Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 8, 2020

2,169 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $123.97/cwt +6.10 vs last sale · ≈ $822/hd at 663 lb · 252 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $138.19/cwt +3.35 vs last sale · ≈ $921/hd at 666 lb · 240 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $131.53/cwt -7.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,028/hd at 782 lb · 206 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,169 1,671 2,065
Feeder cattle 2,073 1,537 1,954
Slaughter cattle 90 99 106
Replacement cattle 6 35 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold steady to 2.00 higher over 600 lbs sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sold steady to 2.00 lower; over 600 lbs sold steady with moderate demand. Demand was good early in the sale however market noticeably softened late in the day as orders filled. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower and slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher. Big calf runs and slaughter cow runs this week softened market late as available trucking tightens.

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
285 fancy 285 1 167.50 $167.50 $477 —
310–340 325 2 155.00 $155.00 $504 -2.50
370–398 390 5 156.00–158.00 $157.42 $614 —
405–413 value added 409 13 155.00–163.00 $159.13 $651 -1.37
407–445 418 11 144.00–149.00 $147.99 $619 —
450–490 value added 469 16 150.00–161.00 $156.71 $735 +4.41
475–495 488 3 147.00–149.00 $147.65 $721 +5.65
502–540 510 9 134.00–145.00 $140.93 $719 +2.67
505–541 value added 521 57 146.00–156.00 $152.01 $792 -2.21
550–583 579 12 136.00–141.00 $138.91 $804 +5.41
553–597 value added 586 154 146.00–157.70 $154.82 $907 +12.77
602–617 value added 610 19 133.25–140.00 $136.72 $834 -7.48
604–645 624 33 125.00–128.00 $127.01 $793 -1.62
655–685 value added 665 226 132.50–140.00 $139.02 $924 +3.62
650–695 685 14 120.00–128.00 $124.80 $855 -6.61
700–746 715 18 122.50–129.00 $126.87 $907 +0.83
703–743 value added 737 114 133.00–140.30 $137.37 $1,012 +4.81
760–793 value added 780 186 128.00–133.00 $132.06 $1,030 -5.80
775–799 796 20 122.00–127.50 $126.59 $1,008 +5.08
805–847 825 138 122.00–134.75 $130.69 $1,078 -4.52
925–940 935 3 118.00 $118.00 $1,103 -6.00
956 956 41 123.00 $123.00 $1,176 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
538 538 4 135.00 $135.00 $726 +3.00
628 628 3 121.00 $121.00 $760 —
695 695 1 120.00 $120.00 $834 -4.00
730 730 3 110.00 $110.00 $803 ±0.00
807 807 2 120.00 $120.00 $968 —
850–883 875 4 118.00–120.00 $119.51 $1,046 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615–620 618 2 115.00–118.00 $116.51 $720 —
655 655 1 110.00 $110.00 $720 -7.00
740 740 1 111.00 $111.00 $821 —
867–870 868 3 117.00–118.00 $117.67 $1,021 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
202–217 210 4 126.00–130.00 $127.93 $269 —
235 fancy 235 1 135.00 $135.00 $317 —
265 265 1 125.00 $125.00 $331 —
305–345 321 5 122.50–130.00 $126.89 $407 —
355 355 1 127.00 $127.00 $451 —
406–432 418 24 114.00–121.00 $117.53 $491 -4.51
425 value added 425 15 133.00 $133.00 $565 +3.50
460–495 471 22 115.00–122.00 $118.23 $557 -4.99
480 value added 480 20 135.50 $135.50 $650 +5.50
500–540 521 30 114.00–118.00 $116.08 $605 -1.27
502–546 value added 526 61 118.00–125.00 $120.65 $635 -4.48
559 fancy 559 80 146.50 $146.50 $819 —
