Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 19, 2022

739 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $169.55/cwt +4.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,262/hd at 744 lb · 89 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $140.35/cwt -13.63 vs last sale · ≈ $721/hd at 514 lb · 26 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $155.47/cwt -1.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,035/hd at 666 lb · 25 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 739 1,503 447
Feeder cattle 590 1,269 363
Slaughter cattle 143 229 69
Replacement cattle 6 5 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold steady with moderate demand; 400-500 lbs 3.00 higher with good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady to 2.00 lower with moderate demand. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 higher with moderate demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
225 225 1 202.50 $202.50 $456 —
295 295 1 196.00 $196.00 $578 —
315–335 322 3 190.00–197.00 $193.25 $622 -3.56
305–340 value added 327 3 204.00–206.00 $205.01 $670 +0.62
375–385 value added 380 3 200.00–216.00 $206.35 $784 +1.18
410–430 420 2 168.00–170.00 $169.02 $710 -2.81
400–446 value added 422 12 184.00–209.00 $194.41 $820 +5.35
460 460 1 170.00 $170.00 $782 -2.22
450–489 value added 472 15 180.50–195.00 $187.95 $887 +4.56
505–518 value added 514 9 166.50–175.00 $169.52 $871 -10.82
515–525 520 2 160.00–162.00 $161.01 $837 -4.37
555–556 value added 555 7 168.00 $168.00 $932 -6.12
560–580 570 3 158.00–159.00 $158.34 $903 -5.25
615 value added 615 1 155.00 $155.00 $953 -6.58
600–635 622 3 147.00–150.00 $148.65 $925 -5.15
660–670 665 2 143.00–144.00 $143.50 $954 -11.05
653–686 value added 666 23 156.00–160.00 $156.51 $1,042 -3.69
700–741 731 10 141.00–149.00 $146.22 $1,069 -2.46
746 value added 746 79 172.50 $172.50 $1,287 —
755 755 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,125 —
850–892 890 19 150.00–151.25 $151.19 $1,346 —
1010–1040 1020 3 129.00–133.00 $130.36 $1,330 —
1055 1055 1 136.00 $136.00 $1,435 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 171.00 $171.00 $504 —
475 475 1 150.00 $150.00 $712 -8.97
510–535 523 2 135.00–152.00 $143.30 $749 -5.24
655–690 673 2 127.00–141.00 $133.82 $901 -13.16
710–745 722 3 120.00–138.00 $126.19 $911 -14.81
800 800 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,120 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 2 149.00 $149.00 $968 —
830 830 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,162 -4.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–282 279 4 130.00–139.00 $134.56 $375 -5.97
310–330 320 5 140.00–145.00 $142.38 $456 —
340 value added 340 1 149.00 $149.00 $507 -11.96
350–395 374 18 136.00–147.50 $143.20 $536 +0.03
375–397 value added 390 3 150.00–154.00 $152.72 $596 -10.34
407–440 424 9 137.00–146.00 $142.83 $606 -1.15
410–449 value added 433 9 149.00–157.00 $151.10 $654 -4.71
468 value added 468 6 153.50 $153.50 $718 +1.33
452–495 469 16 133.00–144.00 $139.66 $655 -6.57
500–535 value added 512 13 144.00–149.00 $147.20 $754 -7.56
500–540 516 13 131.00–140.00 $133.50 $689 -12.76
555–590 577 5 132.00–140.00 $133.55 $771 -10.77
607 value added 607 10 149.50 $149.50 $907 -6.65
605–647 631 4 133.00–137.00 $134.50 $849 -2.66
650–680 658 4 130.00–136.00 $134.45 $885 -1.47
659–680 value added 662 7 141.00–142.00 $141.85 $939 -2.54
720–727 724 9 125.00–128.00 $126.67 $917 +1.61
786–792 788 5 121.00–124.00 $122.79 $968 —
877 877 4 124.00–131.00 $127.50 $1,118 +16.76
930–935 933 2 115.00–127.00 $121.02 $1,129 +15.02
1030 1030 4 129.00 $129.00 $1,329 —
1095 1095 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,040 —
1110 1110 2 100.00 $100.00 $1,110 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–225 218 3 106.00–125.00 $111.95 $244 -14.72
255–285 270 4 110.00–132.00 $120.67 $326 -16.83
