Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 23, 2021

838 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $131.13/cwt +7.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,041/hd at 794 lb · 71 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $127.05/cwt +7.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,050/hd at 827 lb · 70 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $136.46/cwt +3.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,009/hd at 739 lb · 67 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 838 523 639
Feeder cattle 753 492 424
Slaughter cattle 73 24 215
Replacement cattle 12 7 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady except 400-500 lbs 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold steady except 400-500 lbs sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady with moderate 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
310 310 1 172.50 $172.50 $535 +7.90
335 value added 335 2 172.00 $172.00 $576 —
360 value added 360 1 175.00 $175.00 $630 —
350–390 372 9 163.00–171.00 $166.42 $619 —
385 fancy 385 1 201.00 $201.00 $774 —
400–427 value added 417 8 162.00–183.00 $167.65 $699 +3.65
467–491 value added 477 14 159.00–173.00 $168.92 $806 +13.90
470–498 494 10 152.00–159.00 $157.51 $778 —
507–543 value added 525 16 154.00–164.00 $158.34 $831 -6.66
555–597 580 4 140.00–147.00 $143.78 $834 -1.21
555–590 value added 582 10 153.00–159.50 $156.62 $912 +7.62
602–630 value added 619 12 139.00–145.00 $142.36 $881 -12.44
612–633 623 8 130.00–136.00 $132.73 $827 -1.98
652–670 658 3 133.00–134.00 $133.66 $879 -1.34
660–694 value added 692 19 138.00–139.75 $139.66 $966 +2.23
705–745 727 8 124.00–127.00 $125.14 $910 —
741 value added 741 59 138.00 $138.00 $1,023 +4.85
750–792 764 11 120.00–130.00 $124.99 $955 +1.08
799 value added 799 60 132.25 $132.25 $1,057 —
826 826 66 127.75 $127.75 $1,055 +7.75
835–840 839 4 115.00–117.00 $115.50 $969 -4.50
871–895 873 12 117.00–122.50 $122.03 $1,065 -1.54
1045 1045 2 100.00 $100.00 $1,045 —
1087 1087 2 100.00 $100.00 $1,087 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
652 652 4 128.00 $128.00 $835 —
732 732 5 129.00 $129.00 $944 —
810 810 3 118.00 $118.00 $956 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 138.00 $138.00 $821 —
730 730 1 110.00 $110.00 $803 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–320 318 2 135.00–142.00 $138.53 $441 -0.47
355–380 value added 370 10 142.00–149.00 $147.12 $544 —
370 370 1 139.00 $139.00 $514 -5.66
400–445 value added 435 18 140.00–151.00 $145.86 $634 +6.86
455–496 value added 475 9 134.00–142.00 $137.45 $653 +2.99
480–495 489 4 130.00–132.00 $131.51 $643 —
500–541 value added 522 29 126.00–135.00 $129.89 $678 -0.95
520–548 538 6 119.00–125.00 $122.73 $660 -1.76
551–591 value added 573 19 125.00–132.00 $128.30 $735 -2.61
550–590 575 8 120.00–125.00 $123.40 $710 —
607 607 2 123.00 $123.00 $747 +7.00
607–637 value added 623 7 126.00–128.00 $127.14 $792 —
602–647 635 16 113.00–119.00 $117.90 $749 -2.11
651–665 value added 654 20 123.00–130.50 $128.48 $840 +0.98
651–698 678 12 113.00–120.00 $116.96 $793 -3.05
701–715 704 5 104.00–110.00 $105.22 $741 -6.78
701–730 value added 706 6 115.00–122.00 $120.79 $853 -4.41
707 707 2 110.00 $110.00 $778 -2.00
755–780 770 5 100.00–110.00 $105.57 $813 -7.86
793 793 6 107.00 $107.00 $849 -6.43
806 806 3 109.00 $109.00 $879 -7.00
845 845 2 92.00 $92.00 $777 -24.00
855 855 1 93.00 $93.00 $795 -20.15
890 890 1 104.00 $104.00 $926 +1.00
908–910 908 14 91.00–106.50 $104.42 $948 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 120.00 $120.00 $288 —
265–275 270 2 120.00 $120.00 $324 —
337 337 2 132.00 $132.00 $445 —
405 405 1 120.00 $120.00 $486 —
480–485 483 2 120.00–125.00 $122.49 $592 —
515–540 529 5 100.00–115.00 $105.65 $559 —
580 580 1 114.00 $114.00 $661 —
610–645 628 2 100.00–102.00 $100.97 $634 —
687 687 2 91.00 $91.00 $625 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 124.00 $124.00 $614 —
650 650 2 100.00 $100.00 $650 —
712 712 2 97.00 $97.00 $691 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
567 567 2 105.00 $105.00 $595 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 fancy 295 1 177.50 $177.50 $524 +2.50
310–345 323 6 160.00–166.00 $163.70 $529 —
355–380 363 3 160.00–165.00 $163.37 $593 +10.36
425 425 1 157.00 $157.00 $667 —
440 value added 440 1 160.00 $160.00 $704 —
463 fancy 463 3 174.00 $174.00 $806 —
450–480 468 4 149.00–157.00 $151.56 $709 +7.56
520–535 value added 531 4 155.00–157.00 $156.51 $831 —
510–545 534 7 140.00–153.00 $147.29 $787 —
555–590 573 14 139.00–151.00 $144.66 $829 +0.66
605–625 620 4 120.00–126.00 $123.48 $766 -1.01
610–643 value added 632 9 130.00–138.00 $134.40 $849 —
650 650 2 125.00 $125.00 $812 +3.98
650 value added 650 1 132.00 $132.00 $858 —
700–710 value added 704 8 120.00–125.00 $121.88 $858 —
720–740 729 6 112.00–119.00 $116.66 $850 -2.34
815 815 1 96.00 $96.00 $782 -10.59
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 150.00 $150.00 $488 —
585 585 1 131.00 $131.00 $766 —
730 730 1 107.00 $107.00 $781 —
785 785 1 105.00 $105.00 $824 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 149.00 $149.00 $678 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1480 1233 80-85% 3 46.00–51.00 $47.52 $586 —
1080–1685 1278 80-85% 13 54.00–59.00 $57.46 $734 —
1160–1600 1307 80-85% 8 59.00–65.00 $61.11 $799 -1.50
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1235 1044 85-90% 7 39.00–47.00 $45.18 $472 —
960–1125 1053 85-90% 4 51.00–53.00 $51.53 $543 —
1120–1215 1163 85-90% 3 56.00–59.00 $58.01 $675 +4.01
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1465 1343 75-80% 3 57.00–58.00 $57.64 $774 —
1325–1710 1512 75-80% 9 59.00–66.00 $62.22 $941 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435–1940 1687 3 79.00–90.00 $85.49 $1,442 -5.51
1870–2003 1964 6 92.00–96.00 $94.15 $1,849 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1085 1085 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 69.00 $69.00 $749

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1260–1450 1378 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 775.00–950.00 $863.59
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1235–1340 1273 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 650.00–775.00 $711.67
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1040 1040 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 525.00 $525.00
1130 1130 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 550.00 $550.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
890 890 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 725.00 $725.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 100.00 $100.00 $470 —
576 value added 576 3 115.00 $115.00 $662 —
625 value added 625 7 113.00 $113.00 $706 —
755 755 1 77.00 $77.00 $581 —
875 875 1 87.00 $87.00 $761 —
945 945 1 67.00 $67.00 $633 —

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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.