Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 9, 2024

698 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $236.45/cwt -3.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,485/hd at 628 lb · 59 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $238.64/cwt +1.48 vs last sale · ≈ $1,616/hd at 677 lb · 53 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $254.84/cwt +2.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,460/hd at 573 lb · 40 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 698 493 700
Feeder cattle 600 400 622
Slaughter cattle 73 88 53
Replacement cattle 25 5 25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 600lbs sold unevenly steady with feeder steers over 600lbs 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady with the exception of a few weaned packages of 400lbs to 450lbs weaned packages sharply higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold mostly 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
280 fancy 280 1 335.00 $335.00 $938 —
325–330 fancy 328 2 330.00–335.00 $332.48 $1,091 —
365 365 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,168 ±0.00
405–415 410 2 295.00–310.00 $302.59 $1,241 —
435 value added 435 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,457 +12.06
475–480 478 4 287.50–305.00 $293.10 $1,401 -7.94
512–545 527 11 285.00–302.50 $292.16 $1,540 +0.62
553–592 569 19 271.00–289.00 $279.92 $1,593 -3.51
616–627 value added 618 10 282.00–286.00 $285.19 $1,762 —
630–642 634 7 260.00–270.00 $266.40 $1,689 +2.17
680–690 685 2 265.00–267.50 $266.26 $1,824 +6.26
700–725 711 7 242.00–255.00 $247.90 $1,763 +7.11
714–742 value added 721 15 259.00–269.00 $266.26 $1,920 -0.74
780 780 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,911 —
806 value added 806 6 245.00 $245.00 $1,975 —
825–835 830 2 232.00–237.00 $234.52 $1,947 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,328 +6.24
515–530 523 2 265.00–280.00 $272.61 $1,426 +12.35
560–585 573 2 252.50–262.50 $257.61 $1,476 -9.40
600–637 625 18 247.00–261.00 $249.11 $1,557 +11.82
710 710 4 234.00 $234.00 $1,661 —
965 965 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,689 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,510 +17.50
585 585 1 239.00 $239.00 $1,398 —
620–637 635 10 250.00–263.00 $261.73 $1,662 —
650–690 670 2 225.00–232.50 $228.64 $1,532 —
1130 1130 1 183.00 $183.00 $2,068 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,346 -20.00
600–645 614 6 219.00–235.00 $228.29 $1,402 +18.29

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 257.50 $257.50 $631 —
315 315 1 262.50 $262.50 $827 -5.00
350 350 3 265.00 $265.00 $928 +20.09
403–447 value added 421 5 277.50–282.50 $280.37 $1,180 —
415–447 431 10 249.00–262.50 $257.76 $1,111 +13.99
452–455 value added 452 7 267.50–270.00 $269.64 $1,219 -3.36
475–480 478 3 247.50–258.00 $250.98 $1,200 +3.19
503–525 value added 506 8 260.00–267.00 $266.09 $1,346 —
500–525 515 7 230.00–242.50 $235.71 $1,214 -15.03
567–579 value added 571 32 251.00–262.00 $258.26 $1,475 —
560–590 581 8 237.00–248.00 $241.16 $1,401 -11.32
609–625 612 24 220.00–235.00 $222.77 $1,363 -13.53
610–647 value added 639 35 241.00–249.00 $245.83 $1,571 —
670–672 value added 672 19 240.00–241.00 $240.95 $1,619 —
650–688 680 34 230.00–239.00 $237.35 $1,614 +0.19
710–740 729 4 222.00–226.00 $223.35 $1,628 -0.65
756 756 11 226.50 $226.50 $1,712 +12.31
825–840 833 4 203.00–210.00 $205.73 $1,714 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 245.00 $245.00 $625 —
330 330 1 242.00 $242.00 $799 -5.50
355–392 380 4 237.50–246.00 $240.21 $913 +7.71
400–445 420 4 232.00–242.00 $238.88 $1,003 +16.39
455–495 489 16 230.00–244.00 $241.29 $1,180 +13.84
500–535 520 5 219.00–231.00 $223.49 $1,162 -13.18
565–590 576 4 215.00–227.50 $220.65 $1,271 -11.50
600–645 622 6 210.00–218.00 $212.12 $1,319 -1.88
675 675 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,418 +14.93
720–735 728 3 200.00–207.50 $204.83 $1,491 +12.31
850 850 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,615 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–405 403 2 212.00–220.00 $216.02 $871 +8.41
455–476 470 6 216.00–221.00 $218.98 $1,029 +6.48
630 630 2 185.00–202.00 $193.50 $1,219 —
680 680 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,360 +10.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 2 221.00 $221.00 $972 -21.50
530 530 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,206 +15.00
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,086 —
580 580 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,206 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–345 335 2 317.50–325.00 $321.36 $1,077 +18.82
405–440 423 8 280.00–297.50 $289.20 $1,223 +3.65
455–480 467 6 270.00–285.00 $281.65 $1,315 —
537–547 539 12 255.00–259.00 $258.32 $1,392 +0.28
572–585 579 4 230.00–240.00 $236.84 $1,371 -5.66
603–635 611 9 221.00–231.00 $227.73 $1,391 -1.90
670–682 678 3 218.00–220.00 $218.66 $1,483 -2.31
745 745 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,579 +5.95
765 765 4 206.00 $206.00 $1,576 -0.19
900 900 1 184.00 $184.00 $1,656 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 291.00 $291.00 $1,091 -9.00
425 425 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,148 +17.50
470–495 482 12 254.00–266.00 $258.96 $1,248 -3.04
555–587 574 10 225.00–238.00 $233.14 $1,338 +6.33
665 665 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,450 +20.00
725 725 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,406 +4.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,232 +25.00
505 505 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,222 —
580 580 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,305 —
605–620 613 2 219.00–220.00 $219.49 $1,345 —
667 667 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,334 —
790 790 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,588 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–940 872 85-90% 3 88.00–95.00 $92.21 $804 —
880–1135 1007 85-90% 3 119.00–124.00 $121.42 $1,223 —
830–1320 1049 85-90% 8 98.00–108.00 $103.76 $1,088 —
955–1360 1081 85-90% 16 110.00–118.00 $113.92 $1,231 +10.44
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1245 1233 80-85% 2 128.00–132.00 $129.98 $1,603 +7.93
1060–1355 1239 80-85% 22 116.00–126.00 $119.36 $1,479 -2.69
1235–1280 1258 80-85% 2 113.00 $113.00 $1,422 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375–1625 1449 75-80% 4 121.00–131.00 $125.47 $1,818 +9.12
1465–1720 1621 75-80% 4 115.00–117.00 $115.72 $1,876 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445–2415 1724 4 141.00–146.00 $143.63 $2,476 —
1695–2055 1889 4 151.00–157.00 $153.40 $2,898 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1130–1265 1198 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,285.00–1,420.00 $1,356.30
1290 1290 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
980 980 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00
985 985 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00

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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
1065–1315 1168 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,650.00–2,150.00 $1,869.69 —
1265 1265 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,075.00 $2,075.00 —
1390–1475 1443 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 3 1,775.00–1,850.00 $1,802.48 —

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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.