Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 18, 2023

973 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 $194.54/cwt +10.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,391/hd at 715 lb · 74 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $209.14/cwt +5.51 vs last sale · ≈ $1,082/hd at 517 lb · 45 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $223.44/cwt +10.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,371/hd at 614 lb · 27 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 973 923 739
Feeder cattle 763 759 590
Slaughter cattle 205 157 143
Replacement cattle 5 7 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages; few 300-400 lb weaned packages sharply higher. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 8.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 6.00 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
335–340 value added 339 5 282.00–300.00 $296.44 $1,005 —
350–355 354 4 256.00–286.00 $278.58 $986 —
361–388 value added 377 9 297.00–302.00 $300.31 $1,132 +29.24
405–445 value added 425 7 260.00–287.00 $278.69 $1,184 +12.23
453–495 value added 460 17 262.00–280.00 $276.33 $1,271 +12.07
485 485 1 249.00 $249.00 $1,208 ±0.00
500–545 value added 515 5 251.00–266.00 $260.88 $1,344 -0.18
520–540 530 2 243.00–246.00 $244.47 $1,296 —
560–570 564 5 240.00–249.00 $245.36 $1,384 +7.35
605–625 610 7 212.00–219.00 $213.58 $1,303 +11.08
600–645 value added 615 20 223.00–238.00 $226.89 $1,395 +7.37
659–665 660 7 210.00–214.00 $210.58 $1,390 +11.45
662–665 value added 663 7 221.00–235.00 $230.14 $1,526 +17.45
700–731 value added 708 11 198.00–205.00 $203.03 $1,437 -5.97
715 715 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,358 +1.26
758–760 758 12 190.00–199.00 $197.50 $1,497 —
758–793 value added 774 13 204.00–209.00 $206.67 $1,600 —
802 802 2 191.00 $191.00 $1,532 —
865 865 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,600 —
860–880 870 2 188.00–199.00 $193.44 $1,683 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 230.00 $230.00 $805 —
475 475 1 238.00 $238.00 $1,130 —
675–695 683 3 188.00–195.00 $192.30 $1,313 +6.30
780 780 7 179.00 $179.00 $1,396 +10.00
855 855 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,479 —
948 948 6 171.00 $171.00 $1,621 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352–375 360 3 250.00–261.00 $257.18 $926 —
582 582 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,286 -10.00
710 710 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,356 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1130 1120 2 155.00–160.00 $157.48 $1,764 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 2 205.00–210.00 $207.50 $695 +7.48
347 value added 347 2 230.00 $230.00 $798 —
350–375 366 7 197.00–212.50 $206.24 $755 +4.96
360–395 value added 376 13 215.00–232.00 $224.14 $843 +12.66
405–440 value added 421 11 212.00–224.00 $217.30 $915 —
440–447 444 11 197.50–210.00 $206.27 $916 +8.67
458–490 value added 466 4 213.00–219.00 $217.42 $1,013 +9.12
455–492 479 17 189.00–210.00 $201.76 $966 +9.22
500–530 509 4 191.00–201.00 $195.80 $997 +2.25
500–543 value added 518 41 204.00–214.00 $210.44 $1,090 +3.45
555–578 value added 569 12 201.00–206.00 $203.15 $1,156 +3.50
585–590 588 2 189.00–200.00 $194.48 $1,144 +1.56
605 value added 605 6 199.00–203.00 $200.33 $1,212 -2.21
600–620 609 15 171.00–188.00 $177.30 $1,080 -0.80
663 value added 663 3 199.00 $199.00 $1,319 —
650–690 669 4 166.00–190.00 $176.33 $1,180 -3.65
705–725 715 2 150.00–170.00 $159.86 $1,143 —
715 value added 715 72 195.50 $195.50 $1,398 +11.75
760–780 770 3 150.00–179.00 $166.46 $1,282 —
815–833 829 4 140.00–177.00 $167.90 $1,392 —
975–995 985 2 125.00–129.00 $127.02 $1,251 -22.98
994 994 8 146.00 $146.00 $1,451 -4.00
1010 1010 1 99.00 $99.00 $1,000 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
130 130 2 142.50 $142.50 $185 —
170 170 1 150.00 $150.00 $255 —
200–240 231 8 145.00–160.00 $152.48 $352 —
260 260 1 172.50 $172.50 $448 -1.50
302–315 305 11 140.00–177.50 $170.74 $521 -8.81
370–395 383 3 162.50–182.50 $171.88 $658 -13.12
400–440 419 6 160.00–181.00 $168.27 $705 -13.67
450–495 480 8 160.00–184.00 $173.21 $831 -8.72
500–545 531 7 155.00–187.00 $166.14 $882 -12.56
550–595 568 4 160.00–177.00 $167.64 $952 -4.64
622–645 630 3 132.00–151.00 $144.51 $910 -19.35
652–695 674 8 139.00–160.00 $152.90 $1,031 -3.49
705–710 708 3 136.00–137.00 $136.67 $968 +2.53
915 915 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,006 -1.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 150.00 $150.00 $375 —
575 575 2 167.00–190.00 $178.50 $1,026 -7.50
645 645 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,155 +7.00
765 765 3 156.00 $156.00 $1,193 —
801–847 819 5 169.00–175.00 $171.48 $1,404 —
967 967 2 163.00 $163.00 $1,576 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–285 273 2 125.00–152.50 $139.38 $381 —
300–330 313 3 140.00–152.50 $144.12 $451 -13.38
465 465 1 155.00 $155.00 $721 —
522 522 2 130.00 $130.00 $679 ±0.00
595 595 1 130.00 $130.00 $774 —
665 665 1 112.50 $112.50 $748 -22.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1071–1450 1179 5 110.00–140.00 $131.37 $1,549 +6.37