550–595 value added 579 30 119.00–125.00 $123.45 $715 -0.74
560–596 583 25 114.00–117.00 $115.54 $674 +0.79
600–642 621 21 109.00–118.00 $114.66 $712 +0.63
600–645 625 23 120.00–122.00 $120.51 $753 +6.48
658–698 value added 661 119 119.00–131.75 $129.05 $853 +7.55
652–674 664 110 118.00–127.00 $121.30 $805 +4.05
656–695 671 23 102.00–116.00 $110.50 $741 -6.75
707–728 718 32 112.00–116.75 $113.86 $818 -1.18
740 740 2 108.00 $108.00 $799 -7.04
795–798 798 6 106.00–108.00 $106.33 $849 -11.66
801 801 3 119.00 $119.00 $953 —
815 815 1 98.00 $98.00 $799 —
855 855 1 95.00 $95.00 $812 —
895 895 19 112.50 $112.50 $1,007 —
1020 1020 1 81.00 $81.00 $826 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 328 6 110.00–120.00 $114.01 $374 —
360–395 383 3 110.00–112.00 $111.37 $427 +1.37
410–443 431 10 104.00–114.00 $111.28 $480 —
455–490 467 12 104.00–115.00 $108.32 $506 —
625 625 3 93.00 $93.00 $581 —
665–690 683 12 95.00–101.00 $98.58 $673 —
710 710 1 95.00 $95.00 $674 —
767 767 2 96.00 $96.00 $736 —
840 840 3 86.00 $86.00 $722 —
877 877 2 84.00 $84.00 $737 —
910 910 1 70.00 $70.00 $637 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 100.00 $100.00 $280 —
345 345 1 106.00 $106.00 $366 —
400–445 423 3 90.00–100.00 $94.76 $401 -8.24
455–480 471 5 100.00–105.00 $102.62 $483 +2.62
520–545 533 2 100.00–102.00 $101.02 $538 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 110.00 $110.00 $528 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 145.00 $145.00 $370 —
310–345 328 2 143.00–150.00 $146.31 $480 —
395 395 1 153.00 $153.00 $604 —
405 405 1 135.00 $135.00 $547 —
457–485 466 4 132.00–139.00 $136.21 $635 -1.26
510 510 1 135.00 $135.00 $688 +7.82
522 fancy 522 2 143.00 $143.00 $746 —
550–597 581 12 125.00–132.00 $127.57 $741 +3.57
600–645 622 15 112.00–125.00 $120.10 $747 -3.90
671 671 3 115.00 $115.00 $772 -6.00
705–707 706 3 103.00–106.00 $104.00 $734 —
770 770 1 110.00 $110.00 $847 -11.14
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 124.00 $124.00 $589 -1.56
560–595 575 9 118.00–126.00 $121.10 $696 +4.10
605–645 623 3 108.00–111.00 $109.68 $683 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–382 381 3 113.00–127.00 $117.65 $448 —
480 480 1 112.00 $112.00 $538 +6.00
590 590 1 100.00 $100.00 $590 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1330 1273 80-85% 3 42.00–43.00 $42.69 $543 -5.22
995–1560 1278 80-85% 16 46.00–52.00 $48.61 $621 +0.70
1200–1425 1291 80-85% 8 53.00–59.00 $55.23 $713 +7.32
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150 1150 75-80% 1 45.00 $45.00 $518 —
1140–1775 1462 75-80% 12 48.00–52.00 $50.11 $733 —
1345–1810 1531 75-80% 5 53.00–55.00 $54.21 $830 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025 1025 85-90% 1 51.00 $51.00 $523 -4.51
910–1140 1032 85-90% 9 33.00–44.00 $37.79 $390 -17.72
930–1265 1128 85-90% 3 47.00–48.00 $47.27 $533 -1.45

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–2200 1600 3 77.00–88.00 $84.04 $1,345 —
1520–1710 1623 3 72.00–73.00 $72.66 $1,179 —
1510–1980 1775 3 91.00–99.00 $96.39 $1,711 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1395 1395 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 675.00 $675.00
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1165 1165 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 500.00 $500.00

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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.