Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 3, 2023

491 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $206.29/cwt +11.12 vs last sale · ≈ $1,081/hd at 524 lb · 43 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $211.85/cwt +7.61 vs last sale · ≈ $1,010/hd at 477 lb · 35 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $239.75/cwt -1.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,239/hd at 517 lb · 30 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 491 418 535
Feeder cattle 423 350 458
Slaughter cattle 58 63 60
Replacement cattle 10 5 17

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 4.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 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
260 260 1 247.50 $247.50 $644 —
285–287 fancy 287 5 260.00–265.00 $260.99 $749 —
315–325 320 2 245.00–252.50 $248.81 $796 +3.81
305–340 fancy 327 5 262.50–270.00 $263.90 $863 —
350 fancy 350 1 260.00 $260.00 $910 —
350–392 370 5 235.00–245.00 $237.87 $880 -4.63
420–447 436 7 238.00–249.00 $244.48 $1,066 +5.13
445 value added 445 2 263.00 $263.00 $1,170 —
450–497 477 4 221.00–238.00 $226.32 $1,080 -6.96
510 value added 510 1 247.00 $247.00 $1,260 -5.00
502–543 517 29 230.00–241.00 $239.50 $1,238 +8.25
555–595 563 7 219.00–232.00 $226.62 $1,276 +9.15
550–586 value added 573 5 242.00–249.00 $246.41 $1,412 -0.59
601–617 value added 608 12 230.00–238.00 $235.18 $1,430 +3.18
605–617 614 5 211.00–223.00 $217.82 $1,337 +1.82
652 value added 652 2 231.00 $231.00 $1,506 —
670–695 683 4 208.00–210.00 $208.98 $1,427 +9.46
720–725 721 4 201.00–204.00 $201.75 $1,455 +2.42
750–768 764 4 202.00–204.00 $203.51 $1,555 +18.51
875 875 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,575 —
955 955 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,471 —
1005 1005 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,457 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–440 429 7 212.50–228.00 $220.76 $947 -5.24
470 470 1 212.00 $212.00 $996 —
530 530 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,113 ±0.00
555–580 572 3 198.00–200.00 $199.35 $1,140 -17.65
607–645 622 5 189.00–201.00 $195.50 $1,216 +14.50
680 680 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,353 —
760 760 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,376 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,092 —
732–735 734 4 160.00–165.00 $162.51 $1,193 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 2 217.50 $217.50 $631 —
305 fancy 305 2 240.00 $240.00 $732 +13.78
347 347 4 223.00 $223.00 $774 +5.94
355–396 375 15 204.00–217.50 $208.90 $783 +4.92
405–445 426 13 198.00–211.00 $205.18 $874 +0.39
432 value added 432 7 234.00 $234.00 $1,011 —
455–463 value added 460 6 231.00–235.00 $232.32 $1,069 —
455–495 480 29 201.00–215.00 $207.61 $997 +3.37
510–535 523 38 195.00–211.00 $204.88 $1,072 +9.71
530 value added 530 5 217.00 $217.00 $1,150 —
563 value added 563 13 212.00 $212.00 $1,194 —
560–570 564 4 190.00–207.00 $200.21 $1,129 +3.31
605–616 613 8 180.00–193.00 $188.41 $1,155 +11.29
630 value added 630 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,260 +6.51
745 745 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,080 -25.00
760–790 775 2 152.00–158.00 $155.06 $1,202 -0.94
814 value added 814 24 183.75 $183.75 $1,496 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–375 373 2 188.00–190.00 $188.99 $705 -6.28
415–447 437 4 188.00–192.00 $190.80 $834 +0.80
472–485 476 3 185.00–190.00 $186.70 $889 -9.30
580–595 590 3 181.00–185.00 $183.66 $1,084 -0.58
650–672 665 3 158.00–166.00 $160.61 $1,068 —
730–740 735 2 130.00–132.00 $131.01 $963 -9.31
790 790 1 132.50 $132.50 $1,047 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–375 363 2 190.00–199.00 $194.66 $707 —
460 460 2 190.00 $190.00 $874 +7.76
600–635 622 3 150.00–153.00 $151.02 $939 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 185.00 $185.00 $426 —
250 250 1 182.50 $182.50 $456 —
445 445 1 168.00 $168.00 $748 —
485 485 1 162.00 $162.00 $786 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–280 270 3 235.00–237.50 $236.64 $639 —
285 fancy 285 1 252.50 $252.50 $720 —
325 fancy 325 2 260.00 $260.00 $845 —
350–378 367 8 235.00–250.00 $245.03 $899 +5.03
400 400 1 245.00 $245.00 $980 +14.33
455–471 467 4 225.00–238.00 $234.83 $1,097 +11.75
520–545 526 6 210.00–211.00 $210.34 $1,106 -10.28
550–595 564 6 208.00–213.00 $208.99 $1,179 -9.01
615 615 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,162 -0.51
660 660 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,327 +2.00
710–730 720 2 184.00–189.00 $186.47 $1,343 -0.44
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 210.00 $210.00 $651 -12.50
365–390 375 3 220.00–222.50 $220.82 $828 —
420 420 1 220.00 $220.00 $924 —
455–480 470 8 199.00–215.00 $208.73 $981 —
540 540 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,026 -14.72
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 180.00 $180.00 $963 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–1060 968 85-90% 3 57.00–60.00 $58.62 $567 —
780–1175 981 85-90% 9 62.00–72.00 $66.88 $656 —
925–1215 1051 85-90% 12 77.00–86.00 $81.86 $860 -3.18
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1390 1223 80-85% 15 79.00–88.00 $85.79 $1,049 -9.72
1120–1390 1284 80-85% 7 90.00–95.00 $92.99 $1,194 +3.43
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310 1310 75-80% 1 94.00 $94.00 $1,231 —
1330–1520 1461 75-80% 4 80.00–89.00 $83.06 $1,214 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1990 1540 4 110.00–115.00 $112.52 $1,733 —
1860–1910 1885 2 119.00–122.00 $120.48 $2,271 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1130 1130 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,020.00 $1,020.00
1450 1450 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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
1275 1275 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–417 415 3 140.00–159.00 $152.74 $634 —
490 490 3 158.00 $158.00 $774 —

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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.