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–290 285 2 242.50–247.50 $245.04 $698 -7.46
335–340 338 2 260.00–261.00 $260.50 $880 +9.97
410–435 value added 429 6 254.00–265.00 $261.09 $1,120 —
445 445 1 249.00 $249.00 $1,108 +9.10
455–465 value added 460 2 259.00–271.00 $264.93 $1,219 —
465–495 485 3 230.00–245.00 $238.16 $1,155 +13.74
515 value added 515 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,241 —
505–546 533 16 225.00–237.00 $231.88 $1,236 +7.90
552–560 value added 555 5 241.00–249.00 $244.60 $1,358 —
555–590 575 7 220.00–236.00 $227.03 $1,305 +2.60
600–640 616 4 181.00–204.00 $192.05 $1,183 +8.37
600–645 value added 623 16 205.00–214.00 $208.16 $1,297 +13.16
660–675 666 8 180.00–204.00 $197.88 $1,318 +7.88
665–695 value added 679 8 205.00–214.00 $208.41 $1,415 +7.41
722–745 728 8 160.00–192.00 $173.62 $1,264 -1.29
770 770 3 150.00–181.00 $170.67 $1,314 -5.25
840 840 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,260 —
852–870 861 5 172.00–185.00 $177.37 $1,527 —
955–980 963 3 150.00–163.00 $155.40 $1,497 -4.60
1055 1055 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,087 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
242 242 2 220.00 $220.00 $532 —
285 285 1 220.00 $220.00 $627 +14.22
335 335 1 209.00 $209.00 $700 -5.93
375–395 387 3 189.00–230.00 $212.17 $821 +17.78
425–440 435 3 187.50–201.00 $191.90 $835 +0.45
465–495 478 3 181.00–221.00 $206.87 $989 —
510–545 525 5 187.00–218.00 $207.90 $1,091 +14.50
570–581 578 4 201.00–215.00 $204.45 $1,182 +34.45
680 680 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,170 +27.00
750 750 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,050 -4.15
855 855 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,171 +8.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 3 160.00 $160.00 $416 —
340 340 1 145.00 $145.00 $493 —
455–490 468 4 150.00–173.00 $162.11 $759 —
505 505 1 165.00 $165.00 $833 —
628 628 3 135.00 $135.00 $848 —
655 655 1 151.00 $151.00 $989 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 1 247.00 $247.00 $1,247 —
560–570 567 3 219.00 $219.00 $1,242 —
985 985 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,192 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1330 1093 80-85% 3 76.00–84.00 $81.07 $886 —
925–1520 1183 80-85% 36 85.00–95.00 $91.33 $1,080 +13.21
1055–1740 1276 80-85% 18 95.00–108.00 $100.14 $1,278 +15.46
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1675 1349 75-80% 4 82.00–85.00 $83.84 $1,131 —
1180–1635 1412 75-80% 19 87.00–95.00 $92.10 $1,300 +13.17
1080–1840 1461 75-80% 29 95.00–110.00 $99.69 $1,456 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–1100 924 85-90% 7 78.00–83.00 $79.96 $739 —
820–1230 1014 85-90% 16 83.00–88.00 $85.18 $864 +1.41
805–1305 1030 85-90% 6 64.00–78.00 $72.54 $747 -11.23
865–1285 1046 85-90% 17 88.00–101.00 $93.16 $974 +9.39

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1905 1511 4 90.00–97.00 $94.18 $1,423 —
1225–2050 1552 12 109.00–124.00 $113.58 $1,763 —
1475–2140 1810 13 124.00–137.00 $129.24 $2,339 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1180–1455 1305 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,225.00–1,325.00 $1,277.23

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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.