Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 24, 2023

529 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 $222.30/cwt +3.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,156/hd at 520 lb · 48 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $216.89/cwt +8.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,235/hd at 569 lb · 36 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $232.55/cwt +5.77 vs last sale · ≈ $975/hd at 419 lb · 29 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 529 643 659
Feeder cattle 480 511 548
Slaughter cattle 35 77 104
Replacement cattle 14 55 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 500lbs sold 6.00 to 8.00 higher with feeder steers over 500lbs steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 600lbs sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher with feeder heifers over 600lbs mostly steady. Slaughter cows sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher and slaughter bulls 2.00 to 4.00 higher.

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
305–330 319 4 275.00–285.00 $281.27 $897 +27.03
375–397 384 5 257.50–265.00 $262.50 $1,008 +13.39
400 value added 400 1 268.00 $268.00 $1,072 +12.64
405–442 429 10 250.00–255.00 $251.57 $1,079 +9.84
452–465 value added 462 8 264.00–269.00 $267.78 $1,237 —
456–495 476 17 245.00–257.00 $250.97 $1,195 +11.38
505–530 515 10 220.00–238.00 $231.05 $1,190 -2.85
515–525 value added 522 6 241.00–242.00 $241.67 $1,262 -8.48
552–587 565 25 240.00–255.00 $247.23 $1,397 +5.24
605–630 value added 612 6 249.00–252.50 $249.93 $1,530 +1.61
600–645 622 8 227.00–242.50 $236.15 $1,469 +8.15
650 value added 650 2 245.00–247.00 $246.00 $1,599 —
650–685 673 5 225.00–229.00 $226.37 $1,523 -6.67
715 715 5 206.00 $206.00 $1,473 -9.25
832 832 2 184.00 $184.00 $1,531 -3.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–495 474 5 229.00–239.00 $236.52 $1,121 +15.52
542 542 2 211.00 $211.00 $1,144 -5.00
560 560 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,238 -3.03
640 640 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,248 -20.68
740 740 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,369 —
770 770 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,332 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 2 183.00 $183.00 $750 —
450 450 1 210.00 $210.00 $945 —
550 550 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,160 —
865 865 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,254 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,113 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 182.50 $182.50 $803 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 211.00 $211.00 $971 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200 1200 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,812 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 210.00 $210.00 $682 -18.90
350–395 374 9 217.00–225.00 $220.99 $827 +1.80
408–421 value added 413 11 238.00–242.00 $239.10 $987 —
400–447 423 18 221.00–236.00 $228.54 $967 +3.82
450–459 value added 458 6 240.00–243.00 $242.51 $1,111 +19.86
455–495 479 23 221.00–230.00 $225.98 $1,082 +17.95
502–536 value added 517 13 230.00–234.00 $232.38 $1,201 +7.38
500–548 521 35 210.00–229.00 $218.56 $1,139 +7.56
550–562 value added 560 16 222.00–227.00 $226.57 $1,269 +10.57
550–595 577 20 198.00–219.00 $209.15 $1,207 +1.64
605–630 615 7 196.00–204.00 $200.31 $1,232 -3.44
623 value added 623 8 213.00 $213.00 $1,327 —
653–680 660 4 189.00–193.00 $191.97 $1,267 +1.20
720 720 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,224 -13.10
770–780 775 2 156.00–161.00 $158.48 $1,228 —
825 825 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,402 —
882 882 2 166.00 $166.00 $1,464 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–432 423 7 210.00–214.00 $212.37 $898 +15.04
450–490 472 5 200.00–211.00 $206.05 $973 +16.05
505–540 528 3 200.00–204.00 $202.73 $1,070 —
635 635 2 174.00 $174.00 $1,105 -11.99
675–692 686 3 150.00–158.00 $155.38 $1,066 -5.86
825 825 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,155 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
252 252 2 160.00 $160.00 $403 —
320–340 333 3 180.00–182.50 $180.80 $602 +11.80
383 383 3 181.00 $181.00 $693 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 187.50 $187.50 $816 —
465 465 1 190.00 $190.00 $884 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 2 155.00 $155.00 $984 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 1 120.00 $120.00 $924 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352–380 360 4 240.00–252.50 $246.12 $886 +16.67
405–420 413 3 241.00–247.50 $243.18 $1,004 +17.25
455 455 3 245.00–247.00 $246.33 $1,121 +19.70
510–545 532 10 210.00–229.00 $216.29 $1,151 +6.44
560–595 577 5 222.00–232.00 $227.67 $1,314 +9.90
605–625 613 4 201.00–224.00 $211.08 $1,294 -1.44
650–681 672 5 197.50–211.00 $206.56 $1,388 +0.28
712–740 721 3 180.00–185.00 $181.71 $1,310 -3.29
830 830 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,345 -2.00
925 925 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,572 —
995 995 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,492 +29.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–285 278 2 210.00–225.00 $217.30 $604 —
480 480 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,042 +8.03
675 675 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,215 -8.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1180–1485 1333 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 2 1,400.00–1,775.00 $1,608.96 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 235.00 $235.00 $623 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1440 1235 80-85% 11 104.00–123.00 $112.36 $1,388 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740–910 817 85-90% 3 60.00–70.00 $65.67 $537 —
885–905 895 85-90% 2 79.00–80.00 $79.51 $712 —
940–1105 1019 85-90% 5 90.00–97.00 $93.82 $956 +6.35
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1430–1570 1474 75-80% 4 112.00–122.00 $117.74 $1,735 +17.08

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540–1690 1613 3 120.00–129.00 $123.48 $1,992 —
1355–2365 1860 2 106.00–107.00 $106.36 $1,978 -13.67

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1040 1040 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00
1090–1120 1105 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 975.00–1,075.00 $1,025.68
1095–1265 1167 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,125.00–1,225.00 $1,169.29

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
825–965 895 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 950.00–1,075.00 $1,007.61

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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
1145 1145 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
512 512 2 164.00 $164.00 $840 —

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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.