Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 6, 2021

1,531 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $135.11/cwt +3.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,184/hd at 876 lb · 251 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $143.81/cwt +0.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,112/hd at 773 lb · 174 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $135.95/cwt +14.95 vs last sale · ≈ $917/hd at 675 lb · 129 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,531 785 599
Feeder cattle 1,380 673 537
Slaughter cattle 139 94 57
Replacement cattle 12 18 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers over 550 lbs sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with very good demand for thin-fleshed weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for thin-fleshed weaned packages. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls lightly tested.

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
335–345 338 4 175.00–182.00 $176.79 $598 —
350–385 371 7 169.00–181.00 $175.77 $652 +4.26
397 value added 397 2 178.00 $178.00 $707 -16.10
405–443 value added 427 17 161.00–180.00 $175.34 $749 +1.64
440 440 1 159.00 $159.00 $700 +4.00
457–495 value added 481 35 165.00–182.00 $176.29 $848 —
470–495 486 6 158.00–159.00 $158.33 $769 —
505–530 512 5 152.00–155.00 $153.01 $783 —
525–527 value added 526 6 160.00–165.00 $162.67 $856 -0.36
557–587 value added 563 19 161.00–179.00 $170.57 $960 —
568 568 4 155.00 $155.00 $880 +7.36
611–635 620 6 141.00–148.00 $146.13 $906 +9.12
612–641 value added 629 31 148.00–164.00 $158.68 $998 +8.21
655–696 value added 672 53 147.00–155.00 $150.61 $1,012 +4.34
673–695 682 6 136.00–145.00 $141.96 $968 +3.96
700–743 value added 711 66 134.00–155.00 $149.72 $1,065 +0.33
713–740 720 8 129.00–130.00 $129.26 $931 +3.46
761–787 value added 773 168 141.75–148.20 $144.32 $1,116 +0.84
775–785 778 6 129.00–131.00 $129.67 $1,009 +4.20
810–845 836 9 123.00–131.00 $128.39 $1,073 +9.39
836–842 fancy 842 54 135.20–137.50 $135.33 $1,139 +2.33
867–881 fancy 876 250 134.00–136.95 $135.14 $1,184 +2.39
880 880 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,126 +6.00
907 907 2 121.00 $121.00 $1,097 +3.00
984 fancy 984 60 125.00 $125.00 $1,230 —
1012 1012 2 112.00 $112.00 $1,133 —
1107 1107 4 108.00 $108.00 $1,196 —
1265 1265 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,341 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 value added 565 1 159.00 $159.00 $898 —
600 600 1 129.00 $129.00 $774 —
727 727 2 123.00 $123.00 $894 —
775–795 785 2 118.00–125.00 $121.54 $954 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 1 145.00 $145.00 $805 —
600 600 1 119.00 $119.00 $714 —
670 670 1 130.00 $130.00 $871 —
960 960 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,008 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
262 262 2 140.00 $140.00 $367 —
300–317 value added 311 3 147.00–158.00 $154.47 $480 -1.52
340 340 1 145.00 $145.00 $493 +5.00
360–370 365 3 135.00–140.00 $138.02 $504 —
360–390 value added 378 8 141.00–151.00 $143.35 $542 -9.92
400–441 value added 417 23 143.00–154.00 $149.57 $624 +9.57
417 417 2 137.00 $137.00 $571 +3.56
450–480 471 6 134.00–138.00 $135.65 $639 +10.65
455–497 value added 481 18 139.00–149.00 $144.29 $694 +4.79
500–517 507 10 136.00–137.00 $136.59 $693 —
500–545 value added 519 30 138.00–146.00 $142.00 $737 +4.47
566–590 value added 579 19 138.00–140.00 $139.47 $808 +4.26
560–590 580 3 134.00–135.00 $134.32 $779 +10.29
608–611 value added 610 10 128.00–135.00 $131.51 $802 -0.75
615–630 623 2 119.00–121.00 $120.01 $748 +5.35
670–676 672 8 123.00–124.50 $123.93 $833 +2.93
664–695 value added 674 112 132.50–140.00 $138.21 $932 —
667–697 685 9 117.00–121.00 $118.44 $811 -2.56
710–730 720 2 101.00–105.00 $102.97 $741 -10.69
730 value added 730 18 125.75 $125.75 $918 -3.63
748 748 3 118.00 $118.00 $883 +4.34
760 760 1 118.00 $118.00 $897 -6.00
780 780 2 105.00 $105.00 $819 -19.00
812 fancy 812 63 126.00 $126.00 $1,023 —
900 900 1 95.00 $95.00 $855 —
900 900 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,008 —
960–965 963 2 110.00–111.00 $110.50 $1,064 +6.50
1040 1040 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,009 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–330 328 2 135.00 $135.00 $443 +7.00
487 487 2 124.00 $124.00 $604 —
500 500 1 121.00 $121.00 $605 —
620–640 630 2 105.00–115.00 $110.08 $694 +15.08
695 695 1 95.00 $95.00 $660 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780 780 1 101.00 $101.00 $788 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 164.00 $164.00 $648 —
470–490 483 4 149.00–155.00 $152.02 $734 +3.54
520–541 value added 527 13 155.00–157.00 $156.22 $823 —
500–547 533 7 141.00–149.00 $145.53 $776 -0.40
545 fancy 545 3 156.00 $156.00 $850 —
550–560 553 3 144.00–151.00 $148.64 $822 —
551–572 value added 559 5 156.00–157.00 $156.41 $874 +2.41
630–646 value added 645 12 132.00–141.00 $138.58 $894 —
650–677 668 3 125.00–127.00 $126.35 $844 —
675–690 value added 686 4 129.00–134.00 $132.50 $909 +2.39
700–722 value added 714 18 125.00–133.00 $128.79 $920 -3.21
705–745 727 3 115.00–124.00 $118.25 $860 -3.75
763–770 value added 764 7 121.00–128.00 $126.99 $970 —
770 770 1 104.00 $104.00 $801 -10.00
880–890 885 2 90.00–107.00 $98.55 $872 —
920–945 937 3 91.00–92.00 $91.67 $859 —
960 960 2 104.00 $104.00 $998 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 150.00 $150.00 $398 —
315 315 1 142.00 $142.00 $447 —
420 420 1 141.00 $141.00 $592 —
480 480 1 137.00 $137.00 $658 +10.00
540 540 1 139.00 $139.00 $751 +5.31
570–580 575 2 130.00–137.00 $133.53 $768 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 130.00 $130.00 $624 —
560 560 1 130.00 $130.00 $728 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1310 1135 80-85% 4 61.00–65.00 $63.07 $716 —
1060–1355 1234 80-85% 4 53.00–59.00 $55.87 $689 —
1125–1485 1275 80-85% 31 66.00–75.00 $69.82 $890 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1860 1524 75-80% 27 66.00–75.00 $70.62 $1,076 —
1615–1665 1640 75-80% 2 65.00 $65.00 $1,066 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–1240 998 85-90% 11 45.00–57.00 $53.24 $531 —
950–1205 1053 85-90% 6 58.00–62.00 $59.74 $629 +6.32
930–1330 1080 85-90% 9 64.00–67.00 $65.59 $708 +12.17

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1565 1453 2 83.00–86.00 $84.62 $1,230 —
1475–2125 1761 7 93.00–99.00 $96.12 $1,693 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1025–1045 1035 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 800.00–980.00 $890.87
1415 1415 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100 1100 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1045 1045 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
845 845 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00

↑ Back to top

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.