Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, July 24, 2024

883 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 $259.63/cwt +29.63 vs last sale · ≈ $2,145/hd at 826 lb · 126 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $264.32/cwt +1.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,938/hd at 733 lb · 89 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $262.35/cwt +2.92 vs last sale · ≈ $2,052/hd at 782 lb · 76 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 883 657 626
Feeder cattle 822 612 510
Slaughter cattle 56 45 113
Replacement cattle 5 — 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 500lbs sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with feeder heifers over 500lbs mostly steady. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 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
380–385 383 2 327.50–335.00 $331.27 $1,269 +1.30
400 400 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,300 -3.18
420 fancy 420 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,470 —
450–477 469 10 315.00–333.00 $322.32 $1,512 +13.82
515–525 517 22 300.00–304.00 $303.08 $1,567 +6.00
557 value added 557 2 312.50 $312.50 $1,741 —
553–588 579 31 294.00–304.00 $301.01 $1,743 -0.74
602–630 value added 606 15 292.50–300.00 $297.61 $1,804 +3.64
628–647 634 6 270.00–274.00 $271.36 $1,720 -5.90
660–680 value added 676 5 283.00–287.50 $283.88 $1,919 -0.62
677–690 681 24 262.00–276.00 $271.33 $1,848 +4.83
702–735 725 16 245.00–252.00 $248.37 $1,801 +1.37
721–739 value added 735 73 261.00–270.00 $267.81 $1,968 +4.31
763–770 764 7 247.00–249.00 $248.50 $1,899 —
784 value added 784 69 263.75 $263.75 $2,068 +4.32
817–835 value added 826 126 255.25–263.70 $259.63 $2,145 —
877 877 2 227.00 $227.00 $1,991 —
932 value added 932 57 240.00 $240.00 $2,237 +3.00
1037 1037 2 204.00 $204.00 $2,115 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,510 —
589 589 5 265.00 $265.00 $1,561 —
625 625 7 271.00 $271.00 $1,694 —
850 850 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,828 —
970 970 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,940 —
1020 1020 1 197.00 $197.00 $2,009 —
1095 1095 1 196.00 $196.00 $2,146 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485–495 488 3 295.00–307.50 $299.22 $1,460 +6.22
545 545 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,472 —
586 586 3 287.00 $287.00 $1,682 —
630 630 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,638 +10.00
760 760 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,710 —
840 840 1 222.00 $222.00 $1,865 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 640 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,552 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
625 625 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,375 —

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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 1 282.50 $282.50 $664 +7.50
315 315 1 280.00 $280.00 $882 ±0.00
355–380 372 3 281.00–292.50 $285.17 $1,061 +0.17
420 value added 420 2 292.50 $292.50 $1,228 —
411–445 431 14 272.50–287.50 $282.77 $1,219 +5.91
450–465 value added 459 8 292.50–297.50 $293.77 $1,348 —
450–495 481 16 276.00–284.00 $280.87 $1,351 +3.23
507 value added 507 2 283.00 $283.00 $1,435 -5.00
500–523 517 13 260.00–276.00 $270.42 $1,398 -1.82
555–592 561 22 255.00–269.00 $267.06 $1,498 -8.44
613–627 value added 622 12 262.00–267.50 $263.30 $1,638 -2.70
610–645 628 2 240.00–248.00 $244.11 $1,533 -9.95
660 value added 660 10 266.00 $266.00 $1,756 —
667–671 668 13 250.00–251.00 $250.31 $1,672 +1.31
720 720 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,584 +12.98
782 782 2 226.00 $226.00 $1,767 +16.00
875–880 878 2 195.00–200.00 $197.49 $1,734 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,285 —
510–542 529 5 244.00–257.50 $251.10 $1,328 +0.10
560–597 580 4 241.00–251.00 $244.21 $1,416 -0.55
620–630 625 5 231.00–236.00 $234.10 $1,463 +0.11
650–690 681 7 228.00–238.00 $231.39 $1,576 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,100 —
635–645 640 2 220.00–224.00 $222.02 $1,421 +10.02
650–697 670 7 220.00–224.00 $222.02 $1,488 +13.02
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,260 —
680 680 2 234.00 $234.00 $1,591 —
757–790 768 3 206.00–210.00 $207.37 $1,593 —
915 915 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,729 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–395 370 4 320.00–335.00 $328.60 $1,216 +22.47
390 fancy 390 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,336 —
425 fancy 425 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,413 —
435 435 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,348 —
450–487 480 5 314.00–315.00 $314.19 $1,508 +1.69
500–535 521 10 280.00–292.50 $284.22 $1,481 —
562–590 570 11 262.50–282.00 $272.53 $1,553 +16.53
600–645 623 10 242.00–262.00 $249.42 $1,554 +13.23
655–670 663 2 236.00–249.00 $242.43 $1,607 +2.43
700–730 716 4 226.00–239.00 $231.64 $1,659 -10.86
765 765 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,645 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,136 —
405–415 410 2 285.00–300.00 $292.41 $1,199 —
455 455 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,183 —
520 520 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,287 —
550 550 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,375 —
642 642 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,547 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,070 —
367 367 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,138 —
535 535 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,471 —
590 590 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,460 —
655 655 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,506 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1395 1395 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,261 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1275 1195 80-85% 8 120.00–128.00 $123.74 $1,479 —
1240 1240 80-85% 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,736 +3.66
995–1430 1245 80-85% 13 130.00–137.00 $133.87 $1,667 -2.47
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1550 1550 75-80% 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,968 —
1510–1700 1593 75-80% 6 130.00–139.00 $133.53 $2,127 —
1735 1735 75-80% 1 141.00 $141.00 $2,446 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 725 85-90% 1 125.00 $125.00 $906 —
900 900 85-90% 1 101.00 $101.00 $909 —
985–1140 1063 85-90% 2 117.00–120.00 $118.39 $1,258 -21.43

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1990 1692 6 156.00–166.00 $162.35 $2,747 —
1385–2075 1780 8 145.00–155.00 $150.60 $2,681 -8.40

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
915 915 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
1145 1145 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00
1225 1225 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
1335 1335 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,570.00 $1,570.00

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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.