Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 7, 2021

1,625 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $148.57/cwt +3.55 vs last sale · ≈ $950/hd at 640 lb · 182 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $156.41/cwt ≈ $1,188/hd at 760 lb · 180 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $129.90/cwt ≈ $1,267/hd at 975 lb · 145 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,625 653 529
Feeder cattle 1,508 629 425
Slaughter cattle 102 21 56
Replacement cattle 15 3 48

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold mostly steady with good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady with good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 lower with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
442 value added 442 2 160.00 $160.00 $707 —
445 445 1 150.00 $150.00 $668 -4.00
466–495 value added 473 4 164.00–168.00 $166.95 $790 +4.91
495 495 1 157.00 $157.00 $777 —
516–545 value added 539 14 158.00–159.00 $158.21 $853 +1.72
545 545 12 153.00–158.00 $157.58 $859 +3.58
551–571 561 8 146.00–153.00 $149.44 $838 -0.56
602–616 611 6 142.00–144.00 $143.66 $878 —
607–646 value added 641 50 145.00–158.50 $157.11 $1,007 +4.20
655–680 value added 662 20 146.00–155.00 $153.01 $1,013 -6.49
656–682 675 19 141.00–145.00 $143.88 $971 +1.88
700–725 value added 711 38 149.50–154.50 $151.47 $1,077 —
717–741 739 21 135.00–137.00 $136.82 $1,011 —
758 thin fleshed 758 167 158.00 $158.00 $1,198 —
755–795 781 13 135.00–138.00 $136.01 $1,062 —
800–825 806 15 138.00–142.00 $140.74 $1,134 —
895 thin fleshed 895 41 141.75 $141.75 $1,269 —
902 902 2 138.00 $138.00 $1,245 —
935 fancy 935 55 145.00 $145.00 $1,356 —
986 986 4 126.50 $126.50 $1,247 —
1040 1040 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,248 +21.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 143.00 $143.00 $593 —
570–590 580 2 133.00–136.00 $134.53 $780 —
600–640 621 7 120.00–136.00 $129.13 $802 -0.87
715 715 1 125.00 $125.00 $894 —
870 870 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,131 —
915 915 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,098 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 135.00 $135.00 $824 —
725 725 1 131.00 $131.00 $950 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–338 335 5 141.00–143.00 $142.61 $478 —
352–370 361 4 131.00–140.00 $135.39 $489 —
402–420 408 3 138.00–139.00 $138.66 $566 —
415–447 value added 434 12 140.00–145.00 $142.10 $617 -5.90
475 475 1 135.00 $135.00 $641 -5.03
450–490 value added 478 25 141.00–151.00 $146.49 $700 +1.15
501–537 515 19 133.00–138.00 $135.63 $698 —
550–590 value added 565 132 139.00–154.75 $150.85 $852 +7.11
562–590 574 9 135.00–139.00 $137.41 $789 +3.41
600–645 625 9 130.00–135.00 $133.65 $835 -0.69
600–645 631 8 121.00–128.00 $125.04 $789 -9.30
640–648 value added 641 165 140.00–151.25 $150.52 $965 +3.73
661–665 value added 662 82 140.00–155.75 $153.24 $1,014 +0.02
667–670 668 3 129.00–130.00 $129.67 $866 -5.33
700–736 720 13 126.00–128.00 $126.31 $909 —
720–735 728 2 111.00–119.00 $114.96 $837 —
756–775 761 4 115.00–120.00 $118.73 $904 —
765 765 1 121.00 $121.00 $926 —
777 value added 777 76 139.40 $139.40 $1,083 —
800 800 1 121.00 $121.00 $968 —
802 thin fleshed 802 60 141.90 $141.90 $1,138 —
810–830 825 4 112.00–123.00 $120.30 $992 —
886 886 6 115.00 $115.00 $1,019 —
886 fancy 886 19 135.25 $135.25 $1,198 —
902–936 930 9 111.00–112.50 $112.28 $1,044 +15.28
963–980 975 145 127.75–130.70 $129.90 $1,267 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 115.00 $115.00 $305 —
475–495 487 3 125.00–138.00 $130.25 $634 +7.25
522 522 2 131.00 $131.00 $684 —
555–556 556 5 130.00–133.00 $131.80 $733 —
605–635 625 4 100.00–118.00 $106.90 $668 -12.10
670 670 1 117.00 $117.00 $784 ±0.00
715–745 725 3 113.00–115.00 $113.99 $826 +0.99
780–785 783 2 104.00–111.00 $107.49 $842 —
838 838 3 85.00 $85.00 $712 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
792 792 2 92.00 $92.00 $729 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–395 368 3 154.00–155.00 $154.64 $569 —
405–430 418 2 143.00–154.00 $148.66 $621 -4.34
466 fancy 466 3 161.00 $161.00 $750 —
485 485 1 151.00 $151.00 $732 —
517 fancy 517 4 158.00 $158.00 $817 +2.71
530–545 536 7 142.00–151.00 $146.42 $785 +11.42
555–593 579 7 142.00–149.00 $146.61 $849 —
600–645 606 7 134.00–138.00 $135.70 $822 —
655–690 671 4 132.00–139.00 $136.69 $917 —
704–720 708 13 129.00–136.00 $134.36 $951 —
755–791 772 11 120.00–128.00 $123.88 $956 —
810–830 820 2 98.00–108.00 $103.06 $845 -0.94
850–875 863 2 95.00–97.00 $96.01 $829 —
910–920 913 3 81.00–84.00 $82.01 $749 —
975 975 1 99.00 $99.00 $965 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 335 4 140.00–144.00 $141.68 $475 —
360–387 374 4 136.00–140.00 $138.07 $516 —
411–425 415 4 130.00–140.00 $137.44 $570 +0.19
455 455 1 134.00 $134.00 $610 —
500–507 505 3 133.00–136.00 $133.99 $677 —
760–790 780 3 103.00–110.00 $106.96 $834 +11.96
870 870 2 85.00–87.00 $86.00 $748 —
985 985 1 80.00 $80.00 $788 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760 760 1 119.00 $119.00 $904 —
877 877 2 99.00 $99.00 $868 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 123.00 $123.00 $400 —
540 540 1 100.00 $100.00 $540 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1375 1182 80-85% 6 56.00–62.00 $58.66 $693 —
985–1430 1203 80-85% 24 63.00–69.00 $65.96 $793 —
1230–1440 1333 80-85% 7 70.00–74.00 $72.02 $960 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1295 1005 85-90% 8 42.00–59.00 $54.22 $545 -7.17
820–1295 1035 85-90% 10 60.00–65.00 $62.73 $649 +1.34
1030–1215 1123 85-90% 2 66.00 $66.00 $741 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1585 1419 75-80% 9 70.00–76.00 $71.84 $1,019 —
1150–1635 1473 75-80% 8 65.00–68.00 $66.67 $982 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540 1540 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,155 —
1315–2160 1653 19 96.00–106.00 $100.40 $1,660 —
1370–2495 1828 4 88.00–93.00 $91.38 $1,670 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1155 1155 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1265 1265 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 810.00 $810.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
810 810 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00

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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
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1250–1255 1253 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 880.00–1,050.00 $965.17 —

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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.