Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, January 29, 2024

1,375 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $237.42/cwt +2.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,227/hd at 517 lb · 118 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $224.91/cwt +1.42 vs last sale · ≈ $1,622/hd at 721 lb · 105 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $235.31/cwt -13.04 vs last sale · ≈ $1,612/hd at 685 lb · 94 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,375 1,039 471
Feeder cattle 1,223 870 375
Slaughter cattle 144 133 92
Replacement cattle 8 36 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady with good demand. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 lower 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
256 256 3 275.00 $275.00 $704 —
300–339 328 10 260.00–296.00 $273.66 $898 —
350–375 354 13 268.00–285.00 $274.65 $972 -9.85
370 fancy 370 3 312.50–314.00 $313.50 $1,160 —
402–445 value added 426 32 260.00–293.00 $282.73 $1,204 -0.68
435–445 438 3 265.00–267.00 $266.32 $1,166 +13.32
450–495 value added 473 25 260.00–280.00 $271.11 $1,282 -3.22
480 480 2 262.50 $262.50 $1,260 +4.88
500–542 value added 522 77 257.00–285.50 $271.85 $1,419 -3.41
510–545 525 4 240.00–255.00 $246.75 $1,295 -6.96
555–565 value added 563 5 265.00–273.00 $271.42 $1,528 +4.78
555–580 568 2 240.00–250.00 $244.89 $1,391 -4.74
601–640 value added 613 38 239.00–254.00 $243.16 $1,491 -12.08
605–641 634 17 230.00–239.00 $236.78 $1,501 +0.78
650–662 656 4 230.00–235.00 $232.48 $1,525 -2.12
665 665 10 221.00 $221.00 $1,470 -13.60
689–690 value added 689 80 234.50–237.50 $237.24 $1,635 -17.26
708–728 value added 721 92 221.00–229.00 $225.94 $1,629 +2.45
700–742 723 13 208.00–221.00 $217.66 $1,574 —
758–790 765 9 206.00–216.00 $213.71 $1,635 +8.02
805–840 826 4 176.00–192.00 $186.93 $1,544 -3.70
876 876 3 173.00 $173.00 $1,515 —
940 940 58 192.75 $192.75 $1,812 -7.25
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,000 —
487–490 489 4 240.00–245.00 $242.51 $1,186 -1.49
510–535 523 4 220.00–230.00 $224.88 $1,176 -22.82
600–640 629 13 204.00–225.00 $220.15 $1,385 +0.15
700–745 717 3 177.00–200.00 $188.99 $1,355 -6.01
977 977 2 157.00 $157.00 $1,534 —
1090 1090 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,515 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,304 —
715 715 1 198.00 $198.00 $1,416 -4.57
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 192.00 $192.00 $998 —
565 565 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,136 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 210.00 $210.00 $588 +6.55
300–340 value added 321 4 205.00–227.00 $220.67 $708 —
351–395 value added 372 28 212.00–241.00 $231.31 $860 —
401–447 value added 422 25 220.00–243.00 $233.51 $985 +7.30
450–490 value added 462 34 222.00–244.00 $233.01 $1,077 +11.88
475 475 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,002 +0.17
500–510 505 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,060 -0.41
500–548 value added 517 115 215.00–249.00 $238.14 $1,231 -2.28
550–594 value added 568 66 211.00–235.00 $228.18 $1,296 +6.94
570–583 579 6 198.00–209.00 $201.32 $1,166 -9.41
600–648 value added 624 51 216.00–230.00 $223.96 $1,398 +1.42
612–636 626 7 210.00 $210.00 $1,315 +9.64
615–640 632 3 170.00–191.00 $181.96 $1,150 -18.40
665 value added 665 8 228.00 $228.00 $1,516 +17.24
660–680 668 6 178.00–200.00 $187.28 $1,251 -3.38
693 693 13 199.00 $199.00 $1,379 +8.34
718–720 value added 719 6 194.00–195.00 $194.67 $1,400 -15.33
705–745 723 10 155.00–168.00 $159.83 $1,156 -24.32
745 745 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,341 -4.15
752–795 774 11 159.00–172.00 $164.99 $1,277 -18.21
787 787 2 187.00 $187.00 $1,472 +3.80
800–825 814 7 150.00–177.00 $158.92 $1,294 +2.92
860–885 868 3 165.00–170.00 $168.30 $1,461 -0.73
925 925 35 184.00 $184.00 $1,702 +24.00
985 985 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,271 -23.00
1280 1280 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,715 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–330 315 2 190.00–212.50 $201.79 $636 —
360–390 375 2 187.00–198.00 $192.72 $723 +1.72
400–432 421 3 192.50–205.00 $196.46 $827 +4.46
455–495 475 2 182.00–205.00 $193.02 $917 —
500 500 1 181.00 $181.00 $905 —
585–590 588 2 181.00–200.00 $190.54 $1,120 +6.54
622–635 626 3 180.00–182.00 $180.68 $1,131 +10.07
655–670 662 3 180.00 $180.00 $1,192 —
715 715 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,072 —
755–780 768 6 140.00–154.00 $149.26 $1,146 —
860–890 866 13 120.00–131.00 $121.81 $1,055 -25.19
920–925 923 2 121.00 $121.00 $1,117 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1212–1420 1316 4 137.00–152.00 $143.91 $1,894 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,066 —
882 882 2 138.00 $138.00 $1,217 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 155.00 $155.00 $946 —
655 655 1 140.00 $140.00 $917 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 336 4 250.00–297.50 $275.68 $926 —
351–367 fancy 356 6 300.00–311.00 $307.22 $1,094 +7.22
362–380 371 4 260.00–270.00 $264.88 $983 -23.12
406–445 416 4 258.00–260.00 $258.54 $1,076 +19.79
467 value added 467 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,238 —
470–490 480 2 240.00–247.00 $243.43 $1,168 -23.07
520 520 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,258 -4.28
535–545 value added 538 3 252.00–255.00 $253.99 $1,366 —
560–570 565 2 240.00–243.00 $241.49 $1,364 +0.13
608–635 612 13 208.00–225.00 $216.25 $1,323 +11.78
612–635 value added 624 6 230.00–239.00 $233.61 $1,458 —
660–695 665 21 199.00–224.00 $213.44 $1,419 +14.29
775–793 789 8 185.00–210.00 $201.67 $1,591 +8.97
800–816 813 17 158.00–210.00 $193.39 $1,572 —
860–888 881 4 162.00–171.00 $168.80 $1,487 +8.80
960 960 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,536 -19.76
1012 1012 2 136.00 $136.00 $1,376 —
1080 1080 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,458 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–385 377 3 245.00–253.00 $247.55 $933 —
419 value added 419 5 220.00 $220.00 $922 —
450 450 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,012 +35.00
500–540 528 10 201.00–224.00 $211.58 $1,117 —
560–595 583 5 195.00–221.00 $209.36 $1,221 +19.36
610–646 637 5 200.00–206.00 $201.81 $1,286 —
685 685 2 181.00–197.00 $189.00 $1,295 —
770 770 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,270 —
890 890 4 142.00 $142.00 $1,264 —
980 980 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,039 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 175.00 $175.00 $604 —
580 580 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,218 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860 860 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,333 +5.00

