Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 18, 2024

659 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 $240.92/cwt +12.92 vs last sale · ≈ $2,024/hd at 840 lb · 72 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $250.66/cwt +24.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,901/hd at 758 lb · 71 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $213.66/cwt +11.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,037/hd at 953 lb · 58 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 659 762 878
Feeder cattle 605 688 803
Slaughter cattle 54 67 75
Replacement cattle — 7 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher. Weaned and preconditioned feeders still bringing premiums. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 lower.

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
315 fancy 315 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,000 —
380–395 388 2 287.50–290.00 $288.73 $1,120 —
405–420 value added 413 2 307.50–310.00 $308.73 $1,275 —
417–422 420 5 285.00–302.50 $291.52 $1,224 —
490 490 3 282.50 $282.50 $1,384 -10.50
525 525 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,549 +18.05
555 555 3 287.50 $287.50 $1,596 +19.90
605 value added 605 6 271.00 $271.00 $1,640 —
620–638 627 11 249.00–262.00 $255.04 $1,599 -20.83
665–695 682 9 243.00–255.00 $253.02 $1,726 -2.72
714–727 718 7 238.00–246.00 $243.68 $1,750 +1.56
758 value added 758 69 251.00 $251.00 $1,903 —
765 765 2 239.00 $239.00 $1,828 +13.00
815–840 823 3 217.00–221.00 $218.36 $1,797 -9.64
841 value added 841 69 241.90 $241.90 $2,034 —
903 value added 903 23 218.75 $218.75 $1,975 —
925 925 1 192.50 $192.50 $1,781 —
952 value added 952 56 214.75 $214.75 $2,044 —
987 987 2 183.00 $183.00 $1,806 —
1000 1000 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,850 —
1090 1090 1 197.50 $197.50 $2,153 —
1105–1110 1108 2 185.00–187.50 $186.25 $2,064 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,219 +9.93
510–540 523 4 265.00–275.00 $268.67 $1,405 +6.34
556–575 559 6 253.00–262.50 $254.63 $1,423 -6.39
600–645 624 5 230.00–238.00 $235.75 $1,471 -3.46
650–660 655 2 220.00–225.00 $222.52 $1,458 -24.46
850–875 863 2 208.00 $208.00 $1,795 —
902 902 2 183.00 $183.00 $1,651 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
492 492 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,210 —
545 545 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,281 —
730 730 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,606 —
1000 1000 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,850 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,212 —
560 560 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,274 -10.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285 1285 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,442 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 252.50 $252.50 $581 —
252 252 2 252.50 $252.50 $636 —
305–340 321 4 247.50–255.00 $249.90 $802 -2.60
355–380 369 7 245.00–257.50 $252.13 $930 +11.78
405–445 422 6 237.50–248.00 $241.55 $1,019 -0.02
442–445 value added 444 4 251.00–256.00 $252.63 $1,122 -16.54
450–497 473 14 240.00–253.00 $246.76 $1,167 -0.77
462–493 value added 478 12 260.00–272.50 $266.45 $1,274 —
500–540 525 11 230.00–250.00 $235.34 $1,236 +2.14
552–590 559 10 225.00–240.00 $233.84 $1,307 +0.78
606–639 value added 621 11 234.00–245.00 $239.86 $1,490 —
610–635 622 8 212.00–230.00 $221.14 $1,375 +4.10
650–677 664 9 214.00–233.00 $220.64 $1,465 +9.05
750–770 759 4 191.00–199.00 $193.41 $1,468 —
811–830 819 5 180.00–194.00 $185.68 $1,521 —
850 850 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,466 —
1020 1020 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,836 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 220.00 $220.00 $781 ±0.00
415 415 1 230.00 $230.00 $954 +2.76
492 492 4 235.00–237.50 $236.25 $1,162 +12.89
500–537 522 5 212.50–226.00 $219.05 $1,143 —
555–560 557 3 220.00–222.50 $220.84 $1,230 -5.42
645 645 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,245 -6.97
725 725 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,320 +6.46
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 200.00 $200.00 $800 —
475–480 478 2 217.50–220.00 $218.74 $1,046 —
500–540 520 2 200.00–205.00 $202.60 $1,054 -12.40
560 560 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,106 -15.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430–445 438 3 225.00–229.00 $226.31 $991 —
470 470 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,034 —
615 615 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,255 -6.86
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 212.50 $212.50 $892 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 fancy 275 1 320.00 $320.00 $880 —
300–335 324 4 290.00–307.50 $301.51 $977 +1.51
355–385 369 5 297.50–305.00 $301.46 $1,112 +1.46
405 fancy 405 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,276 —
405–420 415 3 282.50–292.50 $287.56 $1,193 +17.08
460 460 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,322 —
505–540 519 8 230.00–240.00 $234.01 $1,215 +4.01
580 580 2 217.00–231.00 $224.00 $1,299 +4.75
600–645 620 9 210.00–219.00 $215.22 $1,334 -7.73
660–695 673 4 210.00–211.00 $210.49 $1,417 —
705–725 714 4 207.50–212.00 $210.12 $1,500 +2.33
755–790 773 2 200.00–209.00 $204.60 $1,582 —
825 825 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,485 —
870 870 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,610 +11.27
950 950 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,510 -1.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–385 368 2 275.00–280.00 $277.62 $1,022 —
415 415 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,141 +16.84
467 467 2 255.00 $255.00 $1,191 +4.98
510–545 528 2 210.00–220.00 $215.17 $1,136 —
630–640 635 2 182.00–195.00 $188.45 $1,197 -1.89
665–675 670 3 190.00–193.00 $191.00 $1,280 -17.99
755 755 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,329 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 267.50 $267.50 $829 —
365–395 380 2 260.00–265.00 $262.60 $998 +2.60
457–490 474 6 215.00–242.50 $232.37 $1,101 —
530 530 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,073 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 267.50 $267.50 $869 —
375 375 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,050 —
500–515 508 2 215.00–220.00 $217.54 $1,105 —
595 595 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,214 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,022 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1325 1221 80-85% 4 132.00–137.00 $134.44 $1,642 —
1175–1355 1265 80-85% 2 114.00–117.00 $115.39 $1,460 —
1125–1545 1267 80-85% 13 121.00–129.00 $124.45 $1,577 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015 1015 85-90% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,320 +16.86
910–1220 1062 85-90% 8 113.00–118.00 $114.90 $1,220 —
945–1440 1128 85-90% 6 100.00–110.00 $105.87 $1,194 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1485 1450 75-80% 3 130.00–132.00 $131.00 $1,900 —
1380–1600 1486 75-80% 6 119.00–124.00 $120.71 $1,794 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555–2015 1800 6 149.00–154.00 $151.76 $2,732 —
1880 1880 1 143.00 $143.00 $2,688 —

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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.