Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 20, 2024

802 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $259.24/cwt +14.24 vs last sale · ≈ $2,011/hd at 776 lb · 74 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $274.51/cwt +2.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,884/hd at 686 lb · 58 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $268.32/cwt +1.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,406/hd at 524 lb · 36 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 802 550 767
Feeder cattle 724 505 682
Slaughter cattle 50 43 80
Replacement cattle 28 2 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 400lbs sold 6.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder steers over 400lbs sold Steady. Feeder heifers under 600lbs sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers over 600lbs sold mostly steady. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 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
206 206 5 335.00 $335.00 $690 —
325 325 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,105 +6.20
370 fancy 370 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,424 —
378–388 382 8 342.50–367.50 $352.03 $1,345 +15.92
423 value added 423 5 375.00 $375.00 $1,586 —
410–440 425 7 315.00–337.50 $328.12 $1,395 -14.48
453 value added 453 3 355.00 $355.00 $1,608 —
450–465 458 5 315.00–327.50 $322.94 $1,479 -13.82
512–515 value added 514 5 322.00–323.00 $322.60 $1,658 —
500–533 522 17 298.00–315.00 $307.19 $1,604 -7.83
555–565 560 2 305.00–315.00 $310.04 $1,736 +11.79
603–607 value added 605 8 293.00–294.00 $293.50 $1,776 -1.75
600–630 613 6 276.00–282.00 $277.98 $1,704 +1.53
650–667 660 9 260.00–275.00 $265.12 $1,750 -2.24
650–698 value added 691 49 275.00–282.00 $276.24 $1,909 -5.26
730–745 741 4 242.00–244.00 $242.74 $1,799 -9.12
772 772 2 232.00 $232.00 $1,791 -13.00
776 value added 776 72 260.00 $260.00 $2,018 —
1038 value added 1038 53 209.75 $209.75 $2,177 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
297 297 2 290.00 $290.00 $861 —
310–335 323 2 302.50–312.50 $307.69 $994 —
360–390 372 7 310.00–332.50 $320.06 $1,191 +11.65
400–445 434 8 295.00–310.00 $306.39 $1,330 +6.39
460–496 477 15 299.00–309.00 $303.95 $1,450 -0.47
522 522 2 289.00 $289.00 $1,509 +6.14
553–595 579 14 275.00–292.50 $279.34 $1,617 +5.78
685–695 690 2 235.00–240.00 $237.48 $1,639 —
800 800 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,712 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,072 —
430 430 2 286.00 $286.00 $1,230 —
490–495 493 3 279.00–287.00 $281.65 $1,389 —
510 510 1 259.00 $259.00 $1,321 —
560 560 1 254.00 $254.00 $1,422 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,479 —
555–595 575 2 279.00–288.00 $283.34 $1,629 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–295 291 4 272.50–280.00 $274.30 $798 +4.30
295 fancy 295 1 297.50 $297.50 $878 -5.00
321–335 fancy 324 9 307.50–312.50 $309.75 $1,004 -15.25
305–347 327 11 282.00–297.50 $291.96 $955 -2.47
351–395 fancy 370 7 305.00–317.50 $310.72 $1,150 —
355–385 372 11 282.50–297.50 $287.30 $1,069 -7.15
405–440 value added 416 11 309.00–322.00 $316.90 $1,318 —
415–445 423 10 280.00–300.00 $284.83 $1,205 -21.90
455 value added 455 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,365 +1.20
460–495 473 19 280.00–296.00 $290.82 $1,376 +10.57
505–545 524 36 263.00–280.00 $268.32 $1,406 +9.15
556–564 value added 559 20 271.00–285.00 $278.72 $1,558 +7.78
550–585 565 14 250.00–264.00 $256.64 $1,450 -3.40
600 600 3 231.00–240.00 $236.67 $1,420 -5.72
675–688 685 13 227.00–237.00 $234.01 $1,603 -5.99
1055 1055 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,582 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–270 268 2 262.50–265.00 $263.76 $707 —
320–325 323 2 277.50 $277.50 $896 —
375–395 389 4 262.50–277.50 $268.63 $1,045 —
400–446 425 15 260.00–278.00 $269.07 $1,144 -4.33
