Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 15, 2021

815 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $123.27/cwt +4.65 vs last sale · ≈ $831/hd at 674 lb · 81 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $129.73/cwt +5.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,004/hd at 774 lb · 63 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $124.53/cwt -7.15 vs last sale · ≈ $718/hd at 577 lb · 34 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 815 1,754 578
Feeder cattle 690 1,542 467
Slaughter cattle 102 191 94
Replacement cattle 23 21 17

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold mixed with 400-600 lbs trading steady to 2.00 lower; 600-700 steady to 2.00 higher and yearlings weak. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher over 500 lbs sold steady to 3.00 lower. Quality was good but not as attractive as last week. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 lower with moderate demand.

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
285 value added 285 1 175.00 $175.00 $499 —
347 value added 347 2 179.00 $179.00 $621 -1.88
370–395 value added 380 3 175.00–179.00 $177.70 $675 -1.84
395 395 2 163.00 $163.00 $644 -6.52
400–437 value added 417 9 154.00–170.00 $162.09 $676 -3.87
405–431 421 8 144.00–152.00 $149.72 $630 -1.09
450–490 value added 462 12 154.00–166.00 $161.47 $746 -5.71
450–475 465 4 142.00–150.00 $147.60 $686 -4.39
510–520 515 2 145.00–150.00 $147.48 $760 +2.12
530–537 value added 536 16 151.00–158.75 $157.08 $842 -3.79
560–582 value added 568 21 148.00–166.00 $161.27 $916 +8.19
600–642 value added 617 17 143.00–147.00 $144.21 $890 +0.60
605–645 621 4 135.00–138.00 $137.27 $852 +2.58
657 value added 657 15 140.75 $140.75 $925 +3.66
675 675 2 132.00 $132.00 $891 -1.95
715–737 value added 728 10 129.00–133.00 $130.57 $951 -2.35
761–780 772 12 123.00–125.00 $123.59 $954 -0.41
761–781 value added 774 51 131.00–131.25 $131.17 $1,015 —
840 840 4 116.00 $116.00 $974 -0.45
852 852 5 116.50 $116.50 $993 +1.50
935 935 22 120.00 $120.00 $1,122 +2.84
995 995 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,094 -8.00
1155 1155 3 105.00 $105.00 $1,213 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 135.00 $135.00 $641 ±0.00
550 550 1 137.00 $137.00 $754 +2.19
760 760 1 107.00 $107.00 $813 —
895 895 1 108.00 $108.00 $967 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–295 278 3 132.00–143.00 $138.43 $385 -0.90
335–345 340 5 138.00–145.00 $141.24 $480 +7.91
350–390 360 9 135.00–141.00 $137.09 $494 +5.02
357–380 value added 371 8 148.00–152.00 $149.22 $554 +8.44
417–445 value added 434 10 142.00–150.50 $148.31 $644 +4.51
435 435 1 128.00 $128.00 $557 -4.09
457–490 474 8 126.00–134.00 $131.64 $624 +1.82
450–495 value added 476 20 135.00–145.00 $138.92 $661 +3.60
502–525 513 12 118.00–126.00 $122.68 $629 -0.15
502–547 value added 528 18 126.00–136.00 $129.41 $683 -3.74
563–597 574 10 121.00–124.00 $122.80 $705 +1.42
560–597 value added 578 24 124.00–130.00 $125.25 $724 -7.56
609 value added 609 10 123.00 $123.00 $749 -1.45
615–648 638 5 109.00–114.00 $112.64 $719 -3.61
666–684 value added 671 63 122.00–128.75 $126.78 $851 +3.74
660–696 684 18 104.00–120.00 $110.98 $759 -3.74
705 value added 705 6 122.50 $122.50 $864 +4.11
723–730 725 4 105.00–115.00 $107.52 $780 -5.70
705–741 733 11 99.00–110.00 $106.52 $781 -6.70
775–783 782 13 100.00–108.50 $107.85 $843 +6.27
762–796 789 10 109.00–117.25 $115.66 $913 +14.08
951 951 3 85.00 $85.00 $808 -5.51
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 120.00 $120.00 $384 -5.85
520 520 1 115.00 $115.00 $598 -4.00
605–625 615 3 89.00–101.00 $96.60 $594 -9.97
765–790 782 3 86.00–88.00 $86.65 $678 -4.35
920–945 933 2 77.00–82.00 $79.47 $741 -2.53
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 2 98.00 $98.00 $603 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357–390 368 3 151.00–152.00 $151.65 $558 -11.13
400 value added 400 1 160.00 $160.00 $640 ±0.00
420–440 432 5 137.00–152.00 $148.31 $641 -1.69
450–495 475 12 135.50–152.00 $145.83 $693 +0.41
510–545 523 16 141.00–151.00 $143.69 $751 +1.30
555–597 575 15 130.00–145.00 $137.20 $789 -3.80
605–645 625 9 126.00–131.00 $127.87 $799 -0.78
657–682 672 5 121.00–129.00 $126.16 $848 +3.93
722 722 2 121.00 $121.00 $874 +5.02
760–765 763 3 115.00 $115.00 $877 +4.86
801–810 805 6 95.00–106.00 $100.36 $808 -6.84
900–940 928 5 93.00–95.00 $94.20 $874 -5.80
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 133.00 $133.00 $572 -7.70
480 480 1 130.00 $130.00 $624 -5.00
517–540 526 5 133.00–137.00 $134.97 $710 +2.72
675 675 1 113.00 $113.00 $763 +4.99
760 760 1 99.00 $99.00 $752 +4.00
800 800 1 95.00 $95.00 $760 —
920 920 1 89.00 $89.00 $819 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 133.00 $133.00 $745 -1.01

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1200 1132 80-85% 3 45.00–51.00 $48.43 $548 —
1015–1770 1297 80-85% 16 53.00–58.50 $56.85 $737 -1.53
1165–1715 1337 80-85% 23 59.00–69.00 $61.53 $823 -3.03
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1555 1403 75-80% 5 56.00–58.00 $56.80 $797 —
1385–1505 1445 75-80% 2 52.00–53.00 $52.48 $758 -6.07
1285–1770 1518 75-80% 17 59.00–63.50 $60.49 $918 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1230 1134 85-90% 4 50.00–53.00 $51.96 $589 -1.88
1050–1215 1136 85-90% 5 36.00–48.00 $44.38 $504 -9.46
1025–1405 1205 85-90% 3 56.00–59.50 $57.19 $689 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1545 1483 2 76.00–77.00 $76.48 $1,134 —
1460–2250 1814 9 92.00–98.00 $93.51 $1,696 —
1205–2545 1956 8 80.00–89.00 $86.19 $1,686 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1090 1090 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 77.00 $77.00 $839
1340 fancy 1340 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 73.00 $73.00 $978
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
965 965 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 58.00 $58.00 $560

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1230–1480 1373 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 875.00–1,200.00 $1,081.31
1475 1475 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1145 1145 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00
1050–1315 1183 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 700.00–750.00 $727.80
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1180 1180 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 585.00 $585.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
541 value added 541 15 103.00 $103.00 $557 —

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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.