Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 5, 2021

786 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 steers $157.01/cwt +14.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,045/hd at 665 lb · 45 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $151.41/cwt +13.38 vs last sale · ≈ $657/hd at 434 lb · 38 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $134.76/cwt +4.92 vs last sale · ≈ $837/hd at 621 lb · 37 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 786 1,226 599
Feeder cattle 686 1,109 527
Slaughter cattle 90 99 72
Replacement cattle 10 18 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher; 600-800 lbs sharply higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand. Quality was good through attractive. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 higher and 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
255–275 value added 265 2 185.00 $185.00 $490 —
295 295 1 169.00 $169.00 $499 -4.00
315–340 value added 331 4 184.00–189.00 $185.69 $615 +0.69
335–347 340 5 164.00–169.00 $166.04 $565 -7.23
353 value added 353 8 197.00 $197.00 $695 +12.34
365–390 373 5 164.00–181.00 $175.47 $655 +3.29
410–443 value added 433 27 160.00–189.00 $178.90 $775 +11.46
445–447 446 4 156.00–157.00 $156.50 $698 -0.66
460–470 464 4 150.00–159.00 $154.27 $716 -1.87
455–495 value added 477 23 161.00–172.00 $166.07 $792 -4.03
505–543 value added 518 17 160.00–166.00 $162.48 $842 +3.21
550–595 563 9 150.00–155.00 $151.48 $853 +7.88
565–599 value added 589 26 155.00–170.00 $163.43 $963 +7.33
605–625 613 5 141.00–149.00 $146.80 $900 +9.65
600–641 value added 615 25 147.00–156.00 $151.14 $930 +5.18
650–695 value added 665 40 140.00–161.50 $159.53 $1,061 +15.38
660–677 668 5 132.00–139.00 $136.82 $914 +0.69
700–740 value added 723 10 134.00–136.00 $135.21 $978 +0.16
700–745 730 3 125.00–129.00 $127.72 $932 +0.83
751–775 value added 755 22 137.00–147.00 $144.51 $1,091 +13.62
760–785 775 3 129.00–132.00 $130.66 $1,013 +6.66
805–816 813 17 127.00–134.00 $133.59 $1,086 +8.56
862–879 876 13 126.50–129.50 $126.95 $1,112 +4.06
900 900 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,062 +3.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 149.00 $149.00 $469 —
555 555 3 145.00 $145.00 $805 —
600 600 1 135.00 $135.00 $810 +10.66

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 value added 200 1 150.00 $150.00 $300 —
250 value added 250 1 145.00 $145.00 $362 +1.32
325–340 value added 333 2 151.00–155.00 $152.95 $509 +6.98
350–395 value added 368 24 149.00–160.00 $155.09 $571 +5.34
370 370 1 139.00 $139.00 $514 +1.00
402–448 value added 434 38 135.00–161.50 $151.41 $657 +10.99
455–487 value added 470 22 137.00–150.00 $144.89 $681 +8.97
460–495 479 4 132.00–136.00 $133.73 $641 +5.81
523–530 524 5 126.00–130.00 $126.81 $664 +2.78
500–546 value added 526 25 133.00–141.00 $137.51 $723 +4.30
552–592 568 10 128.00–131.00 $129.22 $734 +6.57
555–592 value added 574 24 132.50–140.00 $135.69 $779 +3.35
604–622 value added 618 30 127.00–140.25 $138.86 $858 +7.70
617–648 634 7 111.00–124.00 $117.17 $743 -0.24
650–695 663 14 112.00–120.00 $115.58 $766 +6.30
663 value added 663 5 128.00 $128.00 $849 +5.24
700–730 713 3 103.00–108.00 $104.64 $746 -2.15
700–748 722 12 113.00–120.00 $116.86 $844 +10.07
768–772 value added 768 32 125.00 $125.00 $960 —
800 800 1 94.00 $94.00 $752 —
805 805 2 111.00 $111.00 $894 +1.00
900 900 1 90.00 $90.00 $810 ±0.00
920 920 7 113.00 $113.00 $1,040 +23.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 132.00 $132.00 $469 -2.00
475 475 2 132.00 $132.00 $627 +11.00
550–595 584 4 120.00–123.00 $122.29 $714 +11.23
656 656 3 106.00 $106.00 $695 +7.41
720 720 1 99.00 $99.00 $713 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 129.00 $129.00 $606 —
707 707 2 103.00 $103.00 $728 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–386 380 4 174.00–180.00 $178.58 $679 +24.32
415–425 420 2 145.00–151.00 $147.96 $621 +0.37
460–495 475 7 148.00–158.00 $153.02 $727 +9.27
480–487 value added 485 3 161.00–164.00 $163.01 $791 —
500–530 517 6 143.00–152.00 $145.50 $752 +3.32
535 value added 535 3 155.00 $155.00 $829 —
550–590 559 10 146.00–152.00 $150.05 $839 +5.79
575–581 value added 580 4 155.00–158.00 $157.26 $912 —
600–642 value added 621 4 136.00–139.00 $137.76 $855 +2.75
635 635 1 134.00 $134.00 $851 —
650–655 653 2 130.00–134.00 $132.01 $862 +4.92
665–680 value added 671 11 136.00–145.00 $140.03 $940 +5.63
720 720 1 121.00 $121.00 $871 +6.00
830 830 1 106.00 $106.00 $880 -1.01
945 945 1 91.00 $91.00 $860 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 2 138.00 $138.00 $676 —
525 525 1 152.00 $152.00 $798 —
565 565 1 148.00 $148.00 $836 +12.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 152.00 $152.00 $517 —
465 465 1 139.00 $139.00 $646 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1435 1248 80-85% 7 54.00–58.00 $56.19 $701 —
950–1520 1301 80-85% 14 61.00–65.00 $63.99 $833 —
1130–1665 1374 80-85% 19 66.00–76.00 $69.59 $956 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925 925 85-90% 1 53.00 $53.00 $490 —
960–1120 1052 85-90% 3 61.00–64.00 $62.38 $656 —
980–1330 1078 85-90% 6 54.00–59.00 $57.23 $617 +1.14
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225 1225 75-80% 1 64.00 $64.00 $784 +1.90
1165–1845 1411 75-80% 8 66.00–75.00 $70.35 $993 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1785 1785 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,660 —
1500–2155 1816 7 96.00–106.00 $99.43 $1,806 +3.87
2090 2090 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,568 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1115–1330 1205 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 850.00–975.00 $928.35
1150–1535 1343 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 900.00–1,000.00 $957.17
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1130–1180 1155 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 700.00–750.00 $725.54

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1225 1225 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 925.00 $925.00 —

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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.