Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 20, 2024

1,392 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $253.91/cwt -8.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,609/hd at 634 lb · 105 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $338.80/cwt -17.27 vs last sale · ≈ $1,448/hd at 427 lb · 80 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $242.64/cwt -1.86 vs last sale · ≈ $1,868/hd at 770 lb · 75 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,392 671 1,790
Feeder cattle 1,221 558 1,588
Slaughter cattle 158 105 174
Replacement cattle 13 8 28

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers sold steady to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Yearlings sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with very good demand in a limited comparison. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 5.00 to 10.00 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
260 260 2 322.50 $322.50 $838 +8.94
275 value added 275 1 345.00 $345.00 $949 —
310–349 value added 347 28 332.50–394.00 $391.24 $1,358 —
355–370 value added 360 7 341.00–387.50 $353.17 $1,271 -26.83
375 375 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,228 +26.96
403–447 value added 427 77 320.00–375.00 $340.12 $1,452 -18.25
440 440 3 300.00–307.50 $305.00 $1,342 -12.00
452–486 value added 470 10 320.00–337.00 $330.33 $1,553 -7.07
480 480 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,440 +2.42
500–545 value added 530 42 308.00–335.00 $317.04 $1,680 +6.21
507–548 534 7 287.00–296.00 $293.12 $1,565 -2.01
550–585 value added 559 18 290.00–310.00 $298.26 $1,667 +1.15
555–565 562 3 283.00–285.00 $284.01 $1,596 —
600–635 value added 619 11 274.00–297.00 $285.87 $1,770 -11.13
631 631 8 244.00 $244.00 $1,540 -26.87
675 675 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,822 —
681 value added 681 7 280.00 $280.00 $1,907 —
705 thin fleshed 705 2 259.00 $259.00 $1,826 —
700–738 value added 723 10 250.00–253.00 $250.87 $1,814 -4.13
720–745 723 17 242.00–245.00 $242.36 $1,752 +1.36
755–790 770 75 240.00–242.75 $242.64 $1,868 -1.86
800–818 807 10 220.00–228.00 $221.40 $1,787 —
800–820 thin fleshed 810 6 245.00–250.00 $247.53 $2,005 —
860 thin fleshed 860 9 243.00 $243.00 $2,090 —
867–878 874 5 228.00–230.00 $228.79 $2,000 -1.21
880 fancy 880 57 255.00 $255.00 $2,244 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550–585 568 2 270.00–277.00 $273.61 $1,554 —
951 951 12 205.50 $205.50 $1,954 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,512 —
605 605 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,488 —
700 700 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,652 —
770 770 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,779 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–245 228 3 275.00–300.00 $288.23 $657 +1.33
240 value added 240 1 312.00 $312.00 $749 —
292 value added 292 7 314.00 $314.00 $917 —
300–330 value added 307 10 307.00–327.50 $315.58 $969 —
307–325 313 3 291.00–302.00 $298.19 $933 -1.06
350–385 value added 358 17 305.00–332.50 $323.24 $1,157 +5.90
370–385 376 8 285.00–301.00 $291.75 $1,097 -9.66
400–446 value added 419 63 284.00–318.00 $307.20 $1,287 +11.71
420–430 424 6 270.00–281.00 $273.23 $1,158 +0.89
452–495 469 19 257.00–272.00 $267.83 $1,256 +3.40
450–494 value added 474 30 276.00–299.00 $287.73 $1,364 +10.51
505–535 value added 514 59 265.00–295.00 $288.73 $1,484 —
500–530 516 9 250.00–262.50 $255.68 $1,319 -12.28
559–590 value added 573 24 261.00–284.50 $271.96 $1,558 -6.04
570–595 584 5 252.00–260.00 $257.78 $1,505 -0.38
600–635 617 3 234.00–237.00 $235.68 $1,454 +2.64
600–643 value added 634 102 250.00–268.00 $254.45 $1,613 -11.49
650–682 664 5 230.00–231.00 $230.20 $1,529 -11.80
744 thin fleshed 744 66 239.50 $239.50 $1,782 —
758 758 3 228.00 $228.00 $1,728 +55.50
800–820 810 2 176.00 $176.00 $1,426 —
819 thin fleshed 819 62 235.00 $235.00 $1,925 —
923 923 3 196.00 $196.00 $1,809 +17.00
1072 1072 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,876 -22.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–215 210 2 262.50–265.00 $263.78 $554 —
