Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 11, 2021

712 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 $130.79/cwt ≈ $1,154/hd at 883 lb · 61 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $144.71/cwt +4.71 vs last sale · ≈ $906/hd at 626 lb · 52 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $127.10/cwt ≈ $798/hd at 628 lb · 47 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 712 158 708
Feeder cattle 567 113 589
Slaughter cattle 124 40 99
Replacement cattle 21 5 20

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher with good demand on a good through attractive quality offering. Slaughter cows sold steady with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 higher with 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
355 355 1 158.00 $158.00 $561 -2.00
410 410 1 154.00 $154.00 $631 -1.00
425 value added 425 1 158.00 $158.00 $672 -2.00
455–487 value added 474 4 157.00–162.00 $158.20 $750 —
470–478 476 4 150.00–156.00 $154.52 $736 +5.52
522 522 2 146.00 $146.00 $762 +1.52
522–537 value added 530 7 150.00–157.00 $154.01 $816 —
550–590 570 2 142.00–149.00 $145.62 $830 -1.41
550–594 value added 584 24 151.00–159.00 $155.36 $907 +9.36
600–636 value added 625 48 137.00–154.00 $145.56 $910 +0.56
640 640 4 134.50 $134.50 $861 +4.50
663 value added 663 8 137.00 $137.00 $908 -0.13
700–740 value added 718 37 126.00–144.00 $136.45 $980 +4.12
745 745 1 121.00 $121.00 $901 —
751–760 value added 752 8 129.00–130.00 $129.13 $971 —
812–835 825 6 121.00–128.00 $124.30 $1,025 —
860 860 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,015 —
883 fancy 883 60 131.00 $131.00 $1,157 —
900 900 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,035 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855 855 2 114.00 $114.00 $975 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875 875 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,006 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,174 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 328 3 136.00–144.00 $140.43 $461 —
395 395 2 133.00–137.00 $135.00 $533 —
417 417 2 135.00 $135.00 $563 +4.36
410–439 value added 431 7 134.00–144.00 $141.54 $610 —
455–486 value added 474 12 137.00–148.00 $143.38 $680 —
463–495 477 7 132.00–137.00 $134.46 $641 +0.46
500–535 value added 515 30 136.50–145.00 $141.21 $727 +6.19
505–545 531 11 131.00–134.00 $133.29 $708 +4.43
555–598 value added 585 36 134.00–149.00 $140.72 $823 —
580–595 585 3 123.00–132.00 $128.01 $749 +2.35
605–645 625 2 109.00–120.00 $114.32 $714 —
602–649 value added 628 45 121.00–135.00 $127.67 $802 —
657–695 672 7 114.00–128.00 $120.23 $808 +2.73
675–684 value added 677 37 128.00–132.00 $131.24 $888 —
707 707 2 109.00 $109.00 $771 +8.00
765–785 772 14 104.00–115.00 $108.84 $840 —
802 value added 802 10 113.00 $113.00 $906 —
815–825 820 2 100.00–103.00 $101.51 $832 —
900 900 1 94.00 $94.00 $846 -15.00
945 945 1 102.00 $102.00 $964 -7.00
1035 1035 1 99.00 $99.00 $1,025 -1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 128.00 $128.00 $378 —
315 315 1 122.00 $122.00 $384 —
380–395 390 3 125.00–130.00 $126.69 $494 —
400 400 1 125.00 $125.00 $500 —
490 490 1 125.00 $125.00 $612 —
575 575 1 117.00 $117.00 $673 —
800 800 1 90.00 $90.00 $720 —
870 870 1 90.00 $90.00 $783 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 value added 448 3 139.00 $139.00 $623 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
582 582 2 102.00 $102.00 $594 -19.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 110.00 $110.00 $517 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 150.00 $150.00 $472 -5.53
375 375 1 158.00 $158.00 $592 +8.00
410 410 1 140.00 $140.00 $574 —
450–495 value added 465 3 152.00–153.00 $152.65 $710 —
500–523 value added 509 8 152.50–154.00 $153.08 $779 —
505–545 528 4 144.00–154.00 $147.50 $779 +8.73
555–575 566 7 136.00–147.00 $140.65 $796 —
615 value added 615 3 133.00 $133.00 $818 +1.00
645 645 2 119.00–126.00 $122.50 $790 —
665 value added 665 1 133.00 $133.00 $884 —
650–685 668 6 118.00–126.00 $121.13 $809 —
700–720 707 15 111.00–122.00 $112.87 $798 -1.13
765–785 775 2 103.00–104.00 $103.51 $802 —
808–830 815 7 98.00–113.00 $105.70 $861 —
860 860 1 90.00 $90.00 $774 —
917 917 2 93.00 $93.00 $853 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
578 578 3 123.00 $123.00 $711 —
685 685 2 111.00 $111.00 $760 —
785 785 1 94.00 $94.00 $738 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 130.00 $130.00 $559 —
585 585 1 123.00 $123.00 $720 —
755 755 1 99.00 $99.00 $747 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 101.00 $101.00 $470 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115 1115 80-85% 1 55.00 $55.00 $613 —
1025–1495 1312 80-85% 7 60.00–65.00 $63.22 $829 +7.22
1265–1620 1380 80-85% 7 66.00–70.00 $67.52 $932 +1.09
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1545 1373 75-80% 6 62.00–65.00 $63.70 $875 +0.85
1570–1845 1697 75-80% 7 65.00–74.00 $68.15 $1,157 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1035 977 85-90% 3 44.00–47.00 $45.94 $449 —
1025–1030 1028 85-90% 2 55.00–61.00 $57.99 $596 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1650 1351 4 82.00–95.00 $88.54 $1,196 —
1375 1375 1 73.00 $73.00 $1,004 —
1595–2255 1894 9 95.00–105.00 $99.54 $1,885 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960–985 973 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 65.00–84.00 $74.62 $726
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
995 995 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 60.00 $60.00 $597

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1215–1730 1433 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 1,050.00–1,500.00 $1,266.48 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1425–1470 1448 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,000.00 $1,000.00 —

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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.