Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 29, 2021

1,226 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $124.92/cwt +9.92 vs last sale · ≈ $913/hd at 731 lb · 140 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $129.84/cwt +8.24 vs last sale · ≈ $830/hd at 639 lb · 104 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $144.77/cwt +2.73 vs last sale · ≈ $899/hd at 621 lb · 52 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,226 949 1,278
Feeder cattle 1,109 800 970
Slaughter cattle 99 120 285
Replacement cattle 18 29 23

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady with good demand. Buyers continue to favor weaned packages of 400-600 lb thin-fleshed steers suitable for grass. Slaughter cows sold 4.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 higher with good 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
225 value added 225 1 200.00 $200.00 $450 —
260 260 1 173.00 $173.00 $450 -2.00
310 value added 310 1 185.00 $185.00 $574 +11.21
310–320 317 5 160.00–179.00 $173.27 $549 +13.27
355–365 value added 358 3 184.00–185.00 $184.66 $661 —
350–385 369 5 160.00–180.00 $172.18 $635 +1.18
400–445 value added 417 27 160.00–178.00 $167.44 $698 -5.05
402–445 422 5 155.00–159.00 $157.16 $663 -3.84
455–495 475 28 151.00–160.00 $156.14 $742 -10.51
461–496 value added 482 22 163.00–176.50 $170.10 $820 +3.63
510–545 522 3 152.00–154.00 $153.30 $800 +1.27
505–536 value added 527 5 155.00–162.00 $159.27 $839 -0.23
550–596 value added 565 30 154.00–158.00 $156.10 $882 -2.09
560–597 576 7 137.00–151.00 $143.60 $827 -4.33
600–632 613 7 135.00–138.00 $137.15 $841 +6.12
602–645 value added 622 45 140.00–158.00 $145.96 $908 +0.24
650–675 664 8 135.00–138.00 $136.13 $904 +3.98
660–670 value added 669 44 140.00–145.25 $144.15 $964 -7.10
703–740 709 6 124.00–127.50 $126.89 $900 +4.91
706–740 value added 720 15 130.00–136.00 $135.05 $972 +4.34
760–782 value added 770 46 126.00–136.50 $130.89 $1,008 +1.14
770 770 2 124.00 $124.00 $955 —
800–819 816 44 123.50–127.00 $125.03 $1,020 +0.76
860–866 865 4 116.50–125.00 $122.89 $1,063 +2.84
930 930 2 115.00 $115.00 $1,070 -1.00
1026 1026 16 113.00 $113.00 $1,159 —
1135 1135 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,180 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 137.00 $137.00 $726 +4.54
600–645 623 2 120.00–129.00 $124.34 $775 —
665–685 678 3 118.00–127.00 $122.71 $832 —
815 815 1 110.00 $110.00 $896 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–277 value added 270 3 143.00–144.00 $143.68 $388 —
311–337 321 5 138.00–141.00 $139.74 $449 -0.34
300–345 value added 328 5 140.00–152.00 $145.97 $479 -6.32
350–390 value added 374 6 144.00–153.50 $149.75 $560 +4.24
390 390 1 138.00 $138.00 $538 -1.97
402–440 415 3 127.00–128.00 $127.65 $530 -3.14
400–446 value added 433 13 134.00–144.00 $140.42 $608 -5.88
460–485 473 2 125.00–131.00 $127.92 $605 -6.07
455–498 value added 478 30 133.00–142.00 $135.92 $650 -3.47
500–545 value added 525 24 126.00–138.00 $133.21 $699 -0.59
500–541 529 9 121.00–126.00 $124.03 $656 +1.84
555–585 value added 569 30 125.00–139.00 $132.34 $753 +3.44
555–595 579 6 122.00–124.00 $122.65 $710 -0.07
605–638 632 10 115.00–119.00 $117.41 $742 -0.58
617–649 value added 640 94 125.00–134.00 $131.16 $839 +1.16
653–688 value added 664 10 120.00–124.00 $122.76 $815 -1.35
650–688 678 7 109.00–111.00 $109.28 $741 -0.72
665–690 685 15 117.00 $117.00 $801 +7.00
700 700 2 114.00 $114.00 $798 —
700–742 717 6 100.00–111.00 $106.79 $766 -10.71
722–733 value added 732 132 118.00–126.35 $125.91 $922 —
778 778 4 112.00 $112.00 $871 +10.63
774–786 779 18 106.00–110.00 $108.43 $845 +7.06
840 840 1 110.00 $110.00 $924 —
871 871 18 114.00 $114.00 $993 +14.97
905 905 1 90.00 $90.00 $814 -8.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 130.00 $130.00 $436 —
380 380 1 134.00 $134.00 $509 +11.50
435 435 2 128.00 $128.00 $557 —
475 475 1 121.00 $121.00 $575 -1.76
550–570 560 3 105.00–119.00 $111.06 $622 —
635 635 1 98.00 $98.00 $622 -3.00
662–673 667 8 92.00–103.00 $98.59 $658 -2.03

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302 value added 302 2 165.00 $165.00 $498 —
350–390 374 4 142.00–160.00 $154.26 $577 -13.74
405–422 416 3 145.00–153.00 $147.59 $614 +4.30
455–477 469 15 140.00–150.50 $143.75 $674 —
505–545 519 17 139.50–149.00 $142.18 $738 +2.71
550–575 559 11 140.00–150.00 $144.26 $806 -0.76
600–642 value added 622 8 132.00–140.00 $135.01 $840 —
650–655 value added 651 5 134.00–135.00 $134.40 $875 +7.93
668–695 673 27 121.50–129.00 $127.09 $855 +5.41
715 715 1 115.00 $115.00 $822 -2.46
757 value added 757 2 122.00 $122.00 $924 —
780–785 782 5 106.00–112.00 $109.00 $852 +1.40
800–815 808 2 106.00–108.00 $107.01 $865 +3.64
850–855 853 3 105.00–107.00 $105.66 $901 +5.03
1012 1012 2 78.00 $78.00 $789 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 157.00 $157.00 $385 —
415 415 2 139.00 $139.00 $577 -6.00
505–545 520 5 124.00–135.00 $129.92 $676 +5.42
555–575 570 5 124.00–136.00 $131.16 $748 +1.16
690 690 1 112.00 $112.00 $773 -3.00
745 745 1 102.00 $102.00 $760 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1105–1220 1163 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 2 1,150.00 $1,150.00 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 136.00 $136.00 $789 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1335 1134 80-85% 4 54.00–55.00 $54.46 $618 —
1065–1485 1253 80-85% 16 59.00–63.00 $61.75 $774 +5.05
980–1695 1342 80-85% 19 64.00–73.00 $66.76 $896 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1375 1245 75-80% 2 61.00–63.00 $62.10 $773 —
1235–1845 1531 75-80% 14 64.00–74.00 $67.22 $1,029 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1025 993 85-90% 3 63.00–65.00 $64.33 $639 —
935–1040 995 85-90% 4 49.00–53.00 $50.97 $507 —
945–1320 1092 85-90% 5 54.00–58.00 $56.09 $613 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365 1365 1 80.00 $80.00 $1,092 —
1535 1535 1 88.00 $88.00 $1,351 —
1475–2230 1809 8 90.00–104.00 $95.56 $1,729 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1145 1145 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 68.00 $68.00 $779
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 62.00 $62.00 $604

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1290 1290 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00
1180–1435 1308 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 900.00–1,125.00 $1,001.53

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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
1070–1615 1296 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,100.00–1,225.00 $1,176.93 —

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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.