Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report, Lexington, KY

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, August 2, 2021

835 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 $151.37/cwt +20.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,007/hd at 666 lb · 85 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $153.38/cwt +4.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,202/hd at 784 lb · 71 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $148.17/cwt +9.59 vs last sale · ≈ $854/hd at 576 lb · 50 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 835 628 813
Feeder cattle 679 550 593
Slaughter cattle 139 72 185
Replacement cattle 17 6 35

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with most advance on 500-600 lbs with very good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady 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
305–330 322 3 171.00–173.00 $171.63 $553 —
365–370 value added 368 2 179.00 $179.00 $659 +10.00
395 395 2 169.00 $169.00 $668 —
420–445 value added 430 7 160.00–174.00 $170.82 $735 -1.04
455–497 value added 479 4 161.00–170.00 $164.18 $786 +1.70
490 490 1 150.00 $150.00 $735 —
510–525 value added 521 4 165.00–176.00 $167.69 $874 -0.59
502–545 524 9 151.00–160.00 $155.61 $815 +0.94
550–580 568 3 153.00–159.00 $155.36 $882 +5.36
550–588 value added 570 6 160.00–167.00 $164.83 $940 +8.20
600–625 608 3 146.00–153.00 $150.60 $916 +6.61
600–635 value added 623 22 156.00–169.75 $165.52 $1,031 +6.79
650–695 666 8 140.00–146.00 $143.36 $955 +1.92
650–684 value added 681 20 161.00–167.75 $166.76 $1,136 +18.13
700–725 value added 712 19 151.00–161.75 $159.52 $1,136 +3.27
765 765 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,086 —
767–785 value added 784 70 149.00–153.90 $153.54 $1,204 +4.29
868 868 6 137.25 $137.25 $1,191 —
1055 1055 2 115.00 $115.00 $1,213 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 145.00 $145.00 $406 —
480 480 1 150.00 $150.00 $720 —
555–575 563 3 148.00–150.00 $149.34 $841 +4.34
677 677 6 138.00 $138.00 $934 —
817 817 2 119.00 $119.00 $972 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 145.00 $145.00 $783 —
735 735 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,051 +13.00
815–822 820 3 129.00–130.00 $129.33 $1,061 —
865–875 873 4 130.00 $130.00 $1,135 +9.50
910 910 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,101 -5.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
241 241 4 154.00 $154.00 $371 —
330 330 1 150.00 $150.00 $495 +9.50
330–345 value added 338 2 155.00–157.50 $156.22 $528 —
370 value added 370 2 156.00–160.00 $158.00 $585 +4.69
395 395 1 146.00 $146.00 $577 —
405 405 2 143.00–145.00 $144.00 $583 +2.60
455–480 468 5 142.00–145.00 $143.19 $670 +0.74
450–495 value added 479 23 147.00–157.00 $154.31 $739 +2.75
500–542 value added 515 15 144.00–159.00 $151.06 $778 +2.32
505–545 530 3 134.00–136.00 $135.00 $716 +0.05
550–596 value added 576 40 145.00–157.00 $151.40 $872 +8.97
570–593 578 10 132.00–140.00 $135.26 $782 +1.67
600–620 value added 609 11 137.00–155.00 $147.37 $897 -6.01
635–645 642 19 125.00–135.00 $130.00 $835 -0.38
655–690 value added 665 83 139.00–152.85 $151.93 $1,010 +11.93
687 687 2 128.00 $128.00 $879 +1.86
700–711 value added 711 44 128.00–148.00 $147.55 $1,049 +1.30
700–727 720 4 114.00–120.00 $118.54 $853 -6.21
750–795 760 8 108.00–116.00 $110.90 $843 —
765 value added 765 15 138.50 $138.50 $1,060 —
910 910 1 100.00 $100.00 $910 -2.05
955 955 1 90.00 $90.00 $860 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–390 385 2 120.00–132.00 $126.08 $485 —
400 400 1 130.00 $130.00 $520 -1.00
450–485 468 10 120.00–132.00 $122.87 $575 -0.13
530–540 535 2 131.00–133.00 $132.01 $706 —
600 600 1 127.00 $127.00 $762 +6.00
670 670 1 119.00 $119.00 $797 -3.53
720–745 732 3 98.00–108.00 $103.06 $754 —
755–765 760 2 103.00–105.00 $103.99 $790 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 140.00 $140.00 $623 —
532 532 2 134.00 $134.00 $713 —
810 810 1 104.00 $104.00 $842 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 129.00 $129.00 $600 —
550 550 1 112.00 $112.00 $616 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 5 165.00 $165.00 $396 +12.50
273 273 2 170.00 $170.00 $464 —
325 fancy 325 9 172.00 $172.00 $559 —
350–390 370 2 162.00–174.00 $168.32 $623 —
445 fancy 445 2 160.00 $160.00 $712 -15.53
470–474 fancy 474 8 158.00 $158.00 $749 -4.50
485 485 1 146.00 $146.00 $708 —
530 530 1 155.00 $155.00 $822 +6.61
570 570 1 152.00 $152.00 $866 +6.59
605–635 value added 625 3 144.50–148.00 $145.63 $910 —
605–646 638 5 134.00–137.00 $134.57 $859 -1.83
657–680 665 3 125.00–136.00 $132.25 $879 -1.42
703–735 710 7 125.00–131.00 $128.54 $913 +7.54
765 765 6 114.00–115.00 $114.67 $877 -3.83
800–840 820 2 105.00–109.00 $106.95 $877 -8.68
857 857 2 106.00 $106.00 $908 -3.00
935 935 1 103.00 $103.00 $963 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 145.00 $145.00 $544 —
500–540 527 6 132.00–133.00 $132.32 $697 —
575 575 1 128.00 $128.00 $736 -9.00
625 625 1 125.00 $125.00 $781 -0.81
745 745 1 104.00 $104.00 $775 —
905 905 1 75.00 $75.00 $679 —
967 967 2 80.00 $80.00 $774 -14.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 138.00 $138.00 $462 —
555 555 1 120.00 $120.00 $666 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1235 1140 80-85% 2 62.00–63.00 $62.54 $713 —
1050–1565 1149 80-85% 17 64.00–71.00 $66.78 $767 —
1095–1555 1282 80-85% 13 71.50–84.00 $74.69 $958 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–1025 862 85-90% 7 52.00–61.00 $57.09 $492 —
770–1070 954 85-90% 7 65.00–70.00 $68.46 $653 +25.46
890–1355 1057 85-90% 11 62.00–65.00 $63.95 $676 -0.94
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1665 1448 75-80% 7 64.00–71.00 $69.05 $1,000 —
1225–1965 1544 75-80% 11 72.00–79.00 $75.59 $1,167 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1670 1293 5 72.00–81.00 $78.13 $1,010 —
1150–2185 1513 10 83.00–96.00 $91.05 $1,378 —
1395–2130 1767 19 98.00–114.00 $105.68 $1,867 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
885–1260 1058 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 77.00–91.00 $82.63 $874
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
965–1125 1031 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 71.00–74.00 $72.49 $747

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1160–1385 1263 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 825.00–960.00 $886.36
1365 1365 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1025–1090 1058 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 650.00–720.00 $683.92
1095–1105 1100 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 750.00–770.00 $759.95

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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
1240 1240 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00 —

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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.