Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 6, 2021

1,788 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Blue Grass Stockyards report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $149.70/cwt +5.21 vs last sale · ≈ $865/hd at 578 lb · 184 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $132.80/cwt ≈ $985/hd at 742 lb · 160 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $124.74/cwt +1.21 vs last sale · ≈ $715/hd at 573 lb · 137 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,788 197 2,083
Feeder cattle 1,678 157 1,979
Slaughter cattle 95 24 87
Replacement cattle 15 16 17

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: no trend due to holiday's.Heavy supply with good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
288 288 3 170.00 $170.00 $490 —
320–345 value added 333 10 177.50–194.00 $188.97 $629 —
330–345 338 3 160.00–170.00 $165.90 $561 +15.90
380–395 387 7 151.00–173.00 $160.29 $620 —
387 value added 387 2 187.00 $187.00 $724 —
405–420 value added 413 26 170.00–184.00 $180.48 $745 —
405–430 425 6 144.00–166.00 $156.90 $667 +16.90
450–493 477 24 148.00–165.00 $160.11 $764 +6.89
463–495 value added 485 36 166.00–174.25 $170.63 $828 —
500–545 521 17 128.00–151.00 $141.65 $738 —
500–544 value added 521 35 152.00–164.00 $158.42 $825 +1.42
553–580 value added 575 114 152.50–162.50 $155.67 $895 +4.67
550–596 583 70 131.00–148.00 $139.98 $816 -3.70
607–632 value added 626 9 136.50–139.00 $137.04 $858 —
600–645 636 68 120.00–134.00 $130.55 $830 -0.33
650–695 672 53 120.00–134.00 $126.53 $850 —
700–745 728 20 110.00–122.00 $117.01 $852 —
705–749 value added 744 140 127.00–138.90 $135.05 $1,005 —
750 value added 750 7 124.50 $124.50 $934 —
755–799 787 15 112.00–121.00 $116.19 $914 -2.81
800–820 802 16 112.00–118.50 $117.52 $943 —
882 value added 882 58 129.10 $129.10 $1,139 —
905 905 2 108.00 $108.00 $977 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 337 3 130.00–140.00 $135.37 $456 —
380 380 1 140.00 $140.00 $532 —
410–430 420 2 137.00–140.00 $138.54 $582 +13.54
450–495 483 11 126.00–140.00 $136.26 $658 +9.26
565–590 577 3 111.00–124.00 $119.34 $689 —
645 645 1 105.00 $105.00 $677 -12.00
655–695 674 6 103.00–119.00 $111.36 $751 —
715 715 2 90.00–101.00 $95.50 $683 —
750–775 763 2 101.00–106.00 $103.46 $789 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 132.00 $132.00 $370 —
318–332 325 8 135.00–139.00 $136.59 $444 —
350–375 360 19 126.00–136.00 $132.72 $478 +2.72
398 value added 398 10 135.50 $135.50 $539 —
405–433 value added 422 9 135.00–136.00 $135.33 $571 —
405–447 426 24 120.00–134.00 $127.51 $543 +2.82
450–496 475 99 120.00–133.00 $127.50 $606 +3.47
475 value added 475 1 135.00 $135.00 $641 —
525 value added 525 1 127.00 $127.00 $667 -4.62
500–545 528 77 115.00–123.50 $121.42 $641 -2.40
573 value added 573 72 128.70 $128.70 $737 —
552–598 574 65 116.00–123.00 $120.35 $691 -3.18
619 value added 619 31 123.30 $123.30 $763 —
603–647 623 76 103.00–119.25 $115.04 $717 -1.81
650–670 661 26 103.00–120.50 $117.04 $774 +1.37
662–672 value added 665 16 122.50–122.75 $122.67 $816 —
700–735 708 20 95.00–106.00 $97.26 $689 —
734 value added 734 7 115.00 $115.00 $844 —
755–785 762 13 99.00–112.00 $107.55 $820 —
805–836 817 25 108.00–111.50 $109.75 $897 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 120.00 $120.00 $348 —
330 330 1 123.00 $123.00 $406 +3.06
350–395 372 7 110.00–125.00 $121.26 $451 —
405–445 424 4 110.00–116.00 $112.48 $477 +0.47
470–495 484 11 100.00–117.00 $113.10 $547 +2.10
500–525 511 7 105.00–113.00 $109.26 $558 +5.28
555–595 574 8 105.00–114.00 $110.62 $635 —
605–645 622 3 90.00–95.00 $92.66 $576 —
655–695 684 8 100.00–102.00 $101.38 $693 —
795 795 1 90.00 $90.00 $716 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 3 160.00 $160.00 $445 —
325 fancy 325 2 173.00 $173.00 $562 —
328 value added 328 4 179.00 $179.00 $587 —
390 390 1 160.00 $160.00 $624 +10.00
420–445 429 4 140.00–166.00 $152.93 $656 +0.19
429–439 value added 435 12 174.00–180.00 $176.47 $768 —
470–497 484 6 144.00–156.00 $147.30 $713 -5.70
500–545 520 9 120.00–141.00 $127.77 $664 -12.23
527–542 value added 531 8 146.00–161.00 $157.17 $835 —
555–590 570 6 120.00–138.00 $126.05 $718 -0.49
605–630 620 9 113.00–126.00 $118.43 $734 —
665–685 675 2 114.00–115.00 $114.49 $773 -11.86
705–735 718 21 101.00–116.00 $110.60 $794 +7.60
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 147.50 $147.50 $428 +12.50
330 330 1 140.00 $140.00 $462 +2.50
360 360 2 135.00–140.00 $137.50 $495 +3.50
405–445 425 2 130.00–137.00 $133.34 $567 —
455–490 472 9 120.00–130.00 $125.42 $592 +5.42
507–540 518 3 118.00–119.00 $118.35 $613 —
560–598 589 4 115.00–119.00 $118.05 $695 +3.55
670–695 681 6 96.00–110.00 $104.46 $711 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135 1135 80-85% 1 37.00 $37.00 $420 -14.70
1020–1425 1199 80-85% 25 46.00–56.00 $52.18 $626 -3.85
1230–1390 1304 80-85% 9 57.00–61.00 $59.00 $769 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–1010 913 85-90% 9 49.00–57.00 $52.48 $479 +9.48
765–1040 923 85-90% 5 22.00–35.00 $30.63 $283 -12.37
835–1090 985 85-90% 10 36.00–45.00 $41.51 $409 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1790 1496 75-80% 15 50.00–56.50 $54.09 $809 —
1360–1635 1498 75-80% 3 58.00–60.00 $58.97 $883 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1855 1573 4 60.00–75.00 $66.28 $1,043 —
1595–2140 1913 9 81.00–88.00 $84.52 $1,617 —
2010–2050 2030 2 94.00–95.00 $94.50 $1,918 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815–1560 1110 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 490.00–730.00 $644.59
1225–1555 1358 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 750.00–780.00 $770.47

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1285 1285 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 740.00 $740.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
279 279 5 104.00 $104.00 $290 —
687 687 2 76.00 $76.00 $522 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.