Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 24, 2022

1,230 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $164.78/cwt +4.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,209/hd at 734 lb · 152 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $182.10/cwt -2.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,511/hd at 830 lb · 134 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $180.54/cwt +1.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,229/hd at 681 lb · 84 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,230 991 866
Feeder cattle 1,080 860 831
Slaughter cattle 104 115 31
Replacement cattle 46 16 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 2.00 higher. Yearling steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady.

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
260–295 278 2 190.00–197.50 $193.99 $539 -18.51
335 335 1 186.00 $186.00 $623 -20.00
350 fancy 350 1 202.00 $202.00 $707 -18.00
375 375 1 185.00 $185.00 $694 -15.00
415 fancy 415 1 200.00 $200.00 $830 -12.00
465–490 478 3 187.00–196.00 $191.63 $916 -3.38
485–497 fancy 490 6 200.00–208.00 $204.14 $1,000 —
507–516 value added 515 18 201.00–217.00 $214.03 $1,102 +7.29
500–547 526 8 186.00–198.00 $192.06 $1,010 -4.44
551–585 566 27 188.00–198.00 $192.48 $1,089 +2.76
614 value added 614 43 207.00 $207.00 $1,271 +11.00
608–648 636 16 186.00–194.00 $191.17 $1,216 +7.46
663–687 681 84 179.00–183.00 $180.54 $1,229 +1.50
710–730 720 2 151.00–165.00 $158.10 $1,138 -18.08
732 value added 732 18 168.00 $168.00 $1,230 —
760–785 776 11 153.00–168.00 $161.58 $1,254 —
824–835 value added 829 129 182.30–183.50 $182.92 $1,516 -1.19
844 844 5 161.00 $161.00 $1,359 —
910 910 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,429 +7.00
916 value added 916 63 172.50 $172.50 $1,580 +4.75
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
561 561 4 177.00 $177.00 $993 —
615 615 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,076 —
699 699 23 170.00 $170.00 $1,188 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 2 162.50 $162.50 $431 +1.50
300–335 323 4 155.00–164.00 $160.71 $519 -4.29
355–397 382 6 161.00–172.00 $163.94 $626 -5.87
400–440 423 11 163.00–175.00 $166.86 $706 -1.64
460–487 fancy 476 18 180.00–185.00 $183.39 $873 +3.39
460–498 487 9 175.00–176.00 $175.78 $856 +2.11
505–545 527 21 160.00–174.00 $170.05 $896 -1.64
561–564 value added 564 29 179.00–186.00 $179.96 $1,015 —
555–598 576 54 159.00–171.00 $162.07 $934 -7.18
607 value added 607 4 165.00 $165.00 $1,002 +1.90
610–643 638 25 149.00–162.00 $157.96 $1,008 +4.86
662–682 667 8 160.00–162.00 $160.51 $1,071 +7.76
704 704 5 160.00 $160.00 $1,126 -0.57
726–743 value added 735 147 161.50–168.00 $164.94 $1,212 —
795 795 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,105 —
810 810 2 140.00–145.00 $142.50 $1,154 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–395 383 2 140.00–156.00 $147.74 $566 —
426–435 428 4 152.00–155.00 $152.76 $654 —
460–462 462 9 158.00–160.00 $159.78 $738 —
505 505 1 150.00 $150.00 $758 —
565 565 2 150.00 $150.00 $848 —
630–645 638 2 133.00–145.00 $138.93 $886 —
650–680 671 14 125.00–135.00 $133.17 $894 —
730 730 1 124.00 $124.00 $905 —
755 755 1 119.00 $119.00 $898 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
297 297 2 192.00 $192.00 $570 +17.00
305–345 324 5 192.50–199.00 $194.72 $631 -10.28
350–385 368 2 188.00–196.00 $191.81 $706 -13.23
397 fancy 397 2 204.00 $204.00 $810 —
405–445 417 6 180.00–189.00 $184.84 $771 -13.28
473–497 484 8 180.00–190.00 $186.55 $903 -1.51
490 fancy 490 1 213.00 $213.00 $1,044 +9.79
505 fancy 505 1 197.00 $197.00 $995 +3.83
500–545 526 12 179.00–188.00 $183.94 $968 +0.86
555 fancy 555 2 176.00 $176.00 $977 -10.00
550–585 567 6 154.00–162.00 $158.14 $897 -12.35
605 fancy 605 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,107 —
600–640 617 6 160.00–172.00 $164.34 $1,014 +2.59
655–685 670 2 159.00–162.00 $160.47 $1,075 +0.55
700–746 730 7 129.00–142.00 $134.84 $984 -24.16
765–788 780 7 125.00–130.00 $128.60 $1,003 -14.14
815 815 1 120.00 $120.00 $978 +6.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 174.00 $174.00 $679 +4.00
425 425 1 170.00 $170.00 $722 -5.00
500–545 525 3 164.00–170.00 $168.10 $883 +4.10
645 645 1 156.00 $156.00 $1,006 +6.00
660–685 673 2 145.00–146.00 $145.51 $979 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–930 860 85-90% 5 40.00–50.00 $45.15 $388 -15.77
795–1030 908 85-90% 4 57.00–62.00 $60.23 $547 -9.53
845–1150 976 85-90% 19 64.00–75.00 $68.65 $670 —
895–1235 1023 85-90% 14 76.00–83.00 $79.61 $814 +0.63
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1290 1154 80-85% 17 77.00–86.00 $82.45 $951 +0.28
1160–1255 1211 80-85% 4 70.00–74.00 $72.96 $884 -16.02
1060–1410 1262 80-85% 13 87.00–98.00 $91.25 $1,152 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420 1420 75-80% 1 87.00 $87.00 $1,235 —
1395–1525 1450 75-80% 4 90.00–97.00 $94.31 $1,367 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–2065 1457 7 88.00–104.00 $98.87 $1,441 —
1265–1600 1460 3 111.00–115.00 $113.04 $1,650 —
1685–2365 1940 7 119.00–130.00 $123.36 $2,393 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780–960 870 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 730.00–990.00 $873.45

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 890.00 $890.00
950–1095 1023 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 940.00–980.00 $958.58
1010–1225 1106 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 820.00–1,030.00 $947.97
1050–1250 1150 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,080.00–1,120.00 $1,098.26
1350 1350 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,160.00 $1,160.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
785 785 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 870.00 $870.00
810 810 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 920.00 $920.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
750 750 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 730.00 $730.00
825–835 830 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 800.00–870.00 $835.21

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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
1090–1190 1157 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 990.00–1,180.00 $1,049.68 —
1215–1225 1220 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,130.00–1,190.00 $1,160.12 —
1250 1250 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —
1425 1425 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,080.00 $1,080.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
890 890 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 880.00 $880.00 —

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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.