Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 20, 2023

1,125 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 heifers $176.68/cwt +7.68 vs last sale · ≈ $1,281/hd at 725 lb · 143 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $177.87/cwt -5.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,112/hd at 625 lb · 99 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $203.65/cwt -2.19 vs last sale · ≈ $953/hd at 468 lb · 62 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,125 864 859
Feeder cattle 964 699 686
Slaughter cattle 144 147 151
Replacement cattle 17 18 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady to firm. Very active market with buyers showing preference for weaned thin-fleshed calf packages suitable for grass. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher with good demand. 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
235 235 1 221.00 $221.00 $519 —
245 value added 245 1 220.00 $220.00 $539 —
265–280 value added 270 3 231.00–237.50 $235.25 $635 -11.48
280–295 288 2 217.00–232.00 $224.70 $647 —
300–340 value added 322 13 240.00–260.00 $249.49 $803 +13.05
350–392 value added 375 15 235.00–270.00 $246.63 $925 -3.25
375 375 1 235.00 $235.00 $881 +23.00
400–445 value added 419 21 227.00–260.00 $243.85 $1,022 -9.11
450–485 463 4 209.00–226.00 $221.54 $1,026 —
456–495 value added 479 29 229.00–259.00 $239.36 $1,147 -7.02
500–540 value added 519 14 212.00–240.00 $226.59 $1,176 -4.94
555–587 value added 575 50 210.00–235.00 $229.14 $1,318 +4.74
617–622 fancy 621 14 223.00–225.50 $225.15 $1,398 —
600–645 value added 623 16 196.00–217.00 $209.63 $1,306 +6.12
653–673 value added 664 10 196.00–204.00 $199.96 $1,328 +2.03
671 671 3 186.00 $186.00 $1,248 +5.00
705–740 722 9 179.00–183.00 $181.80 $1,313 —
720–722 value added 722 10 190.00–198.00 $197.20 $1,424 +7.22
766 766 3 181.00 $181.00 $1,386 +11.00
768–795 value added 772 16 184.00–190.50 $189.39 $1,462 +4.39
805–837 830 10 182.00–185.00 $184.11 $1,528 +8.88
875 875 2 184.00 $184.00 $1,610 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 190.00 $190.00 $703 —
460–485 477 3 180.00–190.00 $184.41 $880 —
530 530 1 170.00 $170.00 $901 -1.00
600 600 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,038 —
660–662 661 3 180.00–189.00 $182.99 $1,210 —
725 725 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,109 -6.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 value added 490 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,029 —
535 535 1 170.00 $170.00 $910 —
645 645 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,271 —
675 675 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,249 —
725 725 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,182 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230 1230 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,648 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710 710 1 127.50 $127.50 $905 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 2 190.00 $190.00 $418 ±0.00
255–290 value added 278 5 211.00–225.00 $217.92 $606 —
310–327 value added 321 6 209.00–230.00 $219.80 $706 +7.91
300–340 328 6 190.00–195.00 $191.74 $629 +6.45
350–365 356 4 191.00–202.00 $194.71 $693 +2.06
352–395 value added 372 24 210.00–249.00 $223.07 $830 -4.09
410–440 423 3 184.00–210.00 $194.30 $822 +1.44
400–445 value added 429 35 194.00–216.00 $205.89 $883 -7.95
451–497 value added 468 59 192.00–211.50 $204.61 $958 -2.73
460–485 468 3 182.00–190.00 $184.76 $865 +2.23
501–545 value added 521 48 191.00–207.00 $200.53 $1,045 +4.75
525 525 1 186.00 $186.00 $976 +5.00
560 560 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,014 +1.11
550–593 value added 566 35 192.00–199.00 $195.79 $1,108 -1.24
600–647 value added 625 99 170.00–184.00 $177.87 $1,112 -6.82
658–688 value added 669 16 173.00–183.00 $180.42 $1,207 -1.43
682 682 2 150.00 $150.00 $1,023 -19.99
715–743 value added 725 143 169.00–177.25 $176.68 $1,281 +1.68
750 value added 750 2 151.00 $151.00 $1,132 —
810–845 828 2 129.00–154.00 $141.24 $1,169 +6.24
