Name: Sweetwater Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No market trends available due to limited comparable receipts.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $378.60/cwt on 5 head, down $47.53 from the prior sale (only 11 head in that comparison). That ranks 3 of 7 comparable sales and sits −24.32 against this barn's trailing median of $402.92.

Average price

$378.60

▼ 47.53 vs prior sale

5 head · 529 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,004

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$115

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Small 1

$33.99/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−49.18

vs TN average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	520	400.00	2,080	1thin
Medium and Large 2	515	395.00	2,034	1thin
Small 1	537	366.01	1,965	3thin

One grade step is worth $33.99/cwt here — about $115 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.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

7 sales

Bulls 500–600 lb: high $433.51, low $351.44, median $402.92 across 7 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 sale5 hd

378.60

—

TN average15 barns · 378 hd

427.79

−49.18

This barn, trailing median7 sales

402.92

−24.32

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	1,753	224.53	3,937	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,196	183.92	2,200	6thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,386	182.64	2,532	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	985	162.26	1,598	5thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,253	160.87	2,015	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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	—	$2,675	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	—	$2,500	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	—	$2,125	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	—	$2,000	1thin

Every lot, as filed

41 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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,407	181.60/cwt	174.00–189.00	2,555	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,200	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	2,304	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	990	168.13/cwt	166.00–170.00	1,664	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,065	173.50/cwt	173.50–173.50	1,848	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,380	166.12/cwt	161.00–169.00	2,292	4
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,083	153.86/cwt	150.00–156.00	1,666	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	355.16/cwt	350.00–360.00	2,202	2
Bulls	Small 1	550–600	585	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,121	1
Bulls	Small 1	500–550	513	367.76/cwt	350.00–385.00	1,887	2
Bulls	Small 1	450–500	460	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,794	1
Bulls	Small 1	250–300	290	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,421	1
Steers	Small 1	350–400	355	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,722	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	497	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,087	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	685	374.89/cwt	360.00–390.00	2,568	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	873	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,313	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,100	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	358	440.10/cwt	435.00–445.00	1,576	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	2,017	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	515	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,034	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,956	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,995	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	406	472.44/cwt	465.00–475.00	1,918	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	623	378.82/cwt	350.00–400.00	2,360	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	600	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,490	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	365	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	1,916	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	435	491.42/cwt	480.00–505.00	2,138	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	575	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,128	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Full	300–350	315	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,355	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	600–650	600	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,460	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	300–350	340	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,513	1
Bulls	—	—	1,800	233.78/cwt	231.00–238.00	4,208	2
Bulls	—	—	1,722	218.37/cwt	217.00–220.00	3,760	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	940	150.76/cwt	149.00–153.00	1,417	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,150	179.63/cwt	171.00–184.50	2,066	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,288	192.49/cwt	188.00–197.00	2,479	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	500–550	520	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,080	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	—	2,125.00/head	1,850.00–2,400.00	2,125	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	—	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	—	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	—	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	1
Bred Cows	Small and Medium 1-2	—	—	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	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 May 20, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 74Last week 97Year ago 49

Slaughter CattleReceipts 44Last week 38Year ago 49

Replacement CattleReceipts 10Last week 4Year ago 5

No market trends available due to limited comparable receipts.

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,407	174.00–189.00	181.60
1	—	1,200	192.00	192.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	990	166.00–170.00	168.13
1	—	1,065	173.50	173.50
2	—	940	149.00–153.00	150.76
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,150	171.00–184.50	179.63
2	—	1,288	188.00–197.00	192.49
Dairy Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,380	161.00–169.00	166.12
3	—	1,083	150.00–156.00	153.86
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,800	231.00–238.00	233.78
3	—	1,722	217.00–220.00	218.37

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	358	435.00–445.00	440.10
4	400–450	406	465.00–475.00	472.44
3	450–500	477	410.00	410.00
3	500–550	525	380.00	380.00
1	550–600	575	370.00	370.00
2	600–650	620	350.00–360.00	355.16
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
3	450–500	497	420.00	420.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	315	430.00	430.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	340	445.00	445.00
Bulls — Small 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	290	490.00	490.00
1	450–500	460	390.00	390.00
2	500–550	513	350.00–385.00	367.76
1	550–600	585	362.50	362.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	365	525.00	525.00
6	400–450	435	480.00–505.00	491.42
6	600–650	623	350.00–400.00	378.82
2	650–700	685	360.00–390.00	374.89
2	850–900	873	265.00	265.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	515	395.00	395.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	520	400.00	400.00
Steers — Small 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	355	485.00	485.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	370	545.00	545.00
1	400–450	420	500.00	500.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	600	415.00	415.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	600	410.00	410.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · n/c wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	—	1,850.00–2,400.00	2,125.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	—	2,500.00	2,500.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	—	2,800.00	2,800.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per head · n/c wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	—	2,550.00	2,550.00
Bred Cows — Small and Medium 1-2$ per head · n/c wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	—	2,000.00	2,000.00

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

Bulls · 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

Slaughter Cattle

Feeder Cattle

Replacement Cattle