Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, July 17, 2023

880 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $228.74/cwt +6.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,525/hd at 667 lb · 184 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $223.72/cwt -5.03 vs last sale · ≈ $2,100/hd at 939 lb · 71 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $220.97/cwt +1.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,040/hd at 471 lb · 41 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 880 1,165 870
Feeder cattle 760 981 754
Slaughter cattle 114 164 104
Replacement cattle 6 20 12

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality. Very good demand for yearling packages. Slaughter cows sold 5.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 higher 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
320 320 4 245.00–252.50 $246.88 $790 +13.57
394 value added 394 15 292.50 $292.50 $1,152 +29.50
400–440 420 2 222.50–244.00 $232.74 $978 —
410–435 value added 422 5 250.00–285.00 $267.36 $1,128 -10.60
491 value added 491 10 297.50 $297.50 $1,461 +30.67
500–512 value added 508 5 252.50–267.50 $258.68 $1,314 -21.50
515–520 518 2 239.00–243.00 $240.99 $1,248 -6.59
575 575 2 240.00–248.00 $244.00 $1,403 -8.91
600–629 value added 619 11 230.00–256.00 $250.94 $1,553 -4.78
635–645 642 3 210.00–224.00 $217.63 $1,397 -15.73
671 671 3 219.00 $219.00 $1,469 —
660–695 value added 675 7 228.00–235.00 $234.02 $1,580 —
710–735 721 4 202.00–210.00 $205.75 $1,483 -26.08
741 value added 741 3 229.00 $229.00 $1,697 —
800–837 833 11 200.00–211.00 $209.83 $1,748 —
838 thin fleshed 838 9 235.00 $235.00 $1,969 +0.25
850–860 855 2 198.00–210.00 $204.04 $1,745 —
930–945 932 10 185.00–205.00 $202.19 $1,884 —
940 fancy 940 61 227.25 $227.25 $2,136 —
1075 1075 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,612 —
1275 1275 2 142.00 $142.00 $1,810 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–505 503 2 177.50–182.00 $179.76 $904 —
555 555 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,066 —
640 640 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,280 +5.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
662 662 2 203.00 $203.00 $1,344 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000 1000 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,450 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 1 151.00 $151.00 $838 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 value added 210 2 240.00 $240.00 $504 —
260–270 value added 263 3 217.50–222.50 $220.79 $581 —
290 290 1 205.00 $205.00 $594 +11.52
305–330 value added 318 2 210.00–235.00 $222.99 $709 +7.99
350–380 359 4 200.00–202.00 $200.98 $722 -9.02
372–375 value added 373 3 210.00–224.00 $219.31 $818 -7.99
400–442 424 6 200.00–216.00 $208.88 $886 -2.13
415–440 value added 427 10 220.00–225.00 $221.53 $946 -0.23
451–485 value added 467 24 222.00–230.00 $225.32 $1,052 +1.47
465–485 476 17 210.00–220.00 $214.84 $1,023 +0.09
501–545 523 10 200.00–218.00 $211.82 $1,108 +2.20
505–545 value added 531 7 218.00–233.00 $224.68 $1,193 -3.35
555–582 value added 565 15 220.00–232.00 $226.97 $1,282 +2.05
565–597 582 6 193.00–219.00 $212.46 $1,237 -0.20
605 605 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,156 —
600–642 value added 619 24 208.00–229.00 $213.89 $1,324 +3.90
650–665 658 2 181.00–201.00 $190.89 $1,256 -0.11
650–683 value added 667 182 205.00–236.00 $229.16 $1,528 +1.16
700–747 value added 724 17 180.00–207.00 $184.72 $1,337 -2.78
740 740 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,295 +16.53
755–783 777 5 160.00–161.00 $160.81 $1,249 -3.19
826 value added 826 5 184.00 $184.00 $1,520 -37.00
850–860 855 2 143.00–160.00 $151.45 $1,295 +10.45
920 value added 920 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,518 —
925–941 936 11 135.50–146.00 $137.95 $1,291 +8.95
966–982 972 5 132.00–134.00 $133.19 $1,295 —
1075 1075 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,473 ±0.00
1125 1125 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,440 —
1170 1170 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,287 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 3 189.00 $189.00 $658 -0.17
420 420 1 190.00 $190.00 $798 -5.59
468–490 474 4 162.00–195.00 $170.54 $808 -19.46
632–642 637 4 170.00–175.00 $172.52 $1,099 +7.69
662 662 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,059 —
730–745 735 3 124.00–151.00 $141.88 $1,043 +3.59
750–795 759 14 140.00–146.00 $141.47 $1,074 -7.53
800 800 2 134.00 $134.00 $1,072 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–395 390 3 120.00–162.50 $138.39 $540 —
425 425 1 157.50 $157.50 $669 —
605–607 606 3 138.00–145.00 $140.33 $850 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735 735 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,154 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–292 277 4 221.00–252.50 $243.56 $675 —
305–345 336 6 222.00–255.00 $241.01 $810 +8.10
350 350 1 241.00 $241.00 $844 +15.00
405 value added 405 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,033 -3.56
415 415 1 221.00 $221.00 $917 —
475 475 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,152 +0.27
460–491 value added 478 9 238.00–243.00 $239.18 $1,143 -23.82
502–511 value added 507 5 221.00–242.50 $229.51 $1,164 -26.25
513–525 519 6 211.00–220.00 $215.45 $1,118 -17.85
550–583 value added 570 7 220.00–233.00 $230.27 $1,313 -14.23
562–585 570 3 216.00–220.00 $218.63 $1,246 -17.05
601–625 value added 610 7 215.00–222.00 $219.38 $1,338 -17.85
610 610 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,159 -11.80
655–690 674 5 190.00–206.00 $198.12 $1,335 -13.63
680–688 value added 685 8 211.00–217.00 $214.77 $1,471 —
715–725 720 7 190.00–210.00 $201.87 $1,453 +4.45
760–791 784 9 196.00–198.00 $196.43 $1,540 +8.68
805–825 810 4 172.00–185.00 $178.54 $1,446 —
935 935 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,141 -39.32
1067 1067 2 117.00 $117.00 $1,248 —
1160 1160 2 110.00 $110.00 $1,276 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
457 457 2 202.00 $202.00 $923 +29.99
565–570 567 3 186.00–187.50 $187.00 $1,060 -19.60
915 915 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,006 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487 487 2 155.00 $155.00 $755 +2.00
695 695 1 132.50 $132.50 $921 —
745 745 1 120.00 $120.00 $894 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1430 1230 80-85% 11 97.00–110.00 $104.16 $1,281 —
1105–1535 1272 80-85% 29 110.00–128.00 $116.53 $1,482 +3.31
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1610 1406 75-80% 8 104.00–109.00 $106.97 $1,504 -4.99
1285–2055 1671 75-80% 27 113.00–126.00 $119.76 $2,001 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–890 875 85-90% 2 85.00–89.00 $86.97 $761 +9.02
875 875 85-90% 1 76.00 $76.00 $665 -1.95
910–1315 1070 85-90% 11 90.00–100.00 $94.28 $1,009 —
890–1295 1101 85-90% 5 102.00–114.00 $106.91 $1,177 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1290 1258 2 94.00–109.00 $101.31 $1,274 —
1230–2160 1495 6 115.00–124.00 $119.71 $1,790 —
1425–2200 1757 7 124.00–141.00 $132.36 $2,326 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1090–1315 1187 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,125.00–1,475.00 $1,294.84

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1190 1190 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00

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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
1230 1230 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755 755 1 94.00 $94.00 $710 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 2 139.00 $139.00 $737 —

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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.