Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 19, 2021

1,373 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 $131.89/cwt -8.60 vs last sale · ≈ $891/hd at 675 lb · 87 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $170.85/cwt -2.27 vs last sale · ≈ $710/hd at 415 lb · 72 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $137.55/cwt -3.78 vs last sale · ≈ $716/hd at 521 lb · 71 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,373 1,118 1,188
Feeder cattle 1,136 1,018 1,036
Slaughter cattle 217 93 123
Replacement cattle 20 7 29

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 lower with good demand. New crop fleshy bawling fall-born calves beginning to arrive in the market. Buyers showing preference for harder thin-fleshed long-weaned offerings. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand under heavy supply. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 lower 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
253 value added 253 3 179.00 $179.00 $453 —
255 255 1 175.00 $175.00 $446 +3.18
300–330 value added 324 13 171.00–183.00 $175.29 $568 -15.70
365–395 380 4 162.50–168.00 $165.61 $629 -6.62
375–392 value added 387 4 170.00–171.00 $170.76 $661 -13.33
401 fancy 401 5 177.00 $177.00 $710 —
400–445 value added 415 54 160.00–183.50 $173.94 $722 -2.58
400–441 422 13 151.00–159.00 $155.67 $657 -1.94
455–465 460 5 152.00–156.00 $154.22 $709 -2.77
450–496 value added 472 27 161.00–180.50 $172.32 $813 -0.38
505–540 522 11 150.00–155.00 $152.02 $794 +0.26
505–546 value added 524 48 158.00–173.00 $165.23 $866 -0.04
552–586 value added 563 32 155.00–166.50 $161.93 $912 +4.29
595 595 1 146.00 $146.00 $869 -6.57
600–615 610 3 136.00–141.00 $137.68 $840 -8.54
600–647 value added 617 54 142.00–158.00 $146.75 $905 -3.87
652–680 661 9 133.00–138.00 $136.22 $900 -2.28
650–690 value added 672 12 144.00–151.00 $149.19 $1,003 -1.43
705–707 706 3 124.00–128.00 $126.67 $894 -4.86
720–735 value added 730 3 131.00–136.00 $134.36 $981 -5.43
771–782 value added 775 6 132.50–135.00 $133.34 $1,033 -0.66
858–865 860 14 125.00–126.00 $125.71 $1,081 -3.04
910 910 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,083 -7.00
928 fancy 928 54 129.95 $129.95 $1,206 —
985 985 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,064 —
1120 1120 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,120 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 147.50 $147.50 $384 —
390 390 1 150.00 $150.00 $585 —
515–530 523 2 142.00–147.00 $144.46 $756 +2.46
660 660 1 130.00 $130.00 $858 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780 780 1 126.00 $126.00 $983 —
820–835 828 2 115.00–124.00 $119.54 $990 —
860 860 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,066 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–325 315 2 140.00–144.00 $141.94 $447 -0.56
325–345 value added 335 17 152.00–157.00 $154.34 $517 -4.82
360–392 381 11 144.00–148.00 $145.91 $556 -0.09
360–393 value added 382 11 148.00–153.00 $149.61 $572 -7.90
400–439 value added 411 52 143.00–156.00 $146.93 $604 -6.94
410–440 431 16 131.00–140.50 $137.31 $592 +0.46
451–495 value added 462 41 141.00–150.00 $146.85 $678 +2.31
460–485 474 20 130.00–140.00 $133.06 $631 -4.39
500–540 516 17 130.00–135.00 $132.53 $684 -0.98
502–545 value added 522 54 135.00–144.50 $139.13 $726 -3.30
554–587 563 19 130.00–133.00 $131.98 $743 -1.40
557–586 value added 574 22 134.00–145.00 $139.91 $803 -3.78
600–635 612 6 115.00–126.00 $120.43 $737 -5.19
610–638 value added 624 10 126.00–131.00 $128.94 $805 -5.77
660–685 669 7 110.00–124.00 $118.95 $796 -1.04
675–697 value added 676 80 125.00–134.10 $133.02 $899 -8.53
700 700 4 119.00–120.00 $119.25 $835 +13.27
705–730 715 4 100.00–110.00 $105.46 $754 -0.52
750 750 1 114.00 $114.00 $855 —
762–790 777 6 101.00–110.00 $106.19 $825 —
825 825 1 113.00 $113.00 $932 +8.00
840 840 1 92.00 $92.00 $773 -13.00
870 870 1 113.00 $113.00 $983 -2.26
