Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 12, 2022

1,551 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $159.20/cwt +12.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,061/hd at 667 lb · 193 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $148.92/cwt +12.32 vs last sale · ≈ $991/hd at 666 lb · 115 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $175.40/cwt +6.83 vs last sale · ≈ $937/hd at 534 lb · 74 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,551 1,147 1,061
Feeder cattle 1,487 1,065 982
Slaughter cattle 55 80 71
Replacement cattle 9 2 8

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs 8.00-10.00 higher, over 500 lbs steady to 3.00 higher, Feeder heifers steady to 2.00 higher, Good to very good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows 3.00-5.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 1.00-3.00 higher, Good demand for slaughter classes.

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
310–340 325 2 162.50–172.50 $167.73 $545 +1.56
360–380 fancy 366 14 197.50–219.00 $203.89 $746 +5.34
350–385 373 6 170.00–191.00 $179.67 $670 -0.26
405–435 420 2 180.00–187.50 $183.62 $771 +15.60
400–437 fancy 428 20 191.00–220.00 $205.02 $877 +5.52
450–461 fancy 457 6 193.00–194.00 $193.33 $884 —
450–491 475 26 160.00–185.00 $174.22 $828 -1.30
505–545 529 11 141.00–159.00 $151.19 $800 -9.82
505–549 value added 535 63 161.00–186.00 $179.63 $961 -0.11
555–595 value added 577 22 160.00–170.00 $163.86 $945 -6.43
555–595 584 14 140.00–159.00 $154.97 $905 -0.65
600–645 622 12 132.00–149.00 $141.97 $883 -12.52
600–640 value added 624 45 152.00–161.00 $156.11 $974 -11.06
650–685 658 9 137.00–149.00 $144.45 $950 -2.08
652–693 value added 667 184 150.00–162.00 $159.92 $1,067 —
705–732 722 11 140.00–147.00 $143.87 $1,039 +6.61
705–747 value added 735 17 147.50–153.00 $148.77 $1,093 —
760–785 777 3 139.00–142.00 $140.65 $1,093 +0.52
765–790 value added 778 4 151.00–153.00 $151.74 $1,181 —
805–820 813 2 137.00–138.00 $137.50 $1,118 -1.50
840–845 value added 841 10 145.50–150.00 $146.30 $1,230 —
850 850 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,207 -2.00
875–890 value added 883 2 148.00–149.00 $148.50 $1,311 —
985–987 986 3 130.00–133.00 $132.00 $1,302 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 130.00 $130.00 $325 —
340 340 1 150.00 $150.00 $510 —
355–385 370 3 137.00–155.00 $147.96 $547 +0.88
425–435 433 4 142.00–158.00 $149.46 $647 -0.54
450–495 474 6 140.00–153.00 $146.82 $696 +6.33
500 500 1 133.00 $133.00 $665 —
555–595 584 4 124.00–136.00 $130.07 $760 -2.77
720 720 1 129.00 $129.00 $929 +9.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 150.00 $150.00 $622 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–290 273 2 130.00–145.00 $137.98 $377 —
312 fancy 312 4 158.00–165.00 $161.50 $504 —
310–340 324 5 135.00–157.50 $147.68 $478 -2.12
355–390 368 6 134.00–147.50 $143.45 $528 -5.75
373–385 fancy 379 11 158.00–160.00 $159.17 $603 —
402–449 fancy 425 30 152.00–157.00 $155.31 $660 —
410–442 428 27 130.00–149.00 $142.71 $611 -0.37
450–454 fancy 453 6 150.00–153.00 $152.50 $691 —
450–498 471 34 129.00–148.00 $139.37 $656 -4.21
502–542 value added 521 46 141.00–153.00 $148.56 $774 -1.41
500–545 524 11 130.00–139.00 $135.21 $709 -5.20
550–597 value added 573 30 140.00–148.00 $144.02 $825 —
555–590 574 12 125.00–139.00 $134.05 $769 -4.15
621–630 value added 622 23 139.00–142.00 $140.65 $875 +0.32
600–649 629 17 129.00–137.00 $134.67 $847 +0.88
660–677 value added 664 102 140.50–154.00 $151.03 $1,003 +10.78
665–692 679 13 125.00–136.50 $132.36 $899 -2.68
702–711 value added 710 15 134.50–135.00 $134.57 $955 -0.43
715 715 1 121.00 $121.00 $865 -2.41
760–795 792 13 126.00–131.00 $130.63 $1,035 +9.63
857 value added 857 5 135.50 $135.50 $1,161 —
910–945 928 2 117.00–124.00 $120.57 $1,119 —
1010 1010 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,182 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 2 117.50–125.00 $121.25 $364 -8.75
355–380 368 5 120.00–131.00 $126.76 $466 -3.24
405–415 410 2 125.00 $125.00 $512 +1.15
535 535 1 116.00 $116.00 $621 —
555–585 570 2 112.00–114.00 $112.97 $644 —
615 615 1 111.00 $111.00 $683 -4.00
650–690 673 3 112.00–116.00 $113.69 $765 —
745 745 1 112.00 $112.00 $834 —
880 880 1 105.00 $105.00 $924 —
955 955 2 103.00 $103.00 $984 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 160.00 $160.00 $512 ±0.00
372–397 385 4 155.00–165.00 $160.16 $617 +2.22
387 fancy 387 2 205.00 $205.00 $793 —
405–425 417 6 154.00–175.00 $163.23 $681 +5.12
450–498 480 7 149.00–160.00 $153.62 $737 +2.55
505–532 521 5 142.00–158.00 $150.16 $782 +1.43
550–595 569 8 146.00–155.00 $152.07 $865 +5.19
610–642 630 4 133.00–149.00 $140.44 $885 -0.95
655–660 658 2 128.00–134.00 $130.99 $862 -7.03
690 690 1 108.00 $108.00 $745 -30.02
720–740 730 2 121.00–123.00 $121.99 $891 -0.51
805 805 1 110.00 $110.00 $886 —
890 890 1 116.00 $116.00 $1,032 —
905 905 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,005 +7.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 131.00 $131.00 $590 -11.00
595 595 1 133.00 $133.00 $791 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1325 1248 80-85% 4 61.00–63.00 $62.03 $774 —
1260–1440 1363 80-85% 6 64.00–71.00 $66.37 $905 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000 1000 85-90% 1 44.00 $44.00 $440 —
1065–1150 1108 85-90% 2 57.00–58.00 $57.48 $637 +9.87
1020–1185 1131 85-90% 6 61.00–69.00 $65.14 $737 +17.53
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1600–1690 1632 75-80% 3 66.00–71.00 $67.97 $1,109 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1635 1493 2 96.00 $96.00 $1,433 —
1605–2405 1916 5 100.00–107.00 $102.45 $1,963 —
1925 1925 1 88.00 $88.00 $1,694 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
965 965 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 690.00 $690.00
1015 1015 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 960.00 $960.00
1230 1230 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00
1335 1335 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 880.00 $880.00
1520 1520 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,030.00 $1,030.00
1410–1685 1548 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 990.00–1,170.00 $1,088.00

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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
1295 1295 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 970.00 $970.00 —
1430 1430 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 990.00 $990.00 —

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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.