Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 6, 2023

1,119 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $213.47/cwt -9.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,721/hd at 806 lb · 134 head

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $182.16/cwt -5.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,148/hd at 630 lb · 125 head

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $191.64/cwt +4.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,263/hd at 659 lb · 84 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,119	908	750
Feeder cattle	1,039	804	685
Slaughter cattle	64	85	59
Replacement cattle	16	19	6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 550lbs sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with feeder steers over 550lbs 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder heifers under 500lbs sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower with feeder heifers over 500lbs 5.00 to 7.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
285	285	1	267.50	$267.50	$762	—
310–335	316	4	250.00–260.00	$252.65	$798	-10.70
375–390	383	2	255.00–270.00	$262.35	$1,005	+5.84
400–440	415	17	254.00–267.50	$264.27	$1,097	+1.78
450–480	468	6	252.50–262.00	$257.94	$1,207	+4.16
500–543	532	22	241.00–251.00	$248.07	$1,320	+7.56
570–585	577	11	229.00–237.50	$232.16	$1,340	-2.20
607–633 value added	615	53	227.00–235.00	$232.05	$1,427	-3.20
605–646	637	19	209.00–225.00	$212.01	$1,351	-5.25
660–697	677	39	203.00–218.00	$209.78	$1,420	-2.82
740	740	2	204.00	$204.00	$1,510	-1.06
750–795	772	3	190.00–203.00	$196.59	$1,518	+16.59
806 value added	806	132	213.95	$213.95	$1,724	-14.05
800–845	823	2	181.00–182.00	$181.49	$1,494	-5.51

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
375	375	1	232.50	$232.50	$872	—
495	495	1	237.00	$237.00	$1,173	—
515–530	523	2	229.00–230.00	$229.49	$1,200	+10.49
575–580	578	2	210.00–223.00	$216.53	$1,252	-7.20
665	665	1	198.00	$198.00	$1,317	-0.01
727	727	2	183.00	$183.00	$1,330	-4.62
790	790	1	180.00	$180.00	$1,422	—
830–840	835	2	170.00–179.00	$174.47	$1,457	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
430	430	1	244.00	$244.00	$1,049	—
485	485	1	235.00	$235.00	$1,140	—
635	635	1	221.00	$221.00	$1,403	+23.50
660	660	1	199.00	$199.00	$1,313	—
710–730	720	2	173.00–178.00	$175.47	$1,263	—
750	750	1	172.00	$172.00	$1,290	-17.00
1025	1025	1	150.00	$150.00	$1,538	-10.00

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
460	460	1	209.00	$209.00	$961	—
520	520	1	205.00	$205.00	$1,066	+6.00
595	595	1	206.00	$206.00	$1,226	+1.00
633	633	3	180.00	$180.00	$1,139	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
585	585	1	217.00	$217.00	$1,269	—
600	600	1	187.50	$187.50	$1,125	—
805	805	1	156.00	$156.00	$1,256	—