450–497 486 10 259.00–271.00 $267.79 $1,301 +11.45
515–545 526 6 250.00–254.00 $252.15 $1,326 +9.15
632–647 640 4 220.00–222.00 $220.99 $1,414 -8.01
655–692 679 5 205.00–222.00 $212.67 $1,444 -8.83
710 710 2 191.00–197.00 $194.00 $1,377 +11.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 2 252.50–255.00 $253.75 $926 +13.75
400–440 420 2 246.00–250.00 $247.90 $1,041 -2.09
450–480 468 4 240.00–255.00 $247.57 $1,159 +2.51
510–525 518 2 220.00–232.00 $226.09 $1,171 —
605–640 620 4 188.00–199.00 $191.82 $1,189 —
745 745 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,259 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,131 +7.50
610–635 623 2 215.00–217.50 $216.28 $1,347 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,225 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
675 675 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,080 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–295 274 4 312.50–335.00 $321.68 $881 -18.32
300–340 324 4 330.00–335.00 $333.78 $1,081 +8.05
350 fancy 350 2 357.50 $357.50 $1,251 —
350–395 376 11 320.00–337.50 $326.26 $1,227 +10.00
410–442 429 8 324.00–337.50 $334.27 $1,434 +25.87
450–490 474 5 290.00–301.00 $295.37 $1,400 -14.59
503–515 507 10 282.00–297.00 $290.07 $1,471 +22.11
512 fancy 512 4 307.00 $307.00 $1,572 +19.37
600–640 627 19 256.00–269.00 $265.06 $1,662 +6.36
677 677 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,659 -10.00
740 740 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,584 -16.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 272.50 $272.50 $613 —
325 325 1 295.00 $295.00 $959 —
375–395 385 2 300.00–315.00 $307.31 $1,183 +29.81
410–430 424 6 299.00–310.00 $301.95 $1,280 +10.42
450–495 465 5 282.00–298.00 $290.44 $1,351 +10.78
510–520 515 3 268.00–279.00 $274.34 $1,413 —
550 550 1 269.00 $269.00 $1,480 +28.00
625–635 630 2 238.00–246.00 $241.97 $1,524 —
660 660 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,525 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 267.50 $267.50 $869 —
375–380 378 2 242.50–262.50 $252.57 $955 —
445 445 1 281.00 $281.00 $1,250 —
470 470 1 273.00 $273.00 $1,283 —
590 590 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,416 +20.00
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,344 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1095 937 85-90% 7 95.00–107.00 $103.63 $971 —
875–1215 1043 85-90% 13 108.00–119.00 $113.15 $1,180 —
1060 1060 85-90% 1 85.00 $85.00 $901 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1220 1213 80-85% 2 115.00–116.00 $115.50 $1,401 -7.89
1090–1385 1256 80-85% 11 117.00–130.00 $123.10 $1,546 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1690 1502 75-80% 3 113.00–119.00 $116.12 $1,744 —
1470–1655 1563 75-80% 4 122.00–133.00 $128.06 $2,002 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1315 1233 3 125.00–128.00 $126.36 $1,558 —
1855–1875 1865 2 147.00–156.00 $151.48 $2,825 +18.60

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
890–1220 1018 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 970.00–1,700.00 $1,345.04
1065–1105 1085 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,210.00–1,360.00 $1,286.38
1090–1310 1194 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,275.00–1,630.00 $1,455.16
1215 1215 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00
1190–1325 1258 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,475.00–1,650.00 $1,567.20
1270 1270 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,460.00 $1,460.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
960–1390 1205 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 1,250.00–2,060.00 $1,678.62 —
1285 1285 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00 —
1345 1345 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,225.00 $2,225.00 —

↑ 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.