Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 20, 2021

736 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $138.69/cwt -4.31 vs last sale · ≈ $656/hd at 473 lb · 54 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $140.78/cwt +1.38 vs last sale · ≈ $791/hd at 562 lb · 51 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $133.46/cwt -4.33 vs last sale · ≈ $821/hd at 616 lb · 32 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 736 737 877
Feeder cattle 643 636 732
Slaughter cattle 82 99 113
Replacement cattle 11 2 32

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold mostly steady with good demand; 600-700 lbs weaned packages firm with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady with good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold mostly 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
310–340 value added 331 5 167.00–178.00 $172.10 $570 —
332 332 2 160.00 $160.00 $531 +4.00
403–442 value added 420 8 160.00–170.00 $166.86 $701 +4.20
430 430 1 152.00 $152.00 $654 -3.57
450–492 value added 470 27 158.00–170.00 $166.53 $783 +0.54
465–497 486 3 150.00–154.00 $152.73 $742 -2.27
520–545 value added 527 14 157.00–166.00 $163.62 $862 +0.91
520–545 536 5 140.00–150.00 $146.03 $783 -5.19
567–592 578 5 145.00–147.00 $145.39 $840 -7.23
581 value added 581 8 161.00 $161.00 $935 -2.33
605–615 value added 611 15 156.00–160.50 $159.93 $977 +11.16
615 615 1 149.00 $149.00 $916 +7.03
675–685 677 5 140.00 $140.00 $948 —
655–682 value added 679 8 150.00–152.00 $150.24 $1,020 +5.68
730–740 value added 735 3 142.00–144.00 $142.67 $1,049 —
780 780 2 135.00–136.00 $135.50 $1,057 +6.06
777–795 value added 781 5 141.50–144.00 $142.01 $1,109 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–485 475 3 136.00–145.00 $141.63 $673 —
517 517 2 136.00 $136.00 $703 +2.26
555 555 1 134.00 $134.00 $744 -5.00
630 630 1 132.00 $132.00 $832 +3.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 640 1 136.00 $136.00 $870 —
822 822 2 120.00 $120.00 $986 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 149.00 $149.00 $320 —
275–290 283 3 136.00–150.00 $144.55 $409 —
305–330 318 3 137.00–142.00 $139.02 $442 -2.98
350–390 372 13 130.00–146.00 $139.59 $519 -0.41
402–405 value added 403 3 143.00–144.00 $143.67 $579 -1.39
415–445 437 9 134.00–139.00 $136.43 $596 +0.79
460–483 value added 470 19 140.50–145.00 $143.17 $673 -1.33
450–495 475 35 130.00–140.00 $136.26 $647 +1.50
502–545 520 16 129.00–141.00 $132.96 $691 -2.44
526–547 value added 538 11 141.50–145.00 $143.44 $772 +4.97
552–585 value added 561 49 139.00–146.00 $141.16 $792 +0.29
560–595 578 2 131.00–132.00 $131.48 $760 -3.52
601–640 value added 609 17 130.00–142.00 $138.53 $844 -1.47
600–630 615 6 123.00–130.00 $124.88 $768 +2.88
660–685 674 4 123.00–128.00 $126.04 $850 —
685–692 value added 691 13 132.00–143.00 $133.68 $924 -3.82
713 value added 713 3 133.00 $133.00 $948 +6.44
705–746 736 4 120.00–121.00 $120.76 $889 —
780–791 790 10 110.00–120.25 $118.31 $935 +6.31
800 800 1 115.00 $115.00 $920 -7.33
855–875 865 2 103.00–110.00 $106.46 $921 +6.46
923 923 3 106.00 $106.00 $978 —
975 975 1 100.00 $100.00 $975 -5.97
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–282 278 3 120.00–130.00 $123.24 $343 —
315–348 339 5 116.00–120.00 $119.06 $404 -9.94
415–445 430 2 125.00–129.00 $127.07 $546 -2.92
450–495 476 4 125.00–130.00 $127.00 $605 +4.50
500–525 511 6 121.00–127.00 $124.82 $638 +16.82
550–595 567 4 127.00–128.00 $127.50 $723 +12.50
620–645 633 2 114.00–116.00 $114.98 $728 -0.02
650 650 1 122.00 $122.00 $793 +13.76
750–785 768 2 105.00–110.00 $107.56 $826 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
502 502 2 126.00 $126.00 $633 -5.00
700–715 708 2 110.00–114.00 $111.98 $793 —
790 790 1 116.00 $116.00 $916 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–280 268 2 144.00–155.00 $149.24 $400 —
310–340 330 3 145.00–162.00 $152.90 $505 —
330 fancy 330 2 170.00 $170.00 $561 —
365–385 378 8 148.00–164.00 $156.11 $590 +8.56
380 fancy 380 1 170.00 $170.00 $646 —
415–435 fancy 422 3 159.00–165.00 $162.94 $688 —
442 442 2 145.00 $145.00 $641 -5.26
456–495 473 22 136.00–151.00 $142.46 $674 +1.57
511 fancy 511 4 159.50 $159.50 $815 +8.50
500–542 521 25 135.00–146.00 $140.76 $733 -1.47
560–590 575 23 134.00–147.00 $140.48 $808 —
600–630 615 15 126.50–134.00 $130.21 $801 —
600–628 fancy 616 17 134.50–139.00 $136.32 $840 -1.47
700–746 727 8 115.00–122.00 $118.16 $859 +3.16
756 756 3 109.00 $109.00 $824 —
931 931 10 100.00 $100.00 $931 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–295 288 2 139.00 $139.00 $400 —
315–320 319 4 135.00–144.00 $141.78 $452 +6.78
400–417 411 3 139.00–141.00 $140.35 $577 +2.35
452–485 474 6 121.00–132.00 $128.50 $609 -1.98
525 525 1 130.00 $130.00 $682 -4.00
560–585 568 3 125.00–129.00 $126.64 $719 -3.36
650–660 655 2 111.00–112.00 $111.50 $730 -6.50
810 810 1 85.00 $85.00 $688 —
915 915 1 80.00 $80.00 $732 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 1 130.00 $130.00 $663 —
557–577 567 5 132.00–136.00 $133.19 $755 —
652–670 658 3 115.00 $115.00 $757 —
747 747 2 104.00 $104.00 $777 —
800 800 2 90.00 $90.00 $720 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 120.00 $120.00 $510 +5.00
510 510 1 125.00 $125.00 $638 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125 1125 80-85% 1 59.00 $59.00 $664 +2.40
1065–1615 1241 80-85% 18 63.00–68.50 $65.73 $816 —
1160–1465 1278 80-85% 6 69.00–72.50 $71.03 $908 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1705 1375 75-80% 11 63.00–68.50 $66.03 $908 —
1465–1650 1527 75-80% 3 71.50–73.50 $72.32 $1,104 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1130 983 85-90% 3 48.00–56.50 $52.58 $517 —
870–1310 1049 85-90% 7 58.00–64.00 $61.13 $641 —
1065–1285 1158 85-90% 3 66.00–67.00 $66.37 $769 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1280 1220 2 76.00–78.00 $76.95 $939 —
1235–1635 1393 3 88.00–91.00 $89.47 $1,246 —
1420–2080 1739 11 97.00–108.00 $102.69 $1,786 -2.07

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 79.00 $79.00 $770

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1230–1455 1343 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 825.00–900.00 $865.64
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
840 840 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 660.00 $660.00

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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
1305 1305 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 436 3 76.00 $76.00 $331 —
548 548 5 86.00 $86.00 $471 —

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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.