Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 16, 2022

735 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 $153.77/cwt -5.13 vs last sale · ≈ $731/hd at 475 lb · 41 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $149.90/cwt -1.86 vs last sale · ≈ $858/hd at 572 lb · 34 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $149.62/cwt -8.14 vs last sale · ≈ $794/hd at 530 lb · 32 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 735 603 841
Feeder cattle 601 483 650
Slaughter cattle 113 94 141
Replacement cattle 21 26 50

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower with moderate demand. Some fleshy offerings facing discounts. No test on yearlings. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very 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
300 300 1 187.00 $187.00 $561 +2.00
375–395 value added 388 3 201.00–203.00 $202.36 $785 -0.51
410 410 3 175.00 $175.00 $718 +2.83
400–447 value added 432 17 190.00–206.00 $202.04 $873 +9.50
451–460 value added 457 11 206.00–208.00 $206.72 $945 +19.81
450–490 477 7 175.00–189.00 $182.75 $872 +17.75
500–537 value added 512 19 186.00–203.00 $196.43 $1,006 +8.30
501–535 516 7 167.00–182.00 $178.18 $919 +16.18
560–563 value added 562 6 187.00–192.00 $190.51 $1,071 +19.86
552–588 577 7 167.00–181.00 $171.26 $988 +7.26
600 600 2 152.00–156.00 $154.00 $924 —
617–649 value added 635 14 176.00–180.50 $177.87 $1,129 +9.36
655–658 value added 656 7 162.00–169.00 $165.56 $1,086 -2.93
714–745 value added 719 6 148.00–159.00 $157.10 $1,130 +4.14
760–770 763 3 145.00–146.00 $145.34 $1,109 +0.98
805 805 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,111 -8.00
870 870 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,174 —
1045 1045 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,306 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 2 150.00 $150.00 $428 —
710 710 1 125.00 $125.00 $888 -1.00
837 837 4 125.00 $125.00 $1,046 —
855 855 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,112 —
945 945 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,087 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 173.00 $173.00 $631 —
515 515 1 165.00 $165.00 $850 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400 1400 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,540 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 165.00 $165.00 $346 —
215 value added 215 1 183.00 $183.00 $393 —
260–290 275 2 145.00–155.00 $150.27 $413 -25.73
300–317 value added 311 3 167.50–175.00 $172.59 $537 +0.09
320–335 325 3 152.50–163.00 $159.39 $518 -0.61
358–398 value added 378 15 158.00–164.00 $160.22 $606 -12.21
392–395 393 3 148.00–152.00 $150.66 $592 -14.69
405–440 421 8 141.00–148.00 $144.39 $608 -12.65
400–447 value added 423 18 149.00–160.00 $154.76 $655 -13.49
450–495 474 16 140.00–152.00 $145.86 $691 -3.42
450–496 value added 476 25 152.00–167.00 $158.84 $756 -4.87
500–530 517 5 140.00–143.00 $141.22 $730 -9.73
500–545 value added 533 27 145.00–161.00 $151.18 $806 -10.53
550–593 value added 572 32 145.00–154.00 $150.37 $860 -1.87
555–590 573 2 140.00–145.00 $142.42 $816 -2.13
600–630 value added 613 16 140.00–148.00 $143.76 $881 -5.82
605–630 624 4 132.00–135.00 $132.73 $828 -1.28
655–675 667 3 130.00–135.00 $131.98 $880 -3.02
665–670 value added 668 9 135.00–142.00 $138.44 $925 -3.56
745 745 1 118.00 $118.00 $879 -8.69
753–775 757 5 120.00–125.00 $123.98 $939 -0.35
815 815 2 110.00 $110.00 $896 -15.00
870–885 878 2 94.00–100.00 $96.97 $851 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–285 275 2 130.00–142.50 $136.02 $374 —
370–395 383 7 131.00–141.00 $138.24 $529 —
405–435 421 4 130.00–140.00 $135.37 $570 +1.37
450–460 455 2 133.00–140.00 $136.54 $621 +4.54
