Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 18, 2021

791 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 $125.39/cwt +0.11 vs last sale · ≈ $596/hd at 475 lb · 63 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $124.96/cwt +6.25 vs last sale · ≈ $769/hd at 616 lb · 43 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $127.41/cwt -5.95 vs last sale · ≈ $476/hd at 373 lb · 29 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 791 940 1,082
Feeder cattle 685 821 949
Slaughter cattle 94 104 117
Replacement cattle 12 15 16

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold unevenly steady; few featherweight 300-400 lb steers 5.00 higher. Yearlings lightly tested. Slaughter cows sold steady with light demand. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 lower with moderate 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
277 fancy 277 4 183.00 $183.00 $507 —
295 295 2 168.00–177.00 $172.50 $509 —
315–320 fancy 318 2 170.00–174.00 $172.02 $547 —
330 330 1 168.00 $168.00 $554 +13.23
353–395 value added 357 12 178.00–180.00 $178.18 $636 +6.50
365–390 379 11 156.00–170.00 $165.04 $626 +2.02
400–445 value added 418 13 160.00–180.00 $170.35 $712 +7.65
410–440 431 4 144.00–156.00 $152.14 $656 +0.14
455–487 476 3 150.00–155.00 $151.59 $722 -3.41
455–498 value added 480 14 154.00–169.00 $160.86 $772 -7.75
510–527 value added 523 21 154.00–168.00 $162.64 $851 +2.82
515–540 532 3 141.00–150.00 $145.74 $775 +0.63
562–580 value added 570 12 154.00–156.00 $154.85 $883 -5.15
580 580 1 140.00 $140.00 $812 -7.65
600–645 value added 608 13 140.00–152.00 $145.85 $887 +1.25
662–667 value added 665 4 140.00–144.00 $141.99 $944 +2.50
680 680 3 131.00 $131.00 $891 -3.00
715 715 1 130.00 $130.00 $930 -5.00
710–721 value added 718 6 140.00–146.50 $144.60 $1,038 +1.30
800–838 823 11 136.00–143.00 $139.92 $1,152 —
915–925 918 3 120.00–130.00 $126.64 $1,163 —
950–980 970 4 121.00–124.00 $123.24 $1,195 —
1080 1080 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,307 —
1275 1275 2 117.00 $117.00 $1,492 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 122.00 $122.00 $336 —
365 365 1 140.00 $140.00 $511 —
530 530 13 130.50 $130.50 $692 -2.50
560 560 10 134.00 $134.00 $750 —
615 615 1 129.00 $129.00 $793 +9.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 135.00 $135.00 $371 +2.50
303–345 320 8 122.00–133.00 $127.17 $407 +2.70
342 fancy 342 2 135.00 $135.00 $462 —
352 value added 352 2 134.00 $134.00 $472 -6.00
350–397 375 27 120.00–131.00 $126.92 $476 -1.13
400–442 425 9 122.00–131.00 $126.40 $537 +3.08
407–435 value added 426 11 131.00–136.00 $133.23 $568 -1.77
450–495 475 63 122.00–130.00 $125.39 $596 +0.11
500–545 513 5 121.00–127.00 $122.97 $631 +2.64
520 value added 520 3 130.00 $130.00 $676 -6.00
570 value added 570 1 129.00 $129.00 $735 —
560–595 578 11 120.00–126.00 $123.27 $713 +3.21
601–645 612 25 124.50–125.00 $124.86 $764 +6.15
602–645 615 11 118.00–122.50 $120.35 $740 +1.64
622–632 value added 629 7 132.00–134.00 $132.56 $834 —
664 664 5 126.00 $126.00 $837 +3.98
660–691 679 5 124.00 $124.00 $842 +1.98
735 735 1 116.00 $116.00 $853 +2.10
737–743 741 5 120.00–123.00 $121.81 $903 +7.91
755–775 765 2 101.00–114.00 $107.42 $822 +1.66
845 845 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,006 —
860–896 887 9 107.00–116.00 $111.08 $985 —
1025 1025 1 93.00 $93.00 $953 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–220 217 3 110.00–117.50 $112.42 $244 —
255–295 274 5 114.00–121.00 $119.08 $326 +9.57
325 325 1 115.00 $115.00 $374 -0.64
370–395 378 6 116.00–121.00 $117.53 $444 +3.43
428–440 433 5 119.00–121.00 $120.39 $521 +7.54
457–489 480 7 115.00–117.00 $116.46 $559 -0.65
520–545 537 3 115.00–117.00 $116.35 $625 +5.81
558–595 570 7 110.00–118.00 $115.51 $658 +4.72
620 620 1 105.00 $105.00 $651 -5.23