Medium 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
640	640	1	159.00	$159.00	$1,018	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
332	332	2	215.00	$215.00	$714	—
353	353	6	212.50–225.00	$218.75	$772	+0.68
435 fancy	435	1	214.00	$214.00	$931	—
420–446	440	8	188.00–201.00	$193.44	$851	-3.84
450–475	464	6	190.00–198.00	$195.17	$906	-2.09
521 value added	521	7	196.00	$196.00	$1,021	—
502–547	528	20	175.00–190.00	$183.94	$971	-13.20
560 value added	560	1	195.00	$195.00	$1,092	-14.00
550–597	570	76	171.00–183.00	$180.76	$1,030	-10.71
626 value added	626	41	189.85	$189.85	$1,188	—
600–646	632	84	169.00–184.00	$178.41	$1,128	-8.84
658 value added	658	72	195.00	$195.00	$1,283	—
652–690	667	12	165.00–174.00	$171.46	$1,144	-15.55
700–735	716	8	149.00–163.00	$157.23	$1,126	—
758–793	778	8	153.00–155.00	$154.13	$1,199	—
810–835	814	6	146.00–160.00	$157.61	$1,283	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
345	345	2	195.00	$195.00	$673	+3.61
395	395	2	200.00	$200.00	$790	+4.38
450–496	472	14	178.00–185.00	$179.98	$850	+2.74
510–543	524	19	162.50–171.00	$168.24	$882	—
560–596	586	7	160.00–165.00	$161.37	$946	-18.63
600–625	613	4	154.00–160.00	$158.25	$970	-12.75
676–695	681	4	153.00	$153.00	$1,042	-18.65
700–730	725	8	144.00–151.00	$149.02	$1,080	-5.98
765	765	1	145.00	$145.00	$1,109	—
815	815	1	138.00	$138.00	$1,125	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
427	427	2	195.00	$195.00	$833	—
525–542	536	3	179.00–185.00	$183.04	$981	-5.21
625–640	633	2	160.00–164.00	$162.02	$1,026	-15.48
752	752	2	152.00	$152.00	$1,143	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
353	353	3	170.00	$170.00	$600	-11.25
530	530	1	166.00	$166.00	$880	—
660	660	1	156.00	$156.00	$1,030	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
510	510	1	165.00	$165.00	$842	—
585	585	1	159.00	$159.00	$930	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
695	695	1	140.00	$140.00	$973	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1160	1160	1	124.00	$124.00	$1,438	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
290	290	1	242.50	$242.50	$703	-12.34
330	330	1	265.00	$265.00	$874	+4.63
380	380	1	267.50	$267.50	$1,016	+15.47
415–445	428	4	237.50–250.00	$243.28	$1,041	-8.34
450–475	461	7	236.00–245.00	$241.61	$1,114	-2.67
501–549	523	20	214.00–220.00	$217.75	$1,139	+8.75
650	650	7	189.00	$189.00	$1,228	+7.55
720–735	728	2	142.50–149.00	$145.78	$1,061	—
750	750	1	146.00	$146.00	$1,095	-30.00

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
235	235	1	220.00	$220.00	$517	+2.50
360	360	4	232.50	$232.50	$837	-2.50
470–495	483	2	215.00–217.50	$216.28	$1,045	-3.16
530–535	533	3	198.00–200.00	$199.34	$1,062	+14.34
575–590	583	3	180.00–195.00	$187.97	$1,096	+2.34
610	610	1	169.00	$169.00	$1,031	—
666	666	3	145.00	$145.00	$966	-20.00
705	705	1	150.00	$150.00	$1,058	—
775	775	1	129.00	$129.00	$1,000	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
510	510	1	140.00	$140.00	$714	—
610	610	1	135.00	$135.00	$824	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
430	430	1	215.00	$215.00	$924	—
535	535	1	180.00	$180.00	$963	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
575	575	1	190.00	$190.00	$1,092	—

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1050–1440	1272	80-85%	19	82.00–92.00	$86.09	$1,095	—
1285–1530	1408	80-85%	5	76.00–81.00	$78.60	$1,107	—
1435	1435	80-85%	1	95.00	$95.00	$1,363	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
840–1130	969	85-90%	6	50.00–60.00	$55.61	$539	—
890–1160	1029	85-90%	7	72.00–80.00	$76.90	$791	—
970–1260	1075	85-90%	5	64.00–69.00	$66.47	$715	-1.33
1055–1160	1108	85-90%	2	86.00–87.00	$86.52	$959	+1.63

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1375–1765	1529	75-80%	8	78.00–88.00	$85.08	$1,301	—
1550	1550	75-80%	1	92.00	$92.00	$1,426	-2.76

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1170–1635	1376	4	105.00–114.00	$109.53	$1,507	—
1135–2130	1645	5	82.00–104.00	$95.38	$1,569	-31.62

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1090	1090	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	800.00	$800.00
1115	1115	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	810.00	$810.00
1135–1260	1198	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	890.00–1,030.00	$963.65
1210–1215	1213	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	1,100.00–1,200.00	$1,149.90
1280	1280	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	1,000.00	$1,000.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1200	1200	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	1,675.00	$1,675.00	+19.47
1330	1330	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	1,700.00	$1,700.00	+390.00

↑ Back to top

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.