305–345 329 4 119.00–130.00 $125.09 $412 +9.09
395 395 1 115.00 $115.00 $454 -14.30
407–430 419 4 124.00–131.00 $128.72 $539 +5.33
450–490 476 10 119.00–131.00 $126.40 $602 -6.58
500–540 519 4 110.00–130.00 $123.01 $638 -14.99
550 550 1 130.00 $130.00 $715 +4.85
600–640 611 10 106.00–125.00 $120.71 $738 +10.40
660–675 665 3 117.00–126.00 $121.30 $807 -6.23
710–735 729 4 117.00–119.00 $118.51 $864 +11.14
965 965 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,042 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
507 507 2 107.00 $107.00 $542 —
585–590 588 2 112.00–115.00 $113.51 $667 —
615 615 1 100.00 $100.00 $615 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
531 531 3 130.00 $130.00 $690 —
590 590 1 133.00 $133.00 $785 -6.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 152.50 $152.50 $343 -35.00
270–290 280 2 171.00–175.00 $173.07 $485 -5.41
282 value added 282 2 200.00 $200.00 $564 ±0.00
355–392 value added 369 7 181.00–206.00 $194.01 $716 -7.25
395 395 1 170.00 $170.00 $672 -15.33
425 value added 425 1 195.00 $195.00 $829 +20.68
435 435 1 186.00 $186.00 $809 +10.00
470–490 value added 481 6 172.00–186.00 $179.28 $862 +3.65
527 527 2 148.00 $148.00 $780 -1.11
520–532 value added 528 7 155.00–171.00 $161.46 $853 -1.96
550–592 566 6 140.00–158.00 $148.31 $839 +2.12
600–625 value added 608 6 140.00–145.00 $141.65 $861 -5.83
600–640 618 13 131.00–139.00 $136.26 $842 -2.35
655–684 value added 676 10 140.00–147.00 $143.01 $967 -3.88
722 value added 722 6 141.50 $141.50 $1,022 -0.16
700–745 723 6 133.00–137.00 $134.50 $972 -0.55
755–777 772 5 130.00–137.00 $133.01 $1,027 -3.00
800–815 806 4 126.00–133.00 $129.74 $1,046 +0.74
865–885 876 5 118.00–131.00 $124.65 $1,092 -9.35
910–930 915 4 132.00–135.00 $134.24 $1,228 —
960–970 965 2 106.00–114.00 $109.98 $1,061 —
1000–1030 1015 2 116.00–121.00 $118.46 $1,202 —
1080–1090 1085 2 119.00–121.00 $120.00 $1,302 —
1110 1110 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,265 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 161.00 $161.00 $499 +11.54
425–440 433 4 141.00–145.00 $143.03 $619 +3.97
508–535 517 6 121.00–139.00 $127.98 $662 -17.02
610–640 622 3 124.00–131.00 $127.38 $792 +1.38
675 675 1 119.00 $119.00 $803 —
700–720 715 4 128.00–129.00 $128.24 $917 —
780 780 1 110.00 $110.00 $858 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 122.50 $122.50 $355 —
540 540 2 102.50–112.00 $107.25 $579 -22.75
585 585 1 112.00 $112.00 $655 -5.79
660 660 1 119.00 $119.00 $785 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1750 1249 80-85% 21 67.00–74.00 $70.11 $876 +7.34
1095–1590 1291 80-85% 19 75.00–93.00 $80.11 $1,034 —
1080–1505 1333 80-85% 3 65.00–66.00 $65.73 $876 -11.96
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390 1390 75-80% 1 64.00 $64.00 $890 -4.29
1105–1710 1415 75-80% 14 67.00–74.00 $70.33 $995 -4.88
1245–2055 1480 75-80% 22 75.00–85.00 $78.07 $1,155 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755 755 85-90% 1 40.00 $40.00 $302 —
715–1435 1056 85-90% 18 62.00–68.00 $65.53 $692 +14.16
920–1260 1100 85-90% 11 68.00–74.00 $70.84 $779 +7.33
895–1290 1123 85-90% 4 56.00–62.00 $59.70 $670 +1.77

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1450 1368 2 77.00–81.00 $79.12 $1,082 —
1215–1885 1428 12 90.00–100.00 $94.59 $1,351 +11.27
1620–2355 1961 7 102.00–118.00 $109.18 $2,141 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1125 1125 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 84.00 $84.00 $945

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1170 1170 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 775.00 $775.00

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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
1462 1462 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —

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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.