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 130.00 $130.00 $286 -18.42
255–295 277 3 139.00–155.00 $145.34 $403 —
305–335 fancy 315 4 163.00–174.00 $169.28 $533 +3.28
315–345 325 3 150.00–158.00 $154.20 $501 -5.81
362–385 372 5 139.00–155.00 $148.29 $552 -10.66
445 fancy 445 2 155.00 $155.00 $690 —
450–487 472 7 140.00–153.00 $149.37 $705 +0.83
500 500 2 140.00 $140.00 $700 -3.88
561 fancy 561 3 151.00 $151.00 $847 +5.61
562–590 569 10 131.00–145.00 $140.65 $800 +3.56
617–630 fancy 621 7 130.00–134.00 $131.15 $814 -3.85
600–632 627 6 124.00–127.50 $126.94 $796 -2.46
660–670 665 3 121.00–128.00 $124.34 $827 -1.61
700–735 717 8 108.00–117.00 $113.24 $812 +4.71
780–785 783 2 104.00–116.00 $110.02 $861 +4.92
860 860 2 85.00 $85.00 $731 -14.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 131.00 $131.00 $498 +1.00
418 418 3 130.00 $130.00 $543 +1.04
453 453 3 131.00 $131.00 $593 +5.35
500–525 507 6 125.00–130.00 $126.71 $642 +6.46
560–570 567 5 125.00–130.00 $127.60 $723 +10.09
617 617 2 120.00 $120.00 $740 +9.57
680 680 1 101.00 $101.00 $687 —
855 855 1 79.00 $79.00 $675 —
905–925 912 3 73.00–89.00 $78.41 $715 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 2 130.00 $130.00 $734 —
720 720 1 104.00 $104.00 $749 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
522 522 2 110.00 $110.00 $574 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1475 1191 80-85% 16 51.00–56.50 $54.37 $648 —
1155–1315 1257 80-85% 3 47.00–51.00 $48.57 $611 —
1095–1630 1323 80-85% 11 56.50–63.00 $59.01 $781 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735–1345 1028 85-90% 13 34.00–47.00 $41.19 $423 -5.83
1085–1195 1131 85-90% 4 48.00–53.00 $50.21 $568 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1450 1273 75-80% 2 47.00–48.00 $47.57 $606 —
1175–1725 1443 75-80% 9 52.00–56.50 $54.37 $785 +0.04
1225–1695 1443 75-80% 6 56.50–59.00 $57.81 $834 +3.48

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1460–1925 1654 7 82.00–91.00 $86.59 $1,432 —
1400–1930 1703 3 67.00–78.00 $73.15 $1,246 —
1670–2070 1870 2 96.00–97.00 $96.55 $1,805 -2.10

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
915–1320 1149 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 64.00–84.00 $70.50 $810

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1185 1185 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1170 1170 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00

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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
1110 1110 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 875.00 $875.00 —
1175 1175 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
573 value added 573 83 118.50 $118.50 $679 —
575 575 2 78.00 $78.00 $448 —
687 687 2 103.00 $103.00 $708 —
1115 1115 1 78.00 $78.00 $870 —
1190 1190 1 78.00 $78.00 $928 —

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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.