983 983 3 115.00 $115.00 $1,130 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 135.00 $135.00 $425 —
370–380 377 3 130.00–136.00 $132.35 $499 +2.02
470–490 482 5 122.00–129.00 $124.63 $601 —
505 505 1 126.00 $126.00 $636 +3.01
555–595 576 8 113.00–127.00 $120.28 $693 -7.72
605–647 626 4 106.00–120.00 $112.77 $706 +3.62
650–697 685 4 103.00–111.00 $108.85 $746 +1.86
708 708 3 93.00 $93.00 $658 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475–480 478 2 121.00–131.00 $125.97 $602 —
572–590 578 3 126.00–127.00 $126.66 $732 -5.34
700 700 2 110.00 $110.00 $770 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 117.50 $117.50 $300 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308–342 value added 319 6 165.00–183.00 $176.57 $563 -2.93
325–330 328 2 152.50–160.00 $156.22 $512 -9.54
350–375 363 2 163.00–167.00 $165.07 $599 -3.68
355–387 value added 380 9 165.00–185.50 $181.22 $689 +9.87
425–430 value added 426 4 172.00–176.00 $173.01 $737 +6.01
420–440 433 3 146.00–151.00 $148.29 $642 -9.75
465 465 2 145.00–150.00 $147.50 $686 -3.43
457–485 value added 469 9 164.00–175.00 $166.49 $781 —
515–521 value added 519 11 158.00 $158.00 $820 -2.67
535–536 536 8 140.00–144.50 $143.94 $772 -4.16
560–580 572 9 138.50–144.00 $140.46 $803 -7.32
550–597 value added 583 9 149.00–157.00 $152.64 $890 -4.06
625–640 628 10 122.00–131.00 $129.07 $811 —
650–685 669 5 126.00–130.00 $127.22 $851 -1.76
700 700 1 119.00 $119.00 $833 —
755–796 780 10 112.00–118.00 $115.17 $898 —
800–831 822 8 97.00–109.00 $101.17 $832 -6.83
851–890 877 13 90.00–108.00 $103.66 $909 —
910–915 913 2 96.00–107.00 $101.52 $927 —
1035 1035 1 76.00 $76.00 $787 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 142.00 $142.00 $483 +9.50
359 359 5 156.00 $156.00 $560 —
470–492 485 4 130.00–144.00 $135.93 $659 -0.07
545 545 1 134.00 $134.00 $730 —
550–585 570 3 134.00–138.00 $136.04 $775 -1.26
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430–440 437 3 104.00–128.00 $111.88 $489 —
485 485 1 126.00 $126.00 $611 +1.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 139.00 $139.00 $639 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1305 1094 80-85% 5 56.00–59.00 $58.02 $635 —
935–1715 1212 80-85% 42 61.00–67.00 $64.27 $779 -1.38
1005–1640 1291 80-85% 35 68.00–74.00 $70.39 $909 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1360 965 85-90% 15 44.00–59.00 $53.02 $512 —
880–1180 1037 85-90% 20 60.00–66.00 $62.32 $646 +2.28
1035–1340 1176 85-90% 5 66.00–71.00 $68.50 $806 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1815 1384 75-80% 10 68.00–74.00 $70.15 $971 —
1225–1815 1471 75-80% 26 62.00–67.00 $64.87 $954 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1490 1328 2 72.00–77.00 $74.81 $993 —
1500–1780 1564 8 85.00–93.00 $88.70 $1,387 —
1415–1995 1702 11 94.00–103.00 $98.15 $1,671 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1120 1120 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 860.00 $860.00
975–1400 1125 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 860.00–1,000.00 $922.61
1165 1165 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 835.00 $835.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1095 1095 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 675.00 $675.00
1190 1190 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 775.00 $775.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 535.00 $535.00

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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
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —
1110 1110 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00 —
1300 fancy 1300 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
990 990 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 835.00 $835.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 107.50 $107.50 $392 —
595 595 1 82.00 $82.00 $488 —
945 945 4 87.00 $87.00 $822 —

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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.