Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 4, 2022

535 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $159.97/cwt +6.82 vs last sale · ≈ $746/hd at 467 lb · 51 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $161.98/cwt +5.52 vs last sale · ≈ $686/hd at 423 lb · 33 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $160.11/cwt +10.20 vs last sale · ≈ $888/hd at 555 lb · 33 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 535 887 296
Feeder cattle 458 774 248
Slaughter cattle 60 103 41
Replacement cattle 17 10 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady. Good demand on feeder classes. Slaughter cows sold steady with the exception of a few high dressers. Slaughter bulls sold steady on a light test.

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
300–325 313 2 170.00–185.00 $177.20 $555 -13.80
365–395 387 7 170.00–182.00 $178.73 $692 +0.11
400 fancy 400 2 200.00 $200.00 $800 +1.15
400–442 422 6 174.00–181.00 $179.02 $755 +0.96
457–473 fancy 468 6 200.00–213.00 $204.23 $956 +9.91
470–485 480 6 180.00–193.00 $186.49 $895 +8.35
492 value added 492 2 198.00 $198.00 $974 —
515–540 517 16 174.00–183.00 $181.62 $939 +10.32
535–540 value added 539 5 189.00–191.00 $189.40 $1,021 -1.90
553–560 value added 555 4 178.00–180.00 $178.50 $991 -9.00
550–585 567 6 160.00–174.00 $166.38 $943 -8.14
607–625 614 9 159.00–171.00 $166.52 $1,022 +8.61
610–640 value added 630 3 174.00 $174.00 $1,096 -4.11
664–695 681 18 152.00–158.00 $155.46 $1,059 -2.90
700–740 718 4 150.00–157.00 $153.20 $1,100 +23.20
770–793 780 12 139.00–152.00 $144.79 $1,129 +4.79
855–870 866 4 133.00–141.00 $134.97 $1,169 -9.03
960 value added 960 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,229 —
955–980 978 10 117.00–125.50 $124.67 $1,219 -1.76
1060 1060 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,346 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 167.50 $167.50 $461 —
315–340 328 2 155.00–158.00 $156.44 $513 -1.81
410 410 1 152.00 $152.00 $623 -11.00
450–490 470 2 167.00–171.00 $168.91 $794 +7.00
510–525 518 2 160.00–162.00 $160.99 $834 +5.51
585–595 590 2 122.00–136.00 $128.94 $761 —
600–635 614 4 138.00–152.00 $147.30 $904 +4.30

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 160.00 $160.00 $376 —
255 fancy 255 1 167.00 $167.00 $426 —
250–290 278 4 150.00–157.50 $153.85 $428 -14.64
300–345 327 6 149.00–164.00 $159.05 $520 -2.11
315–340 fancy 328 2 166.00–168.00 $166.96 $548 -6.04
350–395 373 7 145.00–161.00 $153.18 $571 -5.41
375 fancy 375 3 168.00 $168.00 $630 —
400–448 423 22 149.00–165.00 $158.80 $672 +7.49
412–440 fancy 424 11 167.00–170.00 $168.33 $714 +0.73
461 fancy 461 10 171.00 $171.00 $788 —
450–495 468 41 141.00–164.00 $157.28 $736 +4.13
500–545 519 15 141.00–153.00 $149.77 $777 -1.73
521–526 value added 524 8 157.00–158.00 $157.37 $825 -1.63
552 value added 552 28 162.50 $162.50 $897 —
550–590 569 5 141.00–151.00 $146.71 $835 +0.35
600–620 608 5 121.00–135.00 $128.44 $781 -12.62
600–645 value added 611 8 146.00–153.00 $151.15 $924 -4.89
660–680 670 2 127.00–135.00 $131.06 $878 -1.24
670 value added 670 4 142.00 $142.00 $951 -3.75
705–715 710 2 116.00–123.00 $119.52 $849 —
723 value added 723 3 137.00 $137.00 $991 —
750 value added 750 5 133.00 $133.00 $998 —
750–795 763 5 115.00–127.00 $120.07 $916 -10.93
840 840 1 110.00 $110.00 $924 +1.68
865 865 2 128.00 $128.00 $1,107 —
920 920 1 106.00 $106.00 $975 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 144.00 $144.00 $410 —
335 335 1 140.00 $140.00 $469 —
375 375 2 134.00–136.00 $135.00 $506 —
410–440 427 3 130.00–145.00 $136.48 $583 -11.52
565–585 578 3 128.00–135.00 $130.70 $755 -3.30

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
271 271 3 162.50 $162.50 $440 -22.50
350–395 368 7 170.00–181.00 $175.70 $647 +6.09
400–445 427 8 160.00–174.00 $166.46 $711 +3.22
450–480 461 7 152.00–170.00 $159.60 $736 +2.59
460–490 fancy 477 3 175.00–184.00 $178.58 $852 +5.41
500–546 528 7 162.00–179.00 $171.89 $908 +20.83
555–590 577 8 152.00–169.00 $162.48 $938 +5.79
605–645 626 4 141.00–161.00 $149.09 $933 +9.09
660–695 676 5 127.00–140.00 $131.16 $887 -0.99
750–775 763 2 120.00–121.00 $120.49 $919 +0.58
855 855 1 101.00 $101.00 $864 —
910 910 1 106.00 $106.00 $965 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–380 365 2 164.00–165.00 $164.52 $600 —
445 445 1 157.50 $157.50 $701 —
450 450 1 155.00 $155.00 $698 —
515–530 525 3 125.00–141.00 $135.43 $711 -10.57
625–640 635 3 123.00–135.00 $127.37 $809 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1285 1112 80-85% 7 73.00–77.00 $74.90 $833 —
895–1575 1215 80-85% 13 79.00–91.00 $82.45 $1,002 —
1380 1380 80-85% 1 67.00 $67.00 $925 -14.96
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795 795 85-90% 1 57.00 $57.00 $453 —
820–995 869 85-90% 6 46.00–52.00 $50.40 $438 -7.26
775–1125 954 85-90% 8 68.00–75.00 $71.57 $683 +7.77
900–1065 980 85-90% 5 65.00–66.00 $65.81 $645 +2.01
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340 1340 75-80% 1 76.00 $76.00 $1,018 —
1205–1710 1413 75-80% 11 80.00–85.00 $82.59 $1,167 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190 1190 1 76.00 $76.00 $904 —
1330 1330 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,410 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00
990–1065 1028 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 770.00–900.00 $837.37
1215 1215 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 790.00 $790.00
1415 1415 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 980.00 $980.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780 780 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 680.00 $680.00
835 835 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 600.00 $600.00

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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
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00 —

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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.