Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, July 13, 2021

1,871 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $151.64/cwt +21.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,255/hd at 828 lb · 324 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $146.03/cwt +14.71 vs last sale · ≈ $997/hd at 683 lb · 289 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $142.64/cwt +0.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,304/hd at 914 lb · 213 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,871 405 1,202
Feeder cattle 1,828 362 1,166
Slaughter cattle 36 37 32
Replacement cattle 7 6 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Yearlings sold steady with very good demand in a limited comparison with last week's light test. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sold 3.00 to 8.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Yearling heifers limited comparison with last week's light test. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 5.00 higher compared to last Tuesday.

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
360–365 363 2 171.00–178.00 $174.48 $633 —
497 value added 497 9 160.00–166.00 $161.33 $802 -12.94
505–545 value added 525 4 166.00–178.00 $171.77 $902 +8.78
565–596 value added 578 29 166.00–180.00 $176.66 $1,021 +18.95
607–630 609 25 139.00–149.00 $139.94 $852 —
600–646 value added 634 94 158.00–173.00 $168.88 $1,071 +18.95
665–681 675 5 146.00–149.00 $147.82 $998 —
661–694 value added 679 22 152.00–157.00 $154.01 $1,046 —
740 value added 740 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,051 +1.06
759–795 value added 767 91 142.75–156.00 $153.23 $1,175 —
797 797 4 134.00 $134.00 $1,068 -2.00
814–834 thin fleshed 823 131 152.90–153.00 $152.95 $1,259 —
831 fancy 831 193 148.80–151.70 $150.75 $1,253 —
857 thin fleshed 857 65 152.90 $152.90 $1,310 —
882 882 58 144.25 $144.25 $1,272 —
905 thin fleshed 905 110 143.95 $143.95 $1,303 —
905 905 45 123.00–141.00 $140.60 $1,272 +8.41
938 fancy 938 58 141.75 $141.75 $1,330 -2.20
953 thin fleshed 953 55 142.90 $142.90 $1,362 —
954–969 fancy 961 112 142.25–143.95 $143.08 $1,375 —
1015–1030 1019 4 118.00–121.00 $120.24 $1,225 —
1027 fancy 1027 56 137.00 $137.00 $1,407 -0.95
1055 1055 3 110.00–119.00 $116.00 $1,224 —
1140 1140 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,277 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 147.00 $147.00 $728 —
540 540 2 131.00 $131.00 $707 —
745 745 1 131.00 $131.00 $976 —
825 825 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,072 —
875 875 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,138 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700 700 1 121.00 $121.00 $847 —
915 915 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,098 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 fancy 340 2 160.00 $160.00 $544 —
370 370 1 144.00 $144.00 $533 —
381 value added 381 3 152.00 $152.00 $579 —
450 450 1 147.00 $147.00 $662 +13.55
461–480 value added 469 5 150.00 $150.00 $704 —
500–545 value added 519 9 139.00–150.00 $146.19 $759 +2.47
565 565 2 137.00 $137.00 $774 —
560–598 value added 595 100 139.00–154.00 $150.94 $898 +8.87
600 600 2 131.00 $131.00 $786 +8.00
601 601 36 160.50 $160.50 $965 +37.50
600–646 value added 635 22 135.00–149.00 $145.06 $921 -2.94
670–675 673 3 124.00–125.00 $124.33 $837 -6.99
662–699 value added 683 286 133.00–152.00 $146.26 $999 —
725 725 1 129.00 $129.00 $935 +11.00
753–770 value added 768 69 134.00–140.00 $137.71 $1,058 —
780 780 1 123.00 $123.00 $959 —
838 fancy 838 26 132.50 $132.50 $1,110 —
950 950 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,036 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 120.00 $120.00 $426 —
535 535 1 123.00 $123.00 $658 —
765–795 778 4 108.00–117.00 $111.46 $867 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–445 value added 437 3 160.00–169.00 $162.89 $712 —
480 480 1 155.00 $155.00 $744 +4.00
515–535 525 2 152.00–157.00 $154.45 $811 +5.00
600 value added 600 3 154.00 $154.00 $924 —
605 605 1 134.00 $134.00 $811 —
672–680 value added 675 6 150.00–151.00 $150.66 $1,017 +9.66
725–735 732 3 125.00–129.00 $126.32 $925 —
875 875 1 112.00 $112.00 $980 +1.50
900–935 923 3 100.00–119.00 $112.83 $1,041 —
980 980 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,000 -4.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 153.00 $153.00 $597 —
410 410 1 149.00 $149.00 $611 —
465 465 1 142.00 $142.00 $660 —
625 625 1 149.00 $149.00 $931 —
672–675 673 3 126.00–127.00 $126.67 $852 —
735 735 1 118.00 $118.00 $867 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295 1295 75-80% 1 68.00 $68.00 $881 —
1245–1555 1371 75-80% 7 69.00–74.00 $72.05 $988 —
1260–1450 1384 75-80% 4 75.00–79.00 $77.03 $1,066 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 80-85% 1 70.00 $70.00 $784 —
1155–1280 1218 80-85% 2 59.00–67.00 $62.79 $765 -5.51
1195–1355 1275 80-85% 4 75.00–78.00 $76.52 $976 +5.54
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920 920 85-90% 1 61.00 $61.00 $561 —
1065 1065 85-90% 1 70.00 $70.00 $746 +11.18

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1610–2195 1896 4 102.00–116.00 $109.75 $2,081 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
780 780 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 82.50 $82.50 $644
990 990 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 82.00 $82.00 $812
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1125 1125 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 75.00 $75.00 $844

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1085 1085 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 925.00 $925.00
1145–1165 1153 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 925.00–1,125.00 $1,041.98

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 725 1 90.00 $90.00 $652 —
852 852 2 101.00 $101.00 $861 —
1040 1040 1 89.00 $89.00 $926 —

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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.