Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 7, 2021

1,455 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 $162.55/cwt +5.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,265/hd at 778 lb · 255 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $152.85/cwt -4.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,020/hd at 667 lb · 204 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $155.83/cwt -2.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,111/hd at 713 lb · 137 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,455 2,237 2,169
Feeder cattle 1,319 2,125 2,073
Slaughter cattle 86 99 90
Replacement cattle 50 13 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers unevenly steady with very good demand for 4-weight weaned packages. Yearling steers 3.00 to 4.00 higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers steady to 2.00 higher on 4-weight weaned packages. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 higher.

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 1 160.00 $160.00 $496 —
305–330 fancy 318 2 170.00–180.00 $174.80 $556 —
395 395 1 166.00 $166.00 $656 —
410 value added 410 1 164.00 $164.00 $672 -1.00
450–467 value added 462 17 160.00–179.00 $171.65 $793 +6.81
472–498 488 5 155.00–157.00 $156.23 $762 +0.81
500–535 value added 514 21 154.00–163.00 $157.09 $807 -10.68
545–547 547 5 143.00–154.00 $150.61 $824 +0.68
558–595 580 12 144.00–154.00 $149.96 $870 +1.26
600–625 612 17 136.00–139.50 $137.61 $842 -1.22
600–645 value added 624 40 142.00–154.50 $149.27 $931 -2.77
650–665 652 29 135.00–140.00 $139.30 $908 -2.08
650–685 value added 670 175 144.00–162.00 $155.09 $1,039 -3.54
703–749 value added 711 117 140.00–164.25 $159.48 $1,134 +0.71
705–748 724 20 131.00–139.00 $134.47 $974 -1.53
772–780 value added 778 251 161.00–166.30 $162.97 $1,268 +4.53
785–790 788 4 134.00–139.00 $136.49 $1,076 -5.51
800–801 800 12 137.00–140.00 $138.75 $1,110 —
831 fancy 831 64 164.00 $164.00 $1,363 +3.75
870 870 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,114 —
852–891 878 6 134.00–135.00 $134.32 $1,179 —
966 fancy 966 16 146.00 $146.00 $1,410 -6.10
970–986 982 4 126.00–137.00 $134.28 $1,319 —
1000 1000 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,140 -18.00
1180 1180 2 110.00 $110.00 $1,298 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–465 463 2 133.00–144.00 $138.53 $641 —
535 535 1 138.00 $138.00 $738 —
567–595 576 3 137.00–139.00 $137.69 $793 —
600–645 615 3 129.00–131.00 $129.70 $798 —
680–695 691 4 131.00 $131.00 $905 -1.92
722 722 2 119.00 $119.00 $859 —
775 775 1 120.00 $120.00 $930 —
805–845 818 3 119.00–124.00 $120.72 $987 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 value added 550 2 153.00 $153.00 $842 —
595 595 2 134.00 $134.00 $797 —
735 735 1 120.00 $120.00 $882 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 115.00 $115.00 $535 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–390 382 5 137.00–138.00 $137.19 $524 +3.19
382–385 fancy 383 3 142.00–145.00 $143.99 $551 —
418–445 value added 430 13 142.00–146.00 $143.15 $616 -6.85
420–447 440 4 132.00–137.00 $134.79 $593 +2.58
455–495 value added 474 9 136.00–144.00 $138.45 $656 +4.63
450–493 484 7 130.00–135.00 $132.82 $643 +4.95
508–543 value added 526 42 127.00–142.00 $132.49 $697 +0.70
560–593 value added 574 11 127.00–130.00 $128.71 $739 -17.34
565–595 588 4 115.00–125.00 $119.00 $700 -4.60
605–641 value added 629 46 127.00–136.00 $131.08 $824 -14.08
620–647 634 4 120.00–122.00 $121.02 $767 -7.91
653 value added 653 6 134.50 $134.50 $878 -14.67
660–695 671 5 114.00–127.00 $119.07 $799 -8.08
713–736 value added 725 14 129.00–148.00 $137.48 $997 +8.48
722–745 730 5 107.00–120.00 $112.42 $821 +2.75
752–755 753 5 109.00–116.00 $110.40 $831 —
842 842 2 118.00 $118.00 $994 —
924 value added 924 14 121.50 $121.50 $1,123 —
971 971 3 111.00 $111.00 $1,078 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 2 110.00–117.00 $113.50 $499 —
493 493 3 110.00 $110.00 $542 -9.22
527–546 538 7 109.00–120.00 $112.92 $608 +6.61
622–640 628 3 101.00–106.00 $104.30 $655 -10.31
755 755 1 94.00 $94.00 $710 —
930 930 2 86.00 $86.00 $800 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 2 159.00 $159.00 $620 +4.00
463 value added 463 6 167.00 $167.00 $773 —
475 475 2 138.00 $138.00 $656 -15.66
501–540 510 8 133.00–136.00 $134.87 $688 -10.33
545 fancy 545 1 152.00 $152.00 $828 —
585–596 593 9 131.00–144.00 $139.67 $828 -0.40
610–647 632 18 122.00–133.00 $126.09 $797 —
650–690 669 10 123.00–136.00 $130.94 $876 +5.14
710–745 725 3 114.00–123.00 $117.74 $854 -2.26
755–792 775 4 110.00–119.00 $115.26 $893 -2.42
835 835 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,010 +4.61
1000 1000 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,090 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 3 120.00 $120.00 $360 —
485 485 1 113.00 $113.00 $548 -2.00
510 510 1 107.00 $107.00 $546 -13.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 130.00 $130.00 $358 ±0.00
440 440 1 128.00 $128.00 $563 +7.00
575 575 1 123.00 $123.00 $707 -3.24
620 620 1 120.00 $120.00 $744 +8.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1490 1490 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1625 1238 80-85% 13 59.00–66.00 $62.33 $772 —
1325–1330 1328 80-85% 2 52.00 $52.00 $691 +3.33
1170–1770 1412 80-85% 9 54.00–58.00 $56.65 $800 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1665 1410 75-80% 12 53.00–59.00 $56.10 $791 —
1380–1885 1584 75-80% 10 59.00–65.00 $62.68 $993 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1070 960 85-90% 4 39.00–48.00 $42.33 $406 —
870–1265 1029 85-90% 4 55.00–59.00 $56.84 $585 +8.84
1085 1085 85-90% 1 49.00 $49.00 $532 +5.78

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 1 76.00 $76.00 $897 +1.08
1320–2270 1836 4 87.00–91.00 $88.95 $1,633 -9.16
1745–2310 1915 4 94.00–103.00 $97.98 $1,876 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1205–1380 1293 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 830.00–860.00 $846.02
1475–1810 1609 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 8 850.00–1,080.00 $918.94
1670–1715 1688 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 900.00–1,000.00 $940.45
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1275 1275 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1545–1890 1739 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 1,100.00–1,360.00 $1,250.26 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1385–1587 1497 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 820.00–1,000.00 $923.93 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
885 885 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 700.00 $700.00 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
854 thin fleshed 854 101 110.25 $110.25 $942 —

↑ 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.