320–340 330 2 255.00–285.00 $270.45 $892 —
395 395 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,106 —
405–425 415 2 247.00–247.50 $247.24 $1,026 +2.24
475–490 482 3 230.00–260.00 $250.14 $1,206 +1.02
530–540 535 2 225.00–230.00 $227.52 $1,217 -3.46
555–585 566 9 230.00–254.00 $243.21 $1,377 +12.68
600–645 631 4 202.50–227.50 $211.42 $1,334 -1.73
712–730 718 3 188.00–192.00 $190.64 $1,369 -8.36
763–780 767 9 161.00–191.00 $176.44 $1,353 +14.44
815–825 820 2 162.00–165.00 $163.49 $1,341 —
930–935 933 2 155.00–162.00 $158.51 $1,479 +18.51
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740 740 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,347 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–240 230 2 280.00–355.00 $319.13 $734 —
255–290 270 11 300.00–340.00 $321.29 $867 —
335–345 338 4 312.50–337.50 $318.89 $1,078 +8.26
350–360 357 3 310.00–314.00 $312.69 $1,116 +5.89
350–395 value added 373 12 320.00–371.00 $335.80 $1,253 —
400–440 value added 422 13 305.00–330.00 $313.19 $1,322 -19.29
445–447 446 8 280.00–291.00 $288.24 $1,286 -8.76
462–475 value added 466 11 317.00–325.00 $318.63 $1,485 -6.05
450–492 481 5 272.50–292.00 $283.44 $1,363 -24.56
500–505 fancy 502 5 303.00–309.00 $306.59 $1,539 —
505–525 value added 512 6 289.00–295.00 $291.51 $1,493 -7.43
540 540 2 278.00 $278.00 $1,501 +2.78
565 fancy 565 1 303.00 $303.00 $1,712 —
565–595 570 8 260.00–278.00 $273.97 $1,562 -5.00
600–601 value added 601 5 262.00–275.00 $269.81 $1,622 +0.20
600–635 622 8 240.00–248.00 $242.24 $1,507 -1.93
652 value added 652 2 259.00 $259.00 $1,689 —
652–685 666 8 234.00–250.00 $246.78 $1,644 —
700–725 value added 715 3 235.00–245.00 $238.38 $1,704 —
790 790 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,770 —
820 820 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,558 —
880 880 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,637 —
900–940 913 3 156.00–186.00 $173.74 $1,586 -25.26
962–991 979 5 154.00–164.00 $157.93 $1,546 -37.07
1085 fancy 1085 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,953 —
1115–1120 1118 2 169.00 $169.00 $1,889 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 3 303.00 $303.00 $1,076 +10.80
420–430 423 3 265.00–270.00 $266.69 $1,128 —
450 450 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,170 -6.95
505–540 517 5 260.00–270.00 $264.57 $1,368 —
575–590 585 4 239.00–250.00 $247.23 $1,446 -14.77
720 720 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,663 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 215.00 $215.00 $935 —
495 495 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,163 —
520 520 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,222 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 80-85% 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,220 —
1095–1525 1266 80-85% 4 115.00–124.00 $118.58 $1,501 —
860–1800 1299 80-85% 52 129.00–157.00 $142.61 $1,853 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1895 1488 75-80% 48 127.00–157.00 $144.13 $2,145 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720–1135 958 85-90% 12 104.00–116.00 $109.52 $1,049 —
850–1140 995 85-90% 2 99.00–100.00 $99.43 $989 —
865–1355 1072 85-90% 23 119.00–145.00 $128.50 $1,378 +19.10

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–2470 1590 6 145.00–157.00 $150.63 $2,395 —
1610–2040 1803 7 160.00–180.00 $167.97 $3,028 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00

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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
920–1385 1063 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 1,200.00–1,750.00 $1,517.03 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
970 970 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840 840 1 112.50 $112.50 $945 —
955 955 1 113.00 $113.00 $1,079 —
1015 1015 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,076 —

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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.