Name: Sweetwater Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2025-03-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, slaughter cows gauging 2.00 to 4.00 lower overall, with no comparisons available for slaughter bulls and feeder classes due to limited comparable receipts.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $288.08/cwt on 13 head. That ranks 1 of 11 comparable sales and sits −86.91 against this barn's trailing median of $374.98.

Average price

$288.08

13 head · 530 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,526

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$493

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

$95.42/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.58

vs TN average

−16.94 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	529	295.42	1,563	12thin
Small and Medium 1	535	200.00	1,070	1thin

One grade step is worth $95.42/cwt here — about $493 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

11 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $419.81, low $340.56, median $374.98 across 11 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 sale13 hd

288.08

—

TN average15 barns · 1,240 hd

289.66

−1.58

National average185 barns · 16,988 hd

305.02

−16.94

This barn, trailing median11 sales

374.98

−86.91

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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,300	133.96	1,741	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,169	133.16	1,557	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	995	118.00	1,174	1thin
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,598	127.97	2,045	3thin
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,430	126.00	1,802	2thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,127	116.76	1,315	7thin

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,400	$2,825	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,000	$2,550	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,317	$2,225	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,200	$1,950	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,150	$1,775	2thin
Stock Cows	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,052	$1,773	3thin
Stock Cows	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,150	$1,495	1thin

Every lot, as filed

47 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	503	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,761	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	418	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,484	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	567	311.26/cwt	300.00–315.00	1,765	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	435	323.37/cwt	305.00–340.00	1,407	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	450–500	490	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,887	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,681	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	533	303.77/cwt	302.50–305.00	1,619	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,688	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	660	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,782	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	270	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,094	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	573	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,874	2
Heifers	Small and Medium 1	500–550	535	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,070	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	291.24/cwt	290.00–292.50	1,835	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	525	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,890	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,633	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	610	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,342	1
Dairy Steers	Large 4	450–500	485	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,006	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	315	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,047	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	297.75/cwt	294.00–310.00	1,563	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	643	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,608	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	280	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	868	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	750–800	775	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,093	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	670	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,591	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	465	308.12/cwt	300.00–320.00	1,433	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	353	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,165	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	375.49/cwt	360.00–397.50	1,401	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	326.96/cwt	315.00–340.00	1,563	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	500–550	545	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,512	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	625	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,438	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	550–600	555	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,610	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	385	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,405	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,400	2,825.00/head	2,825.00–2,825.00	2,825	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,150	1,775.00/head	1,625.00–1,925.00	1,775	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,150	1,495.00/head	1,495.00–1,495.00	1,495	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,052	1,772.84/head	1,575.00–2,010.00	1,773	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,317	2,225.00/head	1,850.00–2,425.00	2,225	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	995	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,174	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,153	130.46/cwt	127.00–136.00	1,504	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,235	143.95/cwt	143.00–145.00	1,778	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,300	133.96/cwt	129.00–140.00	1,741	5
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,098	119.41/cwt	116.00–123.00	1,311	5
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,198	110.12/cwt	106.00–113.00	1,319	2
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,802	2
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,610	131.45/cwt	126.00–137.00	2,116	2
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,575	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,906	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 →

East Tennessee Livestock Center - Sweetwater, TN

Wed Mar 5, 2025

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 98Last week 127Year ago 129

Slaughter CattleReceipts 51Last week 56Year ago 61

Replacement CattleReceipts 12Last week 6Year ago 5

Compared to last week, slaughter cows gauging 2.00 to 4.00 lower overall, with no comparisons available for slaughter bulls and feeder classes due to limited comparable receipts.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	470	347.50	347.50
2	500–550	503	350.00	350.00
2	550–600	573	327.00	327.00
2	600–650	630	290.00–292.50	291.24
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	525	360.00	360.00
1	750–800	775	270.00	270.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	385	365.00	365.00
2	400–450	418	355.00	355.00
1	550–600	555	290.00	290.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	280	310.00	310.00
1	300–350	315	332.50	332.50
4	350–400	353	330.00	330.00
10	400–450	435	305.00–340.00	323.37
3	450–500	465	300.00–320.00	308.12
10	500–550	525	294.00–310.00	297.75
2	600–650	643	250.00	250.00
1	650–700	670	237.50	237.50
Heifers — Small and Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	535	200.00	200.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	610	220.00	220.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	545	277.50	277.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	625	230.00	230.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	250–300	270	405.00	405.00
3	350–400	373	360.00–397.50	375.49
1	400–450	410	410.00	410.00
5	450–500	478	315.00–340.00	326.96
2	500–550	533	302.50–305.00	303.77
4	550–600	567	300.00–315.00	311.26
2	600–650	625	270.00	270.00
2	650–700	660	270.00	270.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	490	385.00	385.00
Dairy Steers — Large 4$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	485	207.50	207.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · estimate wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	1,000	2,550.00	2,550.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	1,200	1,950.00	1,950.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,400	2,825.00	2,825.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	2	—	1,150	1,625.00–1,925.00	1,775.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,317	1,850.00–2,425.00	2,225.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,150	1,495.00	1,495.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,052	1,575.00–2,010.00	1,772.84

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	995	118.00	118.00
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,153	127.00–136.00	130.46
2	—	1,235	143.00–145.00	143.95
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,300	129.00–140.00	133.96
Dairy Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,098	116.00–123.00	119.41
2	—	1,198	106.00–113.00	110.12
Dairy Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,430	126.00	126.00
Dairy Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,610	126.00–137.00	131.45
1	—	1,575	121.00	121.00

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

More

Sweetwater Livestock Auction

Reporter comment USDA

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

What quality paid 500–600 lb

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

How it compared 500–600 lb

Slaughter cattle

Replacement cattle Per head

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

East Tennessee Livestock Center - Sweetwater, TN

Feeder Cattle

Replacement Cattle

Slaughter Cattle