	352.50
3	900–950	928	336.00	336.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
21	450–500	465	500.00–527.50	519.84
5	500–550	534	475.00–490.00	486.94
21	550–600	585	452.50–475.00	464.54
4	600–650	627	402.50–405.00	403.11
7	650–700	666	411.00–412.50	411.86
1	700–750	720	356.00	356.00
1	800–850	815	322.50	322.50
Steers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	305	535.00	535.00
5	450–500	490	465.00	465.00
2	500–550	508	465.00	465.00
1	650–700	650	370.00	370.00
1	700–750	710	342.50	342.50

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

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Carthage Livestock Auction