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1570 1259 75-80% 22 103.00–111.00 $106.82 $1,345 —
1210–1405 1305 75-80% 3 94.00–97.00 $95.29 $1,244 —
1180–1660 1399 75-80% 18 111.00–122.00 $115.41 $1,615 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–1025 856 85-90% 8 83.00–87.00 $84.12 $720 +4.07
760–1200 925 85-90% 10 88.00–95.00 $91.86 $850 —
920–1245 1032 85-90% 3 64.00–79.00 $72.74 $751 -15.14
1095–1290 1193 85-90% 2 99.00–105.00 $101.75 $1,214 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1295 1096 80-85% 5 105.00–111.00 $107.27 $1,176 —
1060–1345 1208 80-85% 13 112.00–120.00 $114.93 $1,388 +22.34
1210–1440 1295 80-85% 3 99.00–104.00 $101.19 $1,310 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1275 1260 2 101.00–109.00 $104.95 $1,322 —
1100–1875 1417 14 111.00–123.00 $118.16 $1,674 —
1580–2320 1841 8 124.00–137.00 $128.76 $2,370 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1205 1205 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00
1310 1310 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800–905 853 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 775.00–1,000.00 $894.43

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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
1245–1310 1278 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,375.00–1,475.00 $1,426.27 —

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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.