500–540 510 6 133.00–139.00 $135.65 $692 +1.65
560–570 563 4 127.00–137.00 $131.28 $739 +3.39
690 690 3 129.00 $129.00 $890 +5.98
730 730 1 103.00 $103.00 $752 —
750 750 1 117.00 $117.00 $878 +1.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505–535 525 3 134.00–152.00 $139.77 $734 +9.77
682 682 2 116.50 $116.50 $795 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 120.00 $120.00 $528 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 275 2 182.50–190.00 $186.05 $512 +6.05
320 value added 320 2 189.00 $189.00 $605 —
305–340 328 5 174.00–186.00 $182.42 $598 —
380–385 382 3 170.00–185.00 $175.65 $671 -6.26
367–395 value added 383 7 186.00–196.00 $193.57 $741 —
400–430 420 3 168.00–172.00 $170.73 $717 +13.73
425–440 value added 432 6 186.00–199.00 $193.82 $837 +12.82
452–490 470 9 152.00–172.50 $165.95 $780 —
465–496 value added 482 10 182.00–189.00 $185.37 $893 +2.09
500–545 value added 515 9 182.00–191.00 $185.64 $956 +9.98
512–530 521 5 159.00–172.00 $164.11 $855 +8.81
550–595 578 6 156.00–160.00 $158.47 $916 +1.73
575–587 value added 582 6 166.00–175.00 $171.72 $999 +7.72
600–642 value added 619 15 152.00–159.00 $154.67 $957 +3.89
670–675 value added 673 2 142.00–147.00 $144.49 $972 -0.80
680–690 685 4 138.00–143.00 $140.25 $961 +1.51
700–734 value added 728 8 131.00–134.00 $133.02 $968 —
700–738 729 4 118.00–124.00 $122.56 $893 —
755–785 766 8 118.00–128.00 $124.36 $953 +15.36
810 810 2 116.00 $116.00 $940 —
955 955 2 94.00 $94.00 $898 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 160.00 $160.00 $320 —
255–275 265 2 157.50 $157.50 $417 —
315–320 318 2 157.50–162.50 $160.02 $509 —
352 352 2 160.00 $160.00 $563 +20.00
410 410 1 140.00 $140.00 $574 —
470 470 1 150.00 $150.00 $705 —
505 505 1 157.00 $157.00 $793 +16.51
570 570 1 146.00 $146.00 $832 +4.00
668–670 669 4 131.00 $131.00 $876 —
795 795 2 110.00–115.00 $112.50 $894 —
865 865 1 100.00 $100.00 $865 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
512 512 2 161.00 $161.00 $824 —
550 550 1 161.00 $161.00 $886 —
820–835 828 2 102.00–110.00 $105.96 $877 —
925 925 1 97.00 $97.00 $897 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1595 1321 75-80% 6 81.00–89.00 $85.54 $1,130 —
1220–1715 1478 75-80% 31 89.00–104.50 $94.84 $1,402 +8.63
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–1160 957 85-90% 13 72.00–81.00 $76.57 $733 —
925–1065 998 85-90% 5 60.00–70.00 $64.95 $648 —
925–1395 1127 85-90% 12 82.00–89.00 $85.95 $969 +9.22
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1260 1174 80-85% 5 84.00–89.00 $86.60 $1,017 —
975–1280 1175 80-85% 3 76.00–80.00 $78.27 $920 —
1155–1725 1339 80-85% 22 89.00–103.50 $97.06 $1,300 +6.06

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1570 1201 10 95.50–112.00 $102.76 $1,234 —
1645 1645 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,497 —
1195–2105 1683 10 118.00–132.00 $125.20 $2,107 +20.68

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
1160–1470 1315 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 900.00–1,375.00 $1,165.49
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
795 795 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00
990 990 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1050 1050 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00

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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
1335–1560 1409 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,325.00–1,450.00 $1,407.45 -144.33
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1180–1325 1253 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,075.00–1,225.00 $1,154.34 —

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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.