Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 18, 2022

667 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 $155.61/cwt ≈ $1,272/hd at 817 lb · 132 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $147.65/cwt -6.58 vs last sale · ≈ $1,319/hd at 893 lb · 57 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $145.37/cwt +11.38 vs last sale · ≈ $692/hd at 476 lb · 37 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 667 888 599
Feeder cattle 630 812 537
Slaughter cattle 36 62 56
Replacement cattle 1 14 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers under 550 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows sold steady with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 5.00 higher in a light test.

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
240 240 2 189.00 $189.00 $454 —
290 value added 290 1 192.50 $192.50 $558 —
370–396 value added 390 12 194.00–202.00 $196.15 $765 —
410 value added 410 1 194.00 $194.00 $795 +19.65
450–480 465 2 152.00–159.00 $155.61 $724 +0.60
462–485 value added 473 9 176.00–189.00 $181.29 $858 +15.26
508–510 value added 508 10 169.00–182.00 $179.39 $911 +19.31
505–535 525 7 149.00–161.00 $154.90 $813 +0.49
552–590 value added 579 26 160.00–169.00 $164.57 $953 +2.34
590 590 1 149.00 $149.00 $879 -5.68
603–645 value added 622 8 146.00–151.00 $148.21 $922 -12.99
661–675 664 5 140.00–142.00 $141.59 $940 —
650–681 value added 665 20 143.00–154.00 $150.67 $1,002 +4.07
713–735 value added 717 31 142.00–152.50 $148.44 $1,064 -3.17
733–735 734 4 134.00–137.00 $136.25 $1,000 -2.75
750–761 value added 755 7 146.00–147.00 $146.57 $1,107 -3.95
775 775 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,070 +2.00
812–841 817 70 139.00–155.75 $153.93 $1,258 —
818 fancy 818 62 157.50 $157.50 $1,288 —
855–894 893 57 136.00–147.85 $147.65 $1,319 +14.79
900–925 905 5 132.00–134.00 $132.41 $1,198 -1.59
1115 1115 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,327 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 157.50 $157.50 $378 —
375 375 1 156.00 $156.00 $585 —
432 432 2 152.00 $152.00 $657 —
480 480 1 149.00 $149.00 $715 —
525 525 1 147.00 $147.00 $772 —
585 585 1 146.00 $146.00 $854 —
635 635 1 139.00 $139.00 $883 —
650–676 670 4 138.00 $138.00 $925 +17.00
715 715 1 133.00 $133.00 $951 +5.36
760 760 1 125.00 $125.00 $950 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 1 140.00 $140.00 $903 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
227 227 2 135.00 $135.00 $306 —
255 value added 255 1 162.50 $162.50 $414 —
330 value added 330 2 145.00 $145.00 $478 -12.81
390 390 1 145.00 $145.00 $566 +4.41
365–396 value added 391 6 150.00–152.00 $151.69 $593 —
420 value added 420 4 156.00 $156.00 $655 +8.08
400–440 425 3 132.00–140.00 $136.80 $581 -1.45
450–494 value added 475 21 144.00–154.00 $148.11 $704 —
465–495 478 16 137.00–144.00 $141.78 $678 +7.79
505–538 value added 528 14 141.00–147.00 $144.84 $765 +2.48
542–548 546 5 137.00–139.00 $137.79 $752 +4.07
560–585 569 8 134.00–139.00 $135.36 $770 +1.65
550–598 value added 584 20 139.00–144.00 $142.05 $830 +1.56
600 600 1 125.00 $125.00 $750 —
608–642 value added 623 21 137.00–144.00 $140.82 $877 +5.81
665 665 1 129.00 $129.00 $858 +4.83
655–695 value added 682 3 133.00–137.00 $135.72 $926 +1.46
728 value added 728 7 124.50 $124.50 $906 -15.13
731 731 3 110.00 $110.00 $804 +8.23
767 value added 767 4 138.00 $138.00 $1,058 +17.00
880 value added 880 6 129.50 $129.50 $1,140 —
970 970 1 92.00 $92.00 $892 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 127.50 $127.50 $268 —
310 310 1 130.00 $130.00 $403 +7.00
380 380 1 131.00 $131.00 $498 —
445 445 3 129.00 $129.00 $574 -6.00
480 480 1 125.00 $125.00 $600 -5.00
540 540 1 126.00 $126.00 $680 +1.23
580–595 588 2 125.00–129.00 $127.03 $747 —
687 687 4 119.00 $119.00 $818 —
775 775 1 101.00 $101.00 $783 +3.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 127.00 $127.00 $457 —
645 645 1 128.00 $128.00 $826 —
680 680 1 124.00 $124.00 $843 —
815 815 1 100.00 $100.00 $815 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 value added 290 1 192.00 $192.00 $557 —
370 value added 370 1 188.00 $188.00 $696 —
387 387 9 175.00 $175.00 $677 +16.92
415–430 value added 423 2 184.00–186.00 $184.98 $782 —
430 430 1 165.00 $165.00 $710 —
460 460 1 155.00 $155.00 $713 +1.81
501 value added 501 8 161.00 $161.00 $807 —
510 510 1 151.00 $151.00 $770 +4.61
562–590 571 17 141.00–156.00 $150.02 $857 +3.02
610–630 617 3 129.00–137.00 $134.28 $829 +5.28
670–675 673 4 130.00–134.00 $132.26 $890 +3.56
700–735 724 4 113.00–126.00 $119.81 $867 -2.13
875 875 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,050 +19.49
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272 272 2 162.50 $162.50 $442 —
340 340 1 155.00 $155.00 $527 +12.50
520 520 1 131.00 $131.00 $681 —
585 585 1 133.00 $133.00 $778 -1.24
715 715 1 105.00 $105.00 $751 -6.00
790 790 1 101.00 $101.00 $798 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695 695 1 120.00 $120.00 $834 —
770 770 1 108.00 $108.00 $832 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 127.00 $127.00 $654 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1545 1483 75-80% 3 64.00–66.00 $65.02 $964 +4.02
1300–1655 1491 75-80% 9 69.00–75.00 $71.37 $1,064 +10.37
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1320 1255 80-85% 6 59.00–65.00 $62.91 $790 —
1285–1480 1397 80-85% 3 71.00–74.00 $72.98 $1,020 —
1545 1545 80-85% 1 55.00 $55.00 $850 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1090 1058 85-90% 2 58.00–61.00 $59.45 $629 +4.51
1095–1140 1118 85-90% 3 54.00–57.00 $55.35 $619 —
1015–1440 1218 85-90% 3 39.00–46.00 $43.31 $528 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2315 2315 1 109.00 $109.00 $2,523 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1395 1395 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00

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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.