Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 13, 2023

604 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $213.10/cwt +9.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,579/hd at 741 lb · 82 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $210.00/cwt -3.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,760/hd at 838 lb · 60 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $205.04/cwt +24.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,174/hd at 573 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 604 1,119 754
Feeder cattle 488 1,039 680
Slaughter cattle 84 64 62
Replacement cattle 32 16 12

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 500lbs sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher with feeder steers over 500lbs 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher with some instances of sharply higher. Good quality offering of steers and heifers. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 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
310 fancy 310 1 275.00 $275.00 $852 —
320–340 327 3 257.50–270.00 $261.84 $856 +9.19
385 fancy 385 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,097 —
390–397 394 8 270.00–274.00 $271.98 $1,072 +9.63
420 420 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,050 -14.27
452–475 461 4 256.00–265.00 $261.44 $1,205 +3.50
500 value added 500 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,375 —
500–545 526 10 239.00–248.00 $245.82 $1,293 -2.25
556 value added 556 4 265.00 $265.00 $1,473 —
555–586 579 12 243.00–250.00 $247.92 $1,435 +15.76
600–615 value added 610 3 231.00–240.00 $233.95 $1,427 +1.90
600–640 628 9 211.00–224.00 $213.94 $1,344 +1.93
670 670 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,467 +9.22
710–730 722 15 206.00–210.00 $209.07 $1,509 +5.07
745 value added 745 67 214.00 $214.00 $1,594 —
757–778 774 10 200.00–206.00 $204.22 $1,581 +7.63
838 value added 838 60 210.00 $210.00 $1,760 -3.95
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 232.50 $232.50 $884 ±0.00
495 495 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,114 -12.00
560 560 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,316 +18.47
690 690 2 199.00 $199.00 $1,373 +1.00
730 730 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,416 +11.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695 695 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,425 +6.00
742 742 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,469 +22.53
800 800 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,464 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 2 195.00 $195.00 $809 —
815–835 825 2 166.00–170.00 $167.98 $1,386 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,217 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 220.00 $220.00 $517 —
275 275 5 220.00 $220.00 $605 —
340 340 1 210.00 $210.00 $714 -5.00
357–386 369 10 221.00–225.00 $223.26 $824 +4.51
400–445 421 10 206.00–217.50 $212.39 $894 +18.95
455–495 463 16 200.00–217.00 $213.54 $989 +18.37
505–535 520 3 198.00–207.00 $202.03 $1,051 +18.09
555 value added 555 5 213.00 $213.00 $1,182 +18.00
575–590 579 14 191.00–204.00 $202.20 $1,171 +21.44
620–645 635 5 182.00–193.00 $187.24 $1,189 +8.83
655 655 7 198.00 $198.00 $1,297 +26.54
748 748 13 176.50 $176.50 $1,320 +19.27
759 759 5 178.00 $178.00 $1,351 +23.87
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 197.50 $197.50 $563 —
392–395 393 3 185.00–192.50 $187.51 $737 -12.49
425–440 433 2 195.00–200.00 $197.46 $855 —
490–495 493 2 187.00–190.00 $188.51 $929 +8.53
505–545 526 5 180.00–192.00 $185.21 $974 +16.97
565–590 579 7 177.00–184.00 $180.85 $1,047 +19.48
640 640 1 177.00 $177.00 $1,133 +18.75
675 675 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,198 +24.50
735 735 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,161 +8.98
767 767 2 130.00 $130.00 $997 -15.00
835 835 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,027 -15.00
855 855 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,112 —
990 990 1 136.00 $136.00 $1,346 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 152.50 $152.50 $625 —
530 530 1 167.00 $167.00 $885 +1.00
560 560 1 159.00 $159.00 $890 —
600 600 1 165.00 $165.00 $990 —
650–675 663 2 162.50–164.00 $163.26 $1,082 +7.26
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690–695 693 2 159.00–165.00 $162.01 $1,123 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
296 296 7 265.00 $265.00 $784 +22.50
305 305 1 255.00 $255.00 $778 -10.00
400–445 420 5 255.00–272.50 $264.72 $1,112 +21.44
455–482 477 11 248.00–267.50 $249.86 $1,192 +8.25
575–580 577 3 208.00–215.00 $210.35 $1,214 —
690 690 2 169.00–172.00 $170.50 $1,176 —
750 750 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,192 +13.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,056 —
560–565 563 3 190.00–193.00 $191.66 $1,079 +3.69
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,025 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1335 1095 85-90% 21 71.00–82.00 $74.83 $819 +8.36
925–1225 1104 85-90% 7 40.00–54.00 $45.51 $502 -41.01
1030–1225 1133 85-90% 3 83.00–85.00 $83.94 $951 -2.58
890–1295 1135 85-90% 14 60.00–70.00 $64.80 $735 -21.72
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1410 1230 80-85% 23 81.00–92.00 $86.26 $1,061 —
1150–1380 1255 80-85% 5 73.00–80.00 $76.72 $963 -9.37
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–1550 1447 75-80% 8 82.00–91.00 $86.02 $1,245 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1940 1523 4 87.00–105.00 $100.98 $1,538 —
1595 1595 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,770 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1060 1060 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,090.00 $1,090.00
1010–1125 1068 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 740.00–890.00 $819.04
1210 1210 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,710.00 $1,710.00
1260 1260 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,530.00 $1,530.00
1140–1490 1315 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,000.00–1,500.00 $1,283.27
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 1020 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 710.00 $710.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00

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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
1085 1085 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00 —
1030–1165 1098 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,810.00–1,830.00 $1,819.38 —
1210–1235 1223 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 1,300.00–1,370.00 $1,335.36 -339.64
1340 1340 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00 ±0.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
935 935 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,140.00 $1,140.00 —

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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.