Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 4, 2023

660 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $251.35/cwt -5.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,687/hd at 671 lb · 27 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $206.12/cwt -23.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,198/hd at 581 lb · 18 head
light 6-weight M&L 2 steers $228.47/cwt +9.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,439/hd at 630 lb · 18 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 660 1,159 593
Feeder cattle 574 1,083 511
Slaughter cattle 75 55 73
Replacement cattle 11 21 9

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 600lbs sold steady to 4.00 lower. Feeder steers over 600lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder bulls and heifers sold sharply lower. Fleshy bawling new crop calves and the plain quality calves facing discounts. Buyers showed more interest in the weaned calves with concerns over the changing weather forecast for this week. Weaned packages of feeder calves still bringing good premiums. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower.

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
370 370 1 250.00 $250.00 $925 -5.00
402–415 value added 406 3 270.00–292.50 $277.66 $1,127 -9.35
485–490 487 8 249.00–257.00 $252.02 $1,227 -1.44
500–535 value added 521 5 272.50–275.00 $273.46 $1,425 +2.46
522–545 530 9 240.00–255.00 $248.31 $1,316 -9.48
558–581 value added 575 11 266.00–267.00 $266.74 $1,534 —
550–590 576 6 229.00–245.00 $234.13 $1,349 -19.90
623–625 value added 623 9 267.00–270.00 $267.67 $1,668 +0.58
637–645 642 5 247.50–250.00 $249.01 $1,599 +11.48
652–697 value added 671 17 255.00–272.50 $267.03 $1,792 +3.73
655–691 672 10 217.50–235.00 $224.69 $1,510 -17.18
705–727 721 11 221.00–239.00 $233.18 $1,681 +2.41
775–793 789 7 216.00–230.00 $227.46 $1,795 +6.22
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 3 221.00 $221.00 $953 —
482 482 2 204.00 $204.00 $983 -26.00
520–545 532 3 230.00–232.50 $231.65 $1,232 -1.63
565–585 575 2 215.00–220.00 $217.54 $1,251 -10.03
610–649 630 18 210.00–235.00 $228.47 $1,439 +9.52
697 697 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,394 -19.51
965 965 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,669 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
727 727 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,272 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470 1470 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,940 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
213 213 3 232.50 $232.50 $495 —
330 330 1 230.00 $230.00 $759 +14.88
421 421 4 203.00 $203.00 $855 -23.33
467–478 473 6 201.00–213.00 $206.44 $976 -21.55
532–542 537 4 206.00–218.00 $211.94 $1,138 -7.32
566–570 value added 567 6 230.00–234.00 $233.33 $1,323 +2.94
565–597 588 12 188.00–201.00 $192.51 $1,132 -16.69
600–621 613 12 189.00–201.00 $193.34 $1,185 -31.36
665 665 3 183.00 $183.00 $1,217 -15.83
747 747 2 173.00 $173.00 $1,292 -22.15
835 835 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,386 —
855–860 857 3 159.00–161.00 $160.33 $1,374 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 202.50 $202.50 $638 +1.91
355 355 1 205.00 $205.00 $728 +4.18
400–446 429 8 186.00–192.50 $188.83 $810 -22.50
450–480 464 8 181.00–190.00 $186.21 $864 -22.23
500–540 518 6 180.00–189.00 $184.48 $956 -13.77
555–595 578 11 170.00–184.00 $180.83 $1,045 -16.17
600–645 623 5 180.00–185.00 $181.38 $1,130 -10.13
665 665 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,197 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
391 391 3 163.00 $163.00 $637 -17.00
410 410 1 162.50 $162.50 $666 -23.63
470–485 478 2 160.00–171.00 $165.59 $792 -9.41
505–545 525 2 160.00–176.00 $167.70 $880 -8.30
580 580 4 150.00 $150.00 $870 -37.44
610–645 636 7 148.00–165.00 $160.05 $1,018 -29.95
650–697 685 5 153.00–165.00 $157.03 $1,076 -17.96
700–745 715 4 138.00–146.00 $141.56 $1,012 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 2 177.00 $177.00 $796 -18.04
560–580 567 3 154.00–160.00 $157.95 $896 -45.67
630 630 1 158.00 $158.00 $995 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 135.00 $135.00 $554 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 230.00 $230.00 $552 -15.00
325 325 1 230.00 $230.00 $748 -27.61
355–385 366 6 220.00–235.00 $227.31 $832 -22.96
400–422 416 4 210.00–220.00 $212.52 $884 -28.52
480 480 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,140 +7.50
500–545 518 6 198.00–204.00 $201.22 $1,042 -28.03
600–620 609 4 180.00–188.00 $184.75 $1,125 -16.08
650–690 666 4 171.00–185.00 $178.89 $1,191 -29.88
700–735 712 3 169.00–173.00 $171.62 $1,222 -18.89
785 785 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,162 -43.65
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 212.00 $212.00 $827 -18.00
425–448 442 5 200.00–210.00 $206.08 $911 -8.83
455–495 478 3 191.00–204.00 $198.53 $949 -18.86
515–540 526 5 180.00–190.00 $183.84 $967 -28.68
565–586 581 4 185.00–186.00 $185.24 $1,076 -14.78
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 180.00 $180.00 $864 -19.00
500–540 520 2 150.00–170.00 $160.38 $834 -29.34
580–598 594 5 160.00–165.00 $164.02 $974 -15.54
720 720 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,008 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 120.00 $120.00 $540 —
630 630 1 150.00 $150.00 $945 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,090 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755–885 820 85-90% 2 42.00–56.00 $49.55 $406 —
895–1160 1061 85-90% 7 64.00–76.00 $71.54 $759 —
905–1285 1093 85-90% 16 87.00–93.00 $88.98 $973 —
985–1340 1187 85-90% 11 78.00–86.00 $83.02 $985 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1440 1290 80-85% 13 84.00–93.00 $89.26 $1,151 —
1235–1525 1323 80-85% 8 94.00–97.00 $94.47 $1,250 +0.46
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1645 1478 75-80% 5 86.00–93.00 $89.32 $1,320 +0.95

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1980 1451 5 84.00–112.00 $102.51 $1,487 —
1465–2250 1789 6 114.00–124.00 $118.09 $2,113 —
2160 2160 1 132.00 $132.00 $2,851 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1125 1125 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1130–1185 1155 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 975.00–1,100.00 $1,050.94

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
905 905 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00

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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.