Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 11, 2024

870 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $289.32/cwt +3.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,259/hd at 435 lb · 47 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $244.36/cwt +27.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,620/hd at 663 lb · 44 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $245.31/cwt +24.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,534/hd at 625 lb · 37 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 870 1,344 864
Feeder cattle 739 1,185 699
Slaughter cattle 125 149 147
Replacement cattle 6 10 18

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher; few fancy weaned packages sharply higher. Yearling steers noticeably higher in a lite test. Feeder heifers sold steady on similar quality with a few fancy yearling packages sharply higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00 higher with very 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
305–315 310 2 305.00–315.00 $310.08 $961 —
300–340 value added 322 7 321.00–374.00 $338.26 $1,089 -3.95
350–385 366 4 315.00–322.50 $317.47 $1,162 +4.02
355–393 value added 381 13 325.00–377.50 $352.41 $1,343 +20.35
405–430 fancy 418 2 367.00–369.00 $367.97 $1,538 —
420 420 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,218 +3.20
405–431 value added 422 12 309.00–363.00 $336.46 $1,420 +13.44
455–490 value added 466 10 319.00–351.00 $334.48 $1,559 +20.00
461–488 479 13 279.00–283.00 $280.34 $1,343 -5.96
500–548 value added 514 33 290.00–327.50 $315.60 $1,622 +14.97
555–595 value added 577 12 278.00–299.00 $291.06 $1,679 +4.67
600–646 value added 628 26 260.00–297.00 $276.90 $1,739 +1.15
662 thin fleshed 662 2 277.00 $277.00 $1,834 —
650–691 value added 680 34 250.00–279.00 $262.43 $1,785 -5.19
700 thin fleshed 700 2 281.00 $281.00 $1,967 —
710–738 value added 721 27 244.00–278.00 $263.46 $1,900 +20.12
765–786 value added 781 5 233.00–249.00 $243.45 $1,901 —
807–823 817 5 226.00–234.00 $230.84 $1,886 +17.81
855–880 874 6 211.00–229.00 $224.35 $1,961 —
900–930 910 3 204.00–214.00 $210.59 $1,916 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
808–844 822 13 222.00–228.00 $224.37 $1,844 +24.37
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 295.00 $295.00 $767 —
370 370 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,054 —
512 512 2 249.00 $249.00 $1,275 +5.00
730 730 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,599 +15.00
780 780 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,716 —
1040 1040 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,955 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 262.50 $262.50 $578 —
360 360 1 260.00 $260.00 $936 —
600 600 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,218 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300 1300 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,080 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 265.00 $265.00 $583 +65.00
255–275 265 2 282.50–297.50 $290.28 $769 -0.88
280 value added 280 1 345.00 $345.00 $966 +32.50
302–331 value added 325 13 305.00–339.00 $311.15 $1,011 -9.28
345 345 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,000 -13.28
390–397 value added 395 13 299.00–301.00 $300.39 $1,187 -33.01
400–440 value added 424 14 267.50–300.00 $288.30 $1,222 -3.55
410–445 431 7 230.00–259.00 $251.66 $1,085 -10.53
442 fancy 442 26 300.00 $300.00 $1,326 —
450–484 value added 471 19 262.00–275.00 $271.73 $1,280 -4.07
450–497 477 12 243.00–262.00 $255.85 $1,220 +2.29
505–525 515 2 233.00–252.50 $242.94 $1,251 -4.79
510–527 value added 522 24 253.00–267.00 $259.95 $1,357 -6.78
555–591 value added 578 14 245.00–260.00 $253.34 $1,464 -5.75
570–595 582 3 233.00–243.00 $237.07 $1,380 -4.51
606–640 value added 624 27 238.00–257.00 $249.93 $1,560 +18.25
610–635 627 8 225.00–235.00 $231.06 $1,449 +27.08
637 fancy 637 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,529 —
650–665 value added 659 34 246.00–252.00 $251.30 $1,656 +10.30
655–690 676 10 210.00–234.00 $220.78 $1,492 +12.43
707–728 value added 722 7 231.00–232.00 $231.72 $1,673 -1.42
700–736 724 9 192.00–207.50 $199.09 $1,441 +5.34
750–765 758 2 187.50–197.00 $192.20 $1,457 -6.80
805–815 809 6 187.00–199.00 $194.18 $1,571 —
815–845 823 9 203.00–216.00 $213.20 $1,755 —
861 861 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,765 +25.00
910 910 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,583 —
915 915 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,821 —
