Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 18, 2023

1,329 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 $230.95/cwt +3.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,636/hd at 708 lb · 157 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $226.25/cwt -10.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,170/hd at 517 lb · 55 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $226.02/cwt ≈ $2,194/hd at 971 lb · 53 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,329 1,859 943
Feeder cattle 1,103 1,677 791
Slaughter cattle 217 177 147
Replacement cattle 9 5 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady on similar quality with good demand for weaned packages. Yearlings sold steady to firm with very good demand. Fleshy bawling calves facing discounts. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady 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
190 190 1 295.00 $295.00 $560 —
200–225 213 2 300.00 $300.00 $639 —
300–332 321 3 260.00–269.00 $262.80 $844 +8.08
382–390 385 3 256.00–266.00 $262.62 $1,011 -4.88
403–422 value added 411 12 256.00–271.00 $266.55 $1,096 -9.39
400–440 423 11 245.00–255.00 $251.30 $1,063 -12.09
457–467 value added 462 4 260.00–261.00 $260.49 $1,203 -11.20
450–478 465 7 247.00–254.00 $249.81 $1,162 -11.66
523–545 527 11 240.00–249.00 $244.56 $1,289 -6.24
523–543 value added 532 31 252.00–264.00 $257.13 $1,368 -11.87
555–575 558 18 242.00–250.00 $248.32 $1,386 -2.88
560–595 value added 575 15 251.00–257.00 $253.72 $1,459 -8.73
600–645 611 16 233.00–243.00 $238.50 $1,457 —
600–645 value added 627 37 244.00–265.50 $256.17 $1,606 +1.70
656–680 value added 659 9 254.00–269.00 $263.30 $1,735 +11.30
650–685 663 7 224.00–239.00 $234.10 $1,552 +0.98
705–743 value added 716 24 242.00–258.00 $251.56 $1,801 -3.44
700–742 718 5 236.00–240.00 $238.44 $1,712 +4.62
750–755 753 3 229.00–240.00 $233.65 $1,759 -1.62
760–797 value added 777 5 243.00–256.00 $248.45 $1,930 -1.40
810–817 816 6 239.00–240.00 $239.83 $1,957 +7.13
905–930 921 5 219.00–235.00 $228.83 $2,108 +4.44
965 965 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,026 -1.12
1072 1072 4 190.00 $190.00 $2,037 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 247.00 $247.00 $1,087 +17.00
460–479 476 6 220.00–240.00 $236.78 $1,127 -4.03
500–525 509 4 231.00–240.00 $235.06 $1,196 -10.64
572–590 578 3 240.00–241.00 $240.66 $1,391 +0.75
665–690 673 4 184.00–210.00 $197.85 $1,332 -31.15
700 700 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,540 -8.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,164 —
517 517 2 251.00 $251.00 $1,298 —
562 562 2 231.00 $231.00 $1,298 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
190 190 1 257.00 $257.00 $488 —
200–215 208 2 254.00–277.50 $265.33 $552 +58.29
255–280 270 3 215.00–250.00 $229.65 $620 +22.15
300–345 316 8 210.00–230.00 $218.83 $692 +9.76
305–340 value added 325 4 230.00–238.00 $233.53 $759 +3.53
365–385 372 3 217.50–220.00 $218.36 $812 +6.01
350–398 value added 379 25 239.00–255.00 $243.70 $924 +8.15
401–440 value added 419 13 238.00–251.00 $245.07 $1,027 +7.18
420–445 427 11 222.00–230.00 $226.92 $969 -2.90
450–480 value added 461 4 228.00–235.00 $231.53 $1,067 -4.25
450–490 477 26 210.00–225.00 $223.19 $1,065 -0.97
500–535 516 21 210.00–223.00 $218.54 $1,128 -7.48
500–540 value added 518 34 222.00–239.00 $231.02 $1,197 -8.61
555–570 558 7 211.00–217.00 $212.85 $1,188 -9.62
555–593 value added 572 38 220.00–233.00 $227.90 $1,304 -5.96
605–645 627 12 200.00–225.00 $219.62 $1,377 +5.38
612–641 value added 628 19 227.00–234.50 $230.53 $1,448 -22.37
655–695 value added 676 10 221.00–235.00 $228.27 $1,543 -7.69
650–695 677 6 195.00–221.00 $208.58 $1,412 -3.57
700–740 value added 708 152 217.00–235.25 $231.76 $1,641 -4.12
700–740 723 5 196.00–224.00 $206.17 $1,491 -3.83
793 793 3 214.00 $214.00 $1,697 +4.00
810 810 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,742 +30.00
860–895 value added 878 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,738 —
923 value added 923 9 204.50 $204.50 $1,888 —
960 960 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,805 —
971 fancy 971 52 226.75 $226.75 $2,202 —
1010 1010 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,444 +17.00
1180 1180 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,817 —
