Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 17, 2021

841 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $131.95/cwt ≈ $1,124/hd at 852 lb · 63 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $119.39/cwt +6.96 vs last sale · ≈ $737/hd at 618 lb · 45 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $133.80/cwt -3.34 vs last sale · ≈ $646/hd at 483 lb · 38 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 841 338 603
Feeder cattle 650 228 498
Slaughter cattle 141 81 98
Replacement cattle 50 29 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 2.00 higher in a limited comparison to last Monday's light test. Yearlings no comparison. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 4.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 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
260 value added 260 1 165.00 $165.00 $429 —
340 340 2 152.00 $152.00 $517 —
366–397 378 7 156.00–158.00 $156.87 $593 —
382 value added 382 2 167.00 $167.00 $638 —
430 430 1 151.00 $151.00 $649 -9.00
430 value added 430 1 162.00 $162.00 $697 —
480 value added 480 2 161.00 $161.00 $773 —
500–530 value added 511 10 152.00–156.00 $155.00 $792 +11.00
507–545 520 3 147.00–151.00 $149.60 $778 +9.39
560 value added 560 1 153.00 $153.00 $857 +15.00
580 580 1 141.00 $141.00 $818 +1.32
610–647 value added 630 25 139.00–152.50 $145.40 $916 +8.54
653–670 value added 662 17 142.00–144.50 $144.11 $954 +7.11
650–688 680 5 135.00–138.00 $135.57 $922 +4.57
700–728 716 6 123.00–124.00 $123.67 $885 —
710–730 value added 719 4 128.00–131.00 $129.26 $929 +2.93
770–780 773 3 120.00–122.00 $120.67 $933 -4.33
780 value added 780 1 128.00 $128.00 $998 —
850–862 thin fleshed 851 61 128.50–132.60 $132.33 $1,126 —
855–885 870 2 120.00–121.00 $120.51 $1,048 —
940 940 1 106.00 $106.00 $996 -4.00
1014 1014 9 108.00 $108.00 $1,095 +3.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 141.00 $141.00 $726 +7.00
720 720 1 110.00 $110.00 $792 —
1060 1060 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,007 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 134.00 $134.00 $268 —
285–295 294 7 139.00–142.00 $141.58 $416 —
335–345 340 2 133.00–138.00 $135.46 $461 +1.46
360–390 375 7 129.00–135.00 $132.70 $498 —
415 value added 415 1 147.00 $147.00 $610 +7.99
400–435 422 8 125.00–132.00 $128.79 $543 -2.56
457–497 value added 478 12 136.00–145.00 $138.41 $662 +0.41
467–496 485 26 126.00–134.00 $131.67 $639 -4.33
500–529 value added 517 16 134.00–141.00 $139.08 $719 +2.38
500–542 521 13 123.00–131.00 $128.37 $669 +4.81
560–597 579 18 124.00–132.00 $126.99 $735 +2.23
600–635 610 27 121.00–124.00 $122.73 $749 +0.73
610–641 629 18 104.00–119.00 $114.37 $719 +3.54
672–692 682 8 107.00–115.00 $111.06 $757 +2.63
702–730 711 3 104.00 $104.00 $739 -5.00
710–727 718 10 108.00–110.00 $109.50 $786 +0.50
750–785 770 17 108.00–114.00 $110.83 $853 —
775 775 1 102.00 $102.00 $790 —
800–830 815 4 108.00–109.00 $108.51 $884 —
870 870 1 101.00 $101.00 $879 +7.00
881 881 20 116.75 $116.75 $1,029 +22.75
930 930 1 104.00 $104.00 $967 —
965 965 2 100.00 $100.00 $965 —
1005 1005 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,035 —
1027 1027 2 105.00 $105.00 $1,078 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–290 280 2 126.00–131.00 $128.41 $360 —
347 347 2 121.00 $121.00 $420 —
395 395 1 129.00 $129.00 $510 —
405–435 417 6 117.00–125.00 $122.70 $512 +6.70
470–485 477 6 115.00–124.00 $120.15 $573 -0.36
500–535 518 6 110.00–121.00 $115.11 $596 —
550–595 566 6 104.00–120.00 $113.60 $643 —
615 615 1 103.00 $103.00 $633 —
650–690 676 4 100.00–104.00 $102.28 $691 +2.28
755 755 1 95.00 $95.00 $717 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680 680 1 100.00 $100.00 $680 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–390 371 7 147.00–156.00 $153.96 $571 +2.65
400–435 419 6 145.00–153.00 $148.56 $622 +7.56
435 value added 435 1 155.00 $155.00 $674 —
450–485 463 9 140.00–154.00 $145.70 $675 +7.70
475–485 value added 480 2 155.00 $155.00 $744 —
500–535 value added 517 14 149.00–152.00 $150.47 $778 —
505–540 526 8 135.00–146.00 $142.52 $750 +0.06
570–590 578 6 136.00–145.00 $139.68 $807 +2.34
550–596 value added 579 19 146.00–153.00 $150.22 $870 —
600–640 value added 619 8 133.00–143.00 $138.82 $859 +8.46
625–647 640 4 121.00–125.00 $122.99 $787 +1.71
650–690 value added 669 4 130.00–132.00 $131.01 $876 —
652–697 677 9 112.00–129.00 $123.53 $836 +6.69
723–735 725 7 112.00–115.00 $113.85 $825 +1.58
790 790 1 110.00 $110.00 $869 +2.50
800–837 825 4 84.00–114.00 $97.36 $803 +7.02
895 895 1 81.00 $81.00 $725 —
1045 1045 1 82.00 $82.00 $857 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–315 313 2 131.00–147.00 $139.06 $435 —
430 430 2 129.00 $129.00 $555 +1.45
490 490 2 130.00–139.00 $134.50 $659 +13.50
500–530 520 3 125.00–132.00 $127.24 $662 —
550–580 570 3 123.00–131.00 $128.43 $732 -0.57
610 610 1 118.00 $118.00 $720 —
655–670 662 3 112.00–120.00 $115.98 $768 +16.98
722 722 2 97.00 $97.00 $700 ±0.00
905 905 1 76.00 $76.00 $688 ±0.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700–730 712 3 105.00–108.00 $106.64 $759 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 126.00 $126.00 $655 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1535 1243 80-85% 18 64.50–71.00 $68.30 $849 —
1130–1565 1374 80-85% 16 73.00–78.00 $75.04 $1,031 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1520 1390 75-80% 4 67.50–71.00 $69.10 $960 —
1275–1950 1664 75-80% 25 71.00–78.00 $74.16 $1,234 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1320 968 85-90% 8 49.00–63.00 $55.98 $542 —
925–1050 988 85-90% 3 63.00–65.50 $64.46 $637 —
995–1230 1089 85-90% 4 69.00–77.00 $72.51 $790 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1450 1293 2 68.00–80.00 $73.27 $947 —
1180–2500 1702 16 80.00–90.00 $86.96 $1,480 —
1385–2160 1707 14 93.00–110.00 $99.38 $1,696 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
920–1250 1037 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 79.00–84.00 $82.19 $852
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
860 860 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 77.00 $77.00 $662

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1135–1590 1327 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 900.00–1,100.00 $982.86
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
935–1030 978 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 650.00–750.00 $676.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1015–1705 1206 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 16 1,075.00–1,350.00 $1,269.26 —

↑ Back to top

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.