Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 18, 2023

556 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 $234.40/cwt ≈ $1,561/hd at 666 lb · 38 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $251.05/cwt +20.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,858/hd at 740 lb · 37 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $215.19/cwt ≈ $1,554/hd at 722 lb · 24 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 556 700 656
Feeder cattle 467 622 502
Slaughter cattle 81 53 132
Replacement cattle 8 25 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 700lbs sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher with feeder steers over 700lbs mostly steady. Feeder heifers under 500lbs sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with feeder heifers over 500lbs mostly steady. The weaned feeder calves with vaccinations still bringing large premiums. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. 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
355–385 370 2 250.00–267.50 $259.10 $959 —
410 value added 410 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,168 —
405–440 423 2 252.50–265.00 $259.01 $1,096 +4.01
450–465 value added 460 3 292.50 $292.50 $1,346 +25.71
485 485 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,249 +11.37
500–530 value added 506 5 275.00–283.00 $281.32 $1,423 +17.69
500–540 518 9 240.00–267.50 $253.70 $1,314 +9.39
556 value added 556 4 282.00 $282.00 $1,568 +21.59
570–571 571 4 250.00–259.00 $256.75 $1,466 +13.98
605–638 623 13 226.00–243.00 $233.77 $1,456 +6.28
638 value added 638 9 256.00 $256.00 $1,633 +8.66
655–680 666 38 221.00–239.00 $234.40 $1,561 —
705–745 718 3 210.00–213.00 $211.96 $1,522 -18.66
742 value added 742 34 254.50 $254.50 $1,888 —
792 792 4 213.00 $213.00 $1,687 -5.00
893 893 3 233.00 $233.00 $2,081 ±0.00
1030 1030 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,906 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 225.00 $225.00 $821 +5.00
575–590 580 3 239.00–241.00 $240.32 $1,394 —
675 675 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,444 —
740 740 1 206.00 $206.00 $1,524 -8.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,323 —
725 725 2 209.00 $209.00 $1,515 +24.00
770 770 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,617 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650–665 658 2 180.00–185.00 $182.47 $1,201 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 2 225.00 $225.00 $878 +26.67
400 fancy 400 2 233.00 $233.00 $932 —
441 441 14 214.00 $214.00 $944 +6.21
470 fancy 470 3 231.00 $231.00 $1,086 —
475–491 490 16 218.00–225.00 $224.33 $1,099 +17.88
500–520 506 4 195.00–206.00 $199.31 $1,009 -5.80
545 value added 545 2 212.00 $212.00 $1,155 —
550–595 573 21 192.50–208.00 $201.75 $1,156 -11.12
620 value added 620 7 226.50 $226.50 $1,404 —
605–640 625 10 190.00–200.00 $196.20 $1,226 -14.00
680 680 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,380 +4.02
716 716 3 199.00 $199.00 $1,425 —
723 value added 723 21 217.50 $217.50 $1,573 —
770 770 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,548 —
813 value added 813 7 205.00 $205.00 $1,667 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 207.50 $207.50 $415 —
390 390 1 180.00 $180.00 $702 -10.00
435–445 443 8 190.00–200.00 $198.02 $877 —
450–470 460 2 197.00–200.00 $198.47 $913 +4.47
525–545 538 4 180.00–193.00 $185.30 $997 -8.57
690 690 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,283 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–490 480 4 170.00–185.00 $179.68 $862 +5.68
500–525 513 3 170.00–178.00 $175.27 $899 +10.53
615–625 620 2 166.00–171.00 $168.52 $1,045 -2.83
655–660 658 2 160.00–175.00 $167.47 $1,102 -2.40
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 182.50 $182.50 $502 —
515–540 529 4 180.00–184.00 $181.99 $963 -5.01
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 167.50 $167.50 $611 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 280.00 $280.00 $588 —
320 320 1 267.50 $267.50 $856 —
400–415 408 2 250.00–260.00 $254.91 $1,040 +10.99
455 fancy 455 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,251 —
450–485 463 3 240.00–245.00 $242.33 $1,122 +9.83
530–542 537 5 231.00–240.00 $235.87 $1,267 +17.43
550 fancy 550 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,232 —
555–597 582 4 206.00–211.00 $208.22 $1,212 -12.78
611–620 615 8 205.00–229.00 $218.15 $1,342 +15.12
655–665 660 2 205.00–219.00 $212.05 $1,400 +17.05
810 810 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,361 -16.01
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
312 312 2 220.00 $220.00 $686 +27.50
360 360 1 232.50 $232.50 $837 +28.72
425 425 1 217.50 $217.50 $924 +3.82
520–545 535 4 199.00–210.00 $204.85 $1,096 +4.50
605–645 617 5 181.00–190.00 $185.94 $1,147 —
690 690 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,263 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 210.00 $210.00 $662 —
385 385 1 195.00 $195.00 $751 —
445 445 1 198.00 $198.00 $881 -22.00
515 515 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,004 —
585 585 1 170.00 $170.00 $994 -16.00
611 611 3 190.00 $190.00 $1,161 +12.75
690 690 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,339 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
387 387 2 202.50 $202.50 $784 —
450–490 470 2 174.00–176.00 $175.04 $823 -4.96
505 505 1 184.00 $184.00 $929 —
710 710 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,136 —
800–845 823 2 140.00–151.00 $145.35 $1,196 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 155.00 $155.00 $496 —
430 430 1 185.00 $185.00 $796 —
530 530 1 141.00 $141.00 $747 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–1235 943 85-90% 6 60.00–73.00 $68.75 $648 —
940–1235 1078 85-90% 15 76.00–86.00 $81.94 $883 +1.06
1010–1195 1120 85-90% 10 87.00–93.00 $89.54 $1,003 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1420 1263 80-85% 12 94.00–104.00 $97.77 $1,235 +8.84
1155–1495 1323 80-85% 19 83.00–93.00 $88.58 $1,172 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1580 1443 75-80% 6 84.00–93.00 $89.32 $1,289 —
1430–1695 1597 75-80% 3 95.00–97.00 $95.71 $1,528 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1750 1421 4 116.00–124.00 $120.03 $1,706 —
1550 1550 1 140.00 $140.00 $2,170 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1605 1605 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00

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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
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00 —
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00 —

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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.