Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 12, 2023

642 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 $232.85/cwt +7.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,344/hd at 577 lb · 48 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $203.72/cwt +8.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,172/hd at 575 lb · 44 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $207.81/cwt +11.24 vs last sale · ≈ $1,066/hd at 513 lb · 40 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 642 614 669
Feeder cattle 571 538 608
Slaughter cattle 47 64 55
Replacement cattle 24 12 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 400lbs sold steady with feeder steers over 400lbs 5.00 to 7.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 500lbs sold steady with feeder heifers over 500lbs 6.00 to 8.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 higher with some extremely high dressing individuals. 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
275–280 277 3 252.50–262.50 $259.13 $718 —
315–345 338 4 230.00–232.50 $230.58 $779 -5.84
350–394 378 10 240.00–255.00 $242.82 $918 +0.06
430 fancy 430 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,075 —
415–445 436 8 230.00–242.00 $236.51 $1,031 +4.18
453–490 475 14 230.00–247.50 $238.98 $1,135 +13.74
502–547 value added 517 20 236.00–255.00 $239.87 $1,240 -5.72
507–545 524 11 217.00–231.00 $220.33 $1,155 -6.24
550–595 value added 577 38 233.00–241.00 $235.19 $1,357 -8.15
562–595 578 10 218.00–229.00 $223.95 $1,294 +4.07
600–633 620 12 219.00–226.00 $223.26 $1,384 +1.73
627 value added 627 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,473 —
650–658 655 16 221.00–227.00 $224.07 $1,468 +18.09
668 value added 668 12 231.50 $231.50 $1,546 —
715 715 2 199.00 $199.00 $1,423 +21.77
730 value added 730 4 214.50 $214.50 $1,566 —
760–795 778 2 181.00–187.00 $184.07 $1,432 +5.89
813 813 3 183.00 $183.00 $1,488 —
828 value added 828 8 189.50 $189.50 $1,569 —
850–898 880 11 176.00–185.00 $182.09 $1,602 +13.09
900 900 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,602 +28.00
975 975 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,658 +8.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 389 5 218.00 $218.00 $848 +9.00
511 511 7 209.00 $209.00 $1,068 +7.81
573 573 3 206.00 $206.00 $1,180 +24.00
680 680 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,278 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 210.00 $210.00 $840 —
510 510 1 190.00 $190.00 $969 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 172.00 $172.00 $903 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 207.50 $207.50 $508 —
275 275 2 212.50 $212.50 $584 +2.77
305–345 327 6 215.00–225.00 $220.63 $721 +2.40
350–355 fancy 353 2 230.00 $230.00 $812 —
360–395 378 15 210.00–225.00 $218.98 $828 +12.40
405–445 434 17 211.00–217.00 $214.80 $932 -2.71
445 fancy 445 2 228.00 $228.00 $1,015 —
455–495 477 8 210.00–219.00 $213.45 $1,018 +10.51
500–530 value added 510 21 211.00–221.00 $217.24 $1,108 +13.73
500–537 516 19 190.00–207.00 $197.39 $1,019 +2.67
555–575 value added 558 16 207.00–215.00 $210.86 $1,177 —
555–598 585 28 190.00–205.00 $199.64 $1,168 +4.42
600–635 612 9 180.00–196.00 $190.20 $1,164 +11.20
630–635 value added 631 17 199.00–215.00 $213.10 $1,345 —
655–699 692 6 187.00–192.00 $187.79 $1,300 +28.22
703–710 value added 705 32 184.25–184.50 $184.34 $1,300 +29.34
710–724 722 6 165.00–171.00 $170.02 $1,228 +40.02
820 820 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,099 -5.20
940 940 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,119 —
955 955 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,242 +5.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–345 328 2 200.00–202.50 $201.18 $660 +14.32
445 445 8 194.00–195.00 $194.13 $864 -7.23
460–498 487 5 199.00–205.00 $201.36 $981 +10.81
500–535 508 11 189.00–190.00 $189.72 $964 +15.72
550–590 570 2 181.00–186.00 $183.41 $1,045 —
615 615 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,082 +16.00
685 685 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,192 —
730 730 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,073 —
980 980 2 113.00 $113.00 $1,107 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–445 423 3 182.50–188.00 $184.43 $780 +0.43
465–480 478 11 185.00–191.00 $186.53 $892 +1.53
540 540 1 180.00 $180.00 $972 +17.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 247.50 $247.50 $705 +9.78
300–317 312 6 232.50–247.50 $237.08 $740 +1.26
353–390 362 4 230.00–233.00 $232.19 $841 +6.12
400–438 422 10 220.00–236.00 $230.04 $971 +9.38
470–495 476 5 223.00–235.00 $225.37 $1,073 +12.44
517–545 531 5 205.00–215.00 $210.59 $1,118 +7.11
552–560 555 3 202.00–214.00 $209.96 $1,165 +1.17
615 615 2 189.00–198.00 $193.50 $1,190 +7.85
660 660 3 181.00–183.00 $182.33 $1,203 -1.64
715 715 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,216 -17.00
755–790 773 2 159.00–166.00 $162.42 $1,256 —
805 805 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,248 —
1025 1025 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,425 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 213.00 $213.00 $1,044 —
515 515 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,015 +11.00
575 575 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,121 +3.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 2 160.00 $160.00 $568 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 198.00 $198.00 $940 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1325 1144 80-85% 11 86.00–96.00 $91.73 $1,049 —
1140–1515 1310 80-85% 15 99.00–116.00 $106.22 $1,391 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755–760 758 85-90% 2 40.00 $40.00 $303 —
895–1030 966 85-90% 4 54.00–60.00 $57.81 $558 —
810–1135 999 85-90% 9 67.00–79.00 $75.05 $750 —
930–1210 1051 85-90% 8 82.00–92.00 $87.22 $917 +7.22
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1580 1461 75-80% 6 97.00–109.00 $101.51 $1,483 +18.27
1450–1620 1515 75-80% 3 91.00–93.00 $92.04 $1,394 -5.52
1630 1630 75-80% 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,222 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1645 1510 4 108.00–119.00 $114.34 $1,727 —
1670–1850 1760 2 130.00–133.00 $131.58 $2,316 —
2380 2380 1 94.00 $94.00 $2,237 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
940 940 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 990.00 $990.00
1065–1105 1082 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 700.00–770.00 $746.81
1015–1185 1100 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 960.00–1,210.00 $1,094.66
1120 1120 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,170.00 $1,170.00
1110–1310 1210 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,040.00–1,060.00 $1,050.83
1245 1245 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,110.00 $1,110.00

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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
955 955 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —
1170 1170 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —

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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.