905–930 913 3 122.00–150.00 $139.05 $1,270 —
1000 1000 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,310 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–295 267 7 150.00–182.50 $167.23 $447 -7.86
305–340 321 5 155.00–169.00 $161.77 $519 —
350–370 359 4 168.00–184.00 $172.65 $620 +15.15
480 480 1 162.00 $162.00 $778 —
555 555 1 160.00 $160.00 $888 -8.12
680 680 1 120.00 $120.00 $816 +10.00
760–795 772 3 128.00–139.00 $135.22 $1,044 +4.22
815 815 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,027 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–440 420 2 185.00–189.00 $186.90 $785 —
485 485 1 188.00 $188.00 $912 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 129.00 $129.00 $555 -25.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 207.50 $207.50 $488 —
295 value added 295 1 247.00 $247.00 $729 +7.00
300–330 value added 315 4 215.00–231.00 $220.76 $695 -4.18
360–395 value added 374 4 226.00–238.00 $229.42 $858 -8.00
370–395 380 6 190.00–214.00 $206.71 $785 -3.29
400–410 408 6 216.00–250.00 $221.55 $904 —
408 fancy 408 3 234.00 $234.00 $955 —
415–435 value added 422 6 211.00–234.00 $227.78 $961 -7.97
453–490 value added 469 14 219.00–250.00 $234.29 $1,099 +2.23
475–497 494 9 204.00–210.00 $209.36 $1,034 —
507–545 517 5 191.00–210.00 $200.04 $1,034 +20.04
512–537 value added 520 12 213.00–239.00 $227.20 $1,181 +8.33
560–580 value added 570 3 215.00–227.00 $222.40 $1,268 +14.28
605 value added 605 3 213.00–224.00 $217.67 $1,317 +24.51
625 625 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,219 —
640 fancy 640 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,312 —
685 685 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,199 —
720 720 2 150.00 $150.00 $1,080 —
780 780 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,420 +47.00
800–806 805 4 124.00–143.00 $138.28 $1,113 +9.56
880 880 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,346 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 175.00 $175.00 $411 —
265 265 1 201.00 $201.00 $533 —
310 310 1 180.00 $180.00 $558 —
365 365 2 180.00 $180.00 $657 —
425 425 1 180.00 $180.00 $765 —
465–480 473 2 170.00–181.00 $175.41 $830 —
622 622 2 178.00 $178.00 $1,107 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 127.50 $127.50 $593 —
533–535 534 4 133.00–157.00 $139.02 $742 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740 740 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,184 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1725 1224 80-85% 42 92.00–115.00 $100.78 $1,234 +3.31
1080–1415 1253 80-85% 9 85.00–92.00 $88.33 $1,107 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–1225 973 85-90% 5 48.00–64.00 $52.74 $513 -16.86
825–1120 1004 85-90% 12 74.00–82.00 $78.24 $786 -1.10
765–1335 1079 85-90% 22 83.00–102.00 $89.79 $969 —
1080 1080 85-90% 1 67.00 $67.00 $724 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1460 1348 75-80% 2 86.00–90.00 $88.17 $1,189 +2.42
1210–1975 1494 75-80% 26 93.00–130.00 $102.54 $1,532 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1645 1422 3 105.00–109.00 $107.72 $1,532 —
1290–2050 1711 8 120.00–148.00 $133.72 $2,288 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
975–1140 1038 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 90.00–96.00 $92.20 $957

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1230 1230 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00

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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
1100–1290 1202 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,300.00–1,350.00 $1,316.85 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
810–1440 1095 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 825.00–1,200.00 $1,063.36 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755 755 2 125.00 $125.00 $944 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
692 692 2 129.00 $129.00 $893 —

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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.