1255 1255 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,732 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–245 230 2 200.00–244.00 $220.57 $507 —
290 290 1 200.00 $200.00 $580 +15.09
315–335 325 2 190.00–205.00 $197.73 $643 +21.46
415–435 426 4 192.50–215.00 $198.87 $847 -4.04
460–495 483 19 180.00–220.00 $214.42 $1,036 +2.13
510–535 528 8 181.00–212.00 $205.84 $1,087 +3.50
552–585 564 10 182.50–220.00 $200.91 $1,133 -5.60
630 630 2 181.00–190.00 $185.50 $1,169 -1.88
665 665 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,204 -1.23
740 740 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,184 -19.34
785 785 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,334 -15.00
800–810 807 3 147.00–163.00 $155.97 $1,259 -6.53
865 865 3 145.00–157.00 $153.00 $1,323 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 200.00 $200.00 $650 —
485 485 4 190.00 $190.00 $922 -2.00
561–580 566 4 210.00–215.00 $211.28 $1,196 —
680 680 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,408 —
832 832 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,581 —
920 920 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,380 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 fancy 280 1 289.00 $289.00 $809 —
300–345 323 8 237.00–278.00 $259.76 $839 +2.35
330 value added 330 2 285.00 $285.00 $940 —
370 value added 370 1 266.00 $266.00 $984 —
355–392 374 5 250.00–260.00 $254.92 $953 -6.01
410–417 415 4 240.00–244.00 $242.01 $1,004 -2.90
420–447 value added 434 7 250.00–260.00 $255.27 $1,108 -6.35
450–485 467 7 230.00–239.00 $234.19 $1,094 -15.65
450–486 value added 479 14 246.00–253.00 $249.39 $1,195 —
503–520 value added 509 12 240.00–245.00 $242.82 $1,236 -6.39
525–540 531 5 233.00–239.00 $234.42 $1,245 -2.10
555–591 581 22 221.00–237.00 $230.43 $1,339 -3.99
600–635 611 13 193.00–219.00 $207.30 $1,267 -9.47
660–687 677 7 200.00–204.00 $200.84 $1,360 -17.19
705–730 716 5 185.00–193.00 $187.62 $1,343 -17.98
750–785 775 6 189.00–205.00 $195.78 $1,517 -12.22
805 805 3 182.00 $182.00 $1,465 -18.87
850 850 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,530 -15.00
923 923 4 193.00 $193.00 $1,781 +6.46
1065 1065 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,598 —
1105 1105 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,425 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–347 338 5 212.50–245.00 $239.22 $809 +13.22
370 370 1 210.00 $210.00 $777 -16.29
417–445 426 3 200.00–202.00 $201.30 $858 -23.27
450–495 461 4 210.00–237.00 $220.85 $1,018 -10.15
500–548 528 17 200.00–228.00 $214.50 $1,133 -8.29
562–595 582 10 191.00–220.00 $210.38 $1,224 -10.58
635 635 3 181.00–190.00 $184.00 $1,168 -9.35
657–680 671 6 170.00–194.00 $181.53 $1,218 -19.47
730–740 735 2 164.00–181.00 $172.56 $1,268 —
755 755 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,404 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 200.00 $200.00 $860 —
573 573 5 220.00 $220.00 $1,261 +30.00
720–740 730 2 190.00–196.00 $193.04 $1,409 —
750–792 778 3 184.00–190.00 $188.07 $1,463 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1450 1277 80-85% 12 95.00–103.00 $99.88 $1,275 -20.86
1115–1595 1281 80-85% 22 104.00–113.00 $109.48 $1,402 -11.26
1130–1585 1359 80-85% 22 114.00–135.00 $121.90 $1,657 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1620 1402 75-80% 5 95.00–103.00 $100.16 $1,404 -17.93
1155–1695 1450 75-80% 27 104.00–113.00 $108.50 $1,573 —
1195–2105 1570 75-80% 21 113.00–124.00 $116.47 $1,829 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810 810 85-90% 1 73.00 $73.00 $591 —
775–1260 1078 85-90% 20 90.00–106.00 $97.53 $1,051 -14.22
860–1290 1083 85-90% 10 83.00–89.00 $86.56 $937 -25.19
1100–1335 1156 85-90% 8 106.00–119.00 $110.53 $1,278 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410–2160 1756 8 130.00–144.00 $133.51 $2,344 —
1615–2150 1862 11 113.00–128.00 $125.29 $2,333 —

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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
1230–1440 1335 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,475.00–2,150.00 $1,839.04 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1165–1170 1168 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,250.00–1,475.00 $1,362.74 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
839 839 7 177.50 $177.50 $1,489 —

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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.