Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, July 31, 2023

692 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 $233.58/cwt +9.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,660/hd at 711 lb · 75 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $231.25/cwt +38.75 vs last sale · ≈ $2,188/hd at 946 lb · 49 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $233.58/cwt -0.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,116/hd at 478 lb · 40 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 692 828 459
Feeder cattle 530 701 356
Slaughter cattle 149 123 63
Replacement cattle 13 4 40

Compared to last Monday steers calves sold steady on similar quality. Very good demand for yearling steers. Heifer calves sold steady to 3.00 higher with very good demand for 500-600 lb weaned packages. Yearling heifers sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 higher with very good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 245.00 $245.00 $527
210–225 fancy 218 2 280.00–300.00 $289.66 $631
285 285 1 269.00 $269.00 $767
405 405 1 246.00 $246.00 $996
400–430 value added 423 4 247.00–263.00 $256.33 $1,084 -3.30
455 455 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,160 +8.47
460–485 value added 478 14 250.00–264.00 $255.28 $1,220 -5.14
500 value added 500 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,250 -6.75
561–575 value added 563 6 248.00–256.00 $254.64 $1,434 +0.15
560–590 575 2 236.00–238.00 $237.03 $1,363 -6.38
605–620 value added 612 5 230.00–241.00 $235.77 $1,443 -18.22
630 630 1 227.00 $227.00 $1,430
705–713 value added 711 11 230.00–255.00 $247.13 $1,757 +2.68
760–798 value added 784 13 225.00–248.00 $228.61 $1,792
795 795 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,670 -10.47
946 fancy 946 49 231.25 $231.25 $2,188
990 990 3 188.00 $188.00 $1,861
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367–392 380 5 211.00–231.00 $218.72 $831 -5.28
465 465 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,009 +27.00
502–545 522 5 224.00–231.00 $226.90 $1,184 +3.90
575 575 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,282 +11.00
625 625 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,312 +28.00
735 735 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,558 +6.00
952 952 2 151.00 $151.00 $1,438
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,317
700 700 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,505
770 770 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,663
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 170.00 $170.00 $910

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
170 value added 170 1 235.00 $235.00 $400
210–245 value added 233 3 247.50–259.00 $252.70 $589
276 value added 276 3 265.00 $265.00 $731 +24.36
307–320 value added 314 4 239.00–247.00 $242.92 $763
305–322 316 3 217.50–237.00 $230.73 $729
360–395 value added 381 13 230.00–261.00 $240.20 $915 +7.20
402–440 value added 423 18 229.00–248.00 $236.86 $1,002 -7.05
425 425 1 221.00 $221.00 $939 +6.00
460–495 476 6 220.00–225.00 $222.03 $1,057 -3.47
450–490 value added 478 34 226.00–251.00 $235.62 $1,126 -1.98
505–545 value added 529 24 222.00–249.00 $231.68 $1,226 +0.40
550–583 value added 563 19 223.00–242.00 $234.28 $1,319 +6.50
575–595 587 3 211.00–216.00 $213.69 $1,254 +1.46
607–635 value added 622 7 225.00–229.50 $227.53 $1,415 +12.27
600–642 627 6 202.00–216.00 $207.23 $1,299 +0.01
657–680 671 8 205.00–212.00 $208.65 $1,400 +9.90
710 value added 710 73 235.10 $235.10 $1,669
735 735 2 178.00 $178.00 $1,308 -9.04
830 830 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,286
910 910 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,465 +13.55
1060–1090 1075 2 123.00–142.00 $132.63 $1,426 -2.37
1150 1150 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,610
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–395 388 2 177.00–180.00 $178.47 $692
435–447 442 4 184.00–210.00 $198.55 $878
475–495 489 4 194.00–213.00 $205.60 $1,005 +5.60
520–535 528 2 201.00–214.00 $207.59 $1,096 -4.41
615 615 2 191.00 $191.00 $1,175
795 795 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,216 +5.44
920 920 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,224
990 990 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,277
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 155.00 $155.00 $480
505 505 1 140.00 $140.00 $707
585 585 1 153.00 $153.00 $895
655 655 3 107.50 $107.50 $704
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405 1405 1 149.00 $149.00 $2,093
1400–1435 1418 2 132.00–134.00 $133.01 $1,886
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740 740 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,206

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
150 150 2 212.50 $212.50 $319
270 270 1 267.50 $267.50 $722
300 300 1 232.50 $232.50 $698
370–395 380 3 240.00–245.00 $243.03 $924 -3.21
415–440 value added 426 9 241.00–254.00 $249.03 $1,061 -27.66
420–440 434 7 229.00–241.00 $232.18 $1,008 -11.82
460–487 value added 476 4 252.00–259.00 $253.69 $1,208 -0.47
460–499 490 11 228.00–235.00 $230.53 $1,130 -15.98
500–517 value added 511 3 244.00–245.00 $244.33 $1,249
502–545 523 10 220.00–238.00 $229.94 $1,203 -8.86
580–597 590 4 223.00–235.00 $230.55 $1,360 +3.83
610–625 618 2 200.00–210.00 $205.06 $1,267 -8.94
710 710 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,164 -27.00
815–840 828 2 158.00–161.00 $159.48 $1,320
875 875 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,400
1075 1075 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,322
1170 1170 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,556
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–325 323 2 200.00–206.00 $202.98 $656
405 405 2 215.00 $215.00 $871
475 475 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,002 -5.06
555–585 565 7 180.00–210.00 $195.19 $1,103 -21.81
635–640 638 2 177.00–180.00 $178.49 $1,139 -7.51
705–710 708 2 140.00–141.00 $140.50 $995 -41.50
800 800 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,120 -13.00
950 950 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,140
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 169.00 $169.00 $592
460 460 1 160.00 $160.00 $736
510–530 517 3 160.00–180.00 $173.16 $895 +48.16
570 570 1 164.00 $164.00 $935

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1375 1118 80-85% 19 103.00–112.00 $107.99 $1,207
1025–1750 1257 80-85% 32 112.00–128.00 $119.11 $1,497
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1485 1325 75-80% 10 104.00–113.00 $108.88 $1,443 +4.23
1170–1840 1440 75-80% 26 113.00–133.00 $120.88 $1,741
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–960 931 85-90% 4 81.00–93.00 $88.39 $823
810–1205 1010 85-90% 14 102.00–114.00 $106.12 $1,072 +10.59
725–1235 1037 85-90% 9 94.00–102.00 $96.93 $1,005 -6.82

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1430 1308 6 119.00–128.00 $123.07 $1,610
1345 1345 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,385
1440–2165 1783 14 131.00–148.00 $138.72 $2,473

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
860–1015 938 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 113.00–119.00 $115.75 $1,086

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
985 985 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00
1110–1330 1228 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,175.00–1,475.00 $1,359.29

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Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
820 820 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1155–1440 1303 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,775.00–2,250.00 $2,001.21
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00

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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.