The Morning Wire / Tennessee / Tue Oct 20, 2026

Tennessee cattle market

The trading day in one page — Tue, Oct 20

● 5 barns reportedEvery figure as filedNational wire →

← Oct 19Oct 20Oct 21 →

The market in a line

Tue, Oct 20

Choice cutout closed $1.72 higher at $373.30. 5 Tennessee barns reported 415 priced lots.

Feeder steers

Tennessee, week of Oct 19 USDA

Weighted across every reported lot, by weight class. Weekly rather than daily — one day's barns are too thin a base for a state figure. Watch the barn count: a weight class carried by one or two barns is a thin figure, not a market.

Weight	Price	vs prior week	Head	Barns
300-399 lb	465.92/cwt	$35.23 higher	135	15
400-499 lb	406.41/cwt	$10.34 lower	167	14
500-599 lb	377.37/cwt	$4.04 higher	420	15
600-699 lb	344.32/cwt	$4.96 lower	458	16
700-799 lb	333.07/cwt	$2.66 lower	315	13
800-899 lb	333.00/cwt	$10.69 higher	582	12

Barn by barn, 500–599 lb steers

Same day, same class USDA

Every barn that sold at least 20 head of this class on Tue, Oct 20, weighted by head. Spread of $59.34 between the top and bottom of 2 barns. An average moves with the cattle that showed up as much as with the buyers in the seats — a yard with better grade will average higher on the same demand. This is where the money landed, not a verdict on the barn.

Barn	State	Average	Head
Knoxville Livestock Auction - Knoxville, TN	TN	411.48/cwt	49
Athens Regional Stockyard - Athens, TN	TN	352.13/cwt	42

Boxed beef

National · PM close · Oct 20 USDA

Choice $373.30, $1.72 higher. Select $361.54, $1.63 higher. The Choice–Select spread stands at $11.76. 98 loads traded.

Fed cattle

National · Negotiated cash, week to date USDA

24,753 head traded Oct 10–Oct 16.

Region	Basis	Price	Head
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed Delivered	353.40	3,231
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed FOB	350.84	679
Iowa-Minnesota	Live Delivered	225.48	73
Iowa-Minnesota	Live FOB	223.03	5,858
Nebraska	Dressed Delivered	351.23	9,484
Nebraska	Dressed FOB	354.00	639

At the Tennessee barns

USDA market reporters, as filed USDA

Compared to last week, Feeder Steers unevenly steady. Feeder Heifers mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Feeder Bulls 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Slaughter Cows and Bulls mostly steady. Good supply of average quality cattle. Buyer demand good.
Athens Regional Stockyard - Athens, TN · Tennessee

Compared to last week, feeder steers weighing up to 500 lbs. sold sharply higher with those weighing over 500 lbs. unevenly steady. Regarding feeder heifers- 3-weights sold sharply higher, with those weighing 400 to 550 lbs. 12.00 higher, and those weighing over 550 lbs. 8.00 lower.
Knoxville Livestock Auction - Knoxville, TN · Tennessee

Compared to last week, Feeder Steers/Bulls mostly steady to 5.00 higher; Feeder Heifers under 600 lbs. 5.00-10.00 lower, over 600 lbs. steady to 5.00 higher; Slaughter Cows 2.00-4.00 lower; Slaughter Bulls 3.00 lower.
United Producers Inc (Fayetteville, TN) · Tennessee

Compared to last week Feeder Steers not well established; Feeder Heifers mostly steady; Feeder Bulls unevenly steady; Fleshier and unweaned calves receiving a considerable discount; Slaughter Cows/ Bulls steady to 2.00 higher.
Pulaski Livestock Auction - Pulaski, TN · Tennessee

Cows and bulls

National direct, dressed USDA

Class	Price	Direction	Head
Breaker (75% lean)	244.60/cwt	$8.63 lower	527
Boner (85% lean)	256.04/cwt	$1.41 lower	1,765
Cutter (90% lean)	259.28/cwt	$0.33 higher	3,630
Premium White	276.61/cwt	$7.86 higher	1,400
Bull (92% lean)	320.39/cwt	$0.63 higher	436

What published

See every report →

Every USDA report carried this date is listed in the archive.

Source: USDA AMS. Feeder prices and barn comment are Tennessee only; boxed beef, fed cattle and the cow market are national, because those markets are. Every figure is USDA's as filed, and the direction words — higher, lower, steady— follow the arithmetic rather than an opinion. Quoted comment is the work of USDA market reporters, credited to the sale it came from. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of USDA data, not a copy of USDA's document and not endorsed by USDA.