1025 1025 2 165.00 $165.00 $1,691 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–348 342 8 225.00–285.00 $275.06 $941 -3.43
350–390 379 10 242.50–287.00 $268.98 $1,019 +2.22
525 525 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,097 -17.86
550–580 567 3 200.00–229.00 $211.06 $1,197 -9.85
675–680 678 2 192.50–193.00 $192.75 $1,307 +25.64
730–740 735 2 159.00–168.00 $163.47 $1,202 +2.00
790 790 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,288 +25.00
810–815 813 2 127.00–150.00 $138.54 $1,126 -6.47
855–870 863 2 130.00–145.00 $137.43 $1,186 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 270.00 $270.00 $864 -20.00
645 645 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,367 +16.62
767–775 770 3 185.00–219.00 $207.59 $1,598 —
855 855 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,368 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–295 278 2 217.50–255.00 $237.43 $660 -2.57
375 375 1 255.00 $255.00 $956 —
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 115.00 $115.00 $270 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220 1220 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,952 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–280 265 2 281.00–297.00 $288.55 $765 —
285 value added 285 1 319.00 $319.00 $909 -10.36
310 310 1 299.00 $299.00 $927 -15.19
310–320 value added 317 3 321.00–345.00 $328.83 $1,042 -9.73
360–390 value added 379 4 301.00–342.50 $315.91 $1,197 -13.89
410–447 value added 419 9 301.00–338.00 $321.99 $1,349 +12.55
427 427 2 290.00 $290.00 $1,238 -3.28
460–485 value added 465 9 312.50–334.00 $329.90 $1,534 +36.62
450–497 486 7 290.00–300.00 $292.36 $1,421 +6.56
512–532 value added 527 12 302.00–320.00 $312.95 $1,649 +24.45
545 545 4 270.00–277.00 $275.25 $1,500 +6.55
552–580 value added 566 12 272.00–291.00 $286.33 $1,621 +10.88
562–575 566 4 260.00–269.00 $262.29 $1,485 -21.58
605–621 value added 617 4 271.00–273.00 $272.51 $1,681 +11.58
655–687 value added 672 8 239.00–264.00 $251.20 $1,688 +10.74
695 695 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,550 +3.00
710–737 729 4 199.00–227.00 $218.17 $1,590 +4.87
715–736 value added 731 4 234.00 $234.00 $1,711 +1.17
783–795 786 4 207.00–219.00 $215.97 $1,698 +4.97
815 815 2 189.00–204.00 $196.50 $1,601 +5.20
912–940 925 4 195.00–198.00 $196.74 $1,820 —
990 990 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,663 —
1035–1045 1038 3 143.00–161.00 $154.96 $1,608 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 277.50 $277.50 $916 -2.99
380 380 1 242.50 $242.50 $922 -49.94
480 480 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,104 -12.98
695 695 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,251 -22.52
905 905 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,131 -35.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 245.00 $245.00 $600 —
465–470 468 2 230.00–234.00 $232.01 $1,086 -0.61
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730 730 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,708 +22.00

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1575 1366 75-80% 5 109.00–116.00 $113.36 $1,548 —
1080–1800 1410 75-80% 28 116.00–138.00 $123.86 $1,746 +2.84
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1205 1148 80-85% 4 109.00–112.00 $109.99 $1,263 —
1060–1430 1257 80-85% 13 116.00–140.00 $128.49 $1,615 —
1335 1335 80-85% 2 104.00–105.00 $104.50 $1,395 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–1140 890 85-90% 3 88.00–90.00 $89.16 $794 —
790–1305 1053 85-90% 10 94.00–109.00 $101.45 $1,068 —
1090–1335 1213 85-90% 2 117.00–124.00 $120.15 $1,457 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1790 1475 2 123.00–136.00 $128.11 $1,890 —
1407–2190 1827 7 138.00–154.00 $143.79 $2,627 +4.58

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1045 1045 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,306

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1400 1400 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1055 1055 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00

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Beef Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
828 828 4 186.00 $186.00 $1,540 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815 815 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,117 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780 780 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,326 +10.00
1050 1050 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,827 —

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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.