Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 2, 2024

493 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $301.51/cwt ≈ $1,722/hd at 571 lb · 26 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $255.46/cwt +10.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,186/hd at 464 lb · 23 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $239.91/cwt +29.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,480/hd at 617 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 493 477 660
Feeder cattle 400 398 574
Slaughter cattle 88 63 75
Replacement cattle 5 16 11

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher. Good quality offering of weaned and preconditioned feeders. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 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
330 330 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,023 +15.00
350 fancy 350 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,208 —
370 370 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,184 +28.73
435–447 value added 445 5 320.00–335.00 $322.94 $1,437 —
465–485 474 7 295.00–310.00 $301.04 $1,427 +16.55
460–491 value added 476 9 314.00–327.50 $322.04 $1,533 —
500 value added 500 3 312.50 $312.50 $1,562 —
500–547 540 8 280.00–297.50 $291.54 $1,574 —
554 value added 554 14 317.00 $317.00 $1,756 —
550–599 591 12 282.00–292.50 $283.43 $1,675 —
600–637 628 8 260.00–272.50 $264.23 $1,659 +4.87
665 665 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,729 +3.00
666 value added 666 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,898 —
706 value added 706 4 267.00 $267.00 $1,885 —
725–745 731 4 238.00–247.00 $240.79 $1,760 -1.21
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–455 453 2 275.00–277.50 $276.26 $1,251 +11.73
531–543 539 10 257.50–270.00 $260.26 $1,403 -15.09
560–585 576 4 257.50–275.00 $267.01 $1,538 +11.62
605–645 620 3 230.00–244.00 $237.29 $1,471 +2.25
665 665 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,596 —
865 865 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,739 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,288 —
567 567 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,418 +13.99
620 620 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,302 -12.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,431 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,275 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 257.50 $257.50 $644 —
310 310 1 267.50 $267.50 $829 —
355–380 368 2 242.50–247.50 $244.91 $901 -2.83
410–425 418 2 242.50–245.00 $243.77 $1,019 -4.97
420 fancy 420 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,092 —
451 value added 451 7 273.00 $273.00 $1,231 —
455–495 470 16 240.00–255.00 $247.79 $1,165 +2.36
500–535 515 9 245.00–257.50 $250.74 $1,291 +20.60
553–560 556 8 245.00–257.50 $252.48 $1,404 +25.43
600 value added 600 5 250.00 $250.00 $1,500 —
605–641 623 14 230.00–239.00 $236.30 $1,472 +26.30
650–685 673 3 237.00–237.50 $237.16 $1,596 —
721 value added 721 14 234.50 $234.50 $1,691 —
727 727 5 224.00 $224.00 $1,628 +25.43
770–792 788 6 210.00–215.00 $214.19 $1,688 +11.19
1027 1027 2 171.00 $171.00 $1,756 —
1070 1070 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,658 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 247.50 $247.50 $842 —
387 387 2 232.50 $232.50 $900 ±0.00
430–435 433 2 220.00–225.00 $222.49 $963 -15.87
470–490 480 2 225.00–230.00 $227.45 $1,092 -6.63
500 500 3 235.00–237.50 $236.67 $1,183 +18.82
560–585 574 4 230.00–235.00 $232.15 $1,333 +30.16
600 600 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,284 +14.03
675–695 685 2 190.00–200.00 $195.07 $1,336 —
715–725 720 2 190.00–195.00 $192.52 $1,386 —
775 775 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,395 +5.47
805 805 3 181.00 $181.00 $1,457 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 215.00 $215.00 $666 —
380 380 1 217.50 $217.50 $826 —
425–445 435 2 202.50–212.50 $207.61 $903 —
460 460 2 212.50 $212.50 $978 -2.42
530–535 533 2 215.00–222.50 $218.77 $1,166 +16.77
570–590 580 2 215.00–222.50 $218.69 $1,268 +18.69
660 660 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,254 +9.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–392 381 3 235.00–242.50 $237.36 $904 -2.64
440 440 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,067 +7.50
520 520 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,105 —
580 580 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,392 +24.67
670 670 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,541 —
890 890 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,424 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
437 437 2 207.50 $207.50 $907 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 312.50 $312.50 $906 —
305–310 308 2 297.50–307.50 $302.54 $932 +15.04
350–385 362 10 310.00–320.00 $315.77 $1,143 +31.97
410–435 418 4 280.00–295.00 $285.55 $1,194 —
500–545 513 12 250.00–265.00 $258.04 $1,324 +9.24
560 560 4 242.50 $242.50 $1,358 +10.85
605–645 627 6 225.00–235.00 $229.63 $1,440 +9.92
650–670 659 5 215.00–230.00 $220.97 $1,456 +5.57
705–722 716 3 200.00–209.00 $206.05 $1,475 +7.28
755–780 768 2 202.50–210.00 $206.19 $1,584 -1.81
835 835 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,461 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,185 —
405 405 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,023 —
471 471 3 262.00 $262.00 $1,234 +31.00
540–545 543 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,249 —
575–595 592 7 222.50–227.50 $226.81 $1,343 -3.19
695 695 1 198.00 $198.00 $1,376 -2.49
732 732 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,391 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,188 —
540 540 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,161 -11.00
665 665 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,197 -5.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,188 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1060 988 85-90% 4 119.00–129.00 $122.86 $1,214 —
945–1030 990 85-90% 5 78.00–95.00 $87.14 $863 —
925–1210 1097 85-90% 7 99.00–108.00 $103.48 $1,135 +0.86
910–1290 1131 85-90% 8 113.00–118.00 $115.07 $1,301 +0.32
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1140 1132 80-85% 3 129.00–131.00 $129.99 $1,471 —
1095–1395 1238 80-85% 16 117.00–127.00 $122.05 $1,511 -10.95
1220–1400 1318 80-85% 4 105.00–114.00 $109.10 $1,438 -13.57
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1580 1425 75-80% 9 111.00–119.00 $116.35 $1,658 —
1485 1485 75-80% 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,827 —
1570 1570 75-80% 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,696 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1320 1228 2 132.00–138.00 $135.23 $1,661 —
1595–2100 1837 3 152.00–153.00 $152.62 $2,804 —
1595–2405 1853 5 140.00–150.00 $145.50 $2,696 +16.50

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1130 1130 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00

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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
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —

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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.