Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 5, 2022

815 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 $151.94/cwt ≈ $1,157/hd at 762 lb · 97 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $143.50/cwt -2.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,052/hd at 733 lb · 78 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $166.49/cwt +4.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,017/hd at 611 lb · 46 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 815 897 1,531
Feeder cattle 765 801 1,380
Slaughter cattle 48 86 139
Replacement cattle 2 10 12

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers under 500 lbs steady; 500-700 lbs sold 3.00 higher. Very good demand for weaned thin-fleshed packages. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady with good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady with very 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
283 283 3 179.00 $179.00 $507 —
340 340 1 177.00 $177.00 $602 -3.68
360 360 1 180.00 $180.00 $648 +10.00
385–386 value added 386 4 191.00–192.00 $191.75 $740 —
412–447 value added 428 14 177.00–192.00 $183.92 $787 -4.87
452–455 454 4 172.00–173.00 $172.50 $783 +6.05
450–495 value added 475 29 175.00–190.00 $184.94 $878 -4.57
515–540 528 2 160.00–164.00 $162.05 $856 +3.05
504–545 value added 531 31 175.00–189.00 $183.33 $973 +3.33
553–590 569 7 154.00–162.00 $157.33 $895 -1.17
550–599 value added 574 27 172.00–180.00 $177.07 $1,016 -2.35
600–630 value added 610 39 160.00–176.00 $171.06 $1,043 +3.64
615 615 7 141.00 $141.00 $867 -7.97
650 650 1 150.00 $150.00 $975 —
652–685 value added 660 25 156.00–167.50 $163.75 $1,081 -2.25
706–726 716 9 143.50–145.00 $144.12 $1,032 —
700–740 value added 721 13 145.00–154.00 $148.70 $1,072 +8.70
750 750 2 143.00 $143.00 $1,072 —
755–792 value added 762 95 144.00–152.95 $152.13 $1,159 —
812 value added 812 17 149.00 $149.00 $1,210 —
810–839 835 12 142.00–145.00 $144.34 $1,205 +4.34
920–930 925 2 129.00 $129.00 $1,193 -0.75
955 955 2 134.00 $134.00 $1,280 +4.00
1070 1070 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,359 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
872 872 4 137.00 $137.00 $1,195 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 141.00 $141.00 $747 -1.00
745 745 1 130.00 $130.00 $968 —
825 825 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,081 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 150.00 $150.00 $390 —
326 326 4 158.00 $158.00 $515 —
341 value added 341 3 174.00 $174.00 $593 —
365 365 1 152.00 $152.00 $555 —
350–392 value added 368 10 161.00–171.00 $164.23 $604 -8.47
435 435 1 146.00 $146.00 $635 —
415–443 value added 437 20 153.00–162.00 $157.42 $688 -3.38
451–485 value added 465 22 151.00–157.00 $153.71 $715 +1.60
478–480 479 4 140.00–141.00 $140.25 $672 -4.25
500–547 value added 514 13 146.00–153.00 $150.35 $773 -0.29
520 520 1 144.00 $144.00 $749 +4.34
552–595 value added 571 33 145.00–150.00 $147.68 $843 -9.41
600–615 608 3 133.00–134.00 $133.66 $813 +2.35
602–649 value added 627 37 141.00–146.00 $144.67 $907 +3.79
670–695 value added 680 19 136.00–145.00 $142.57 $969 -9.50
707–740 value added 733 78 136.00–143.75 $143.50 $1,052 -2.45
755–762 value added 761 19 134.00–135.00 $134.90 $1,027 —
815 815 2 114.00 $114.00 $929 -16.00
830 830 1 118.00 $118.00 $979 -12.00
910 910 1 116.00 $116.00 $1,056 -4.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
598 598 3 135.00 $135.00 $807 —
684 684 5 129.00 $129.00 $882 —
746 746 5 123.00 $123.00 $918 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 134.00 $134.00 $436 —
395 395 1 149.00 $149.00 $589 —
400–410 405 2 129.00–132.00 $130.48 $528 —
540 540 1 135.00 $135.00 $729 —
555–575 567 3 116.00–132.00 $125.28 $710 -7.68
625–632 630 3 115.00–125.00 $121.69 $767 +9.69
675–685 680 2 107.00–119.00 $112.96 $768 -1.07
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 125.00 $125.00 $369 —
425 425 1 121.00 $121.00 $514 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 2 182.00 $182.00 $519 —
365–390 373 3 173.00–185.00 $180.82 $674 —
420 420 1 158.00 $158.00 $664 —
430–437 value added 435 3 171.00–174.00 $173.01 $753 —
460 460 1 160.00 $160.00 $736 +9.00
478–497 value added 486 5 175.00–178.00 $176.77 $859 -0.23
545 thin fleshed 545 6 173.50 $173.50 $946 —
545 545 1 153.00 $153.00 $834 +4.00
560 560 1 150.00 $150.00 $840 -5.21
570–585 value added 579 5 157.00–171.00 $165.49 $958 -1.10
620 thin fleshed 620 3 164.00 $164.00 $1,017 +8.56
610–645 value added 635 5 145.00–154.00 $150.36 $955 —
657 thin fleshed 657 4 161.00 $161.00 $1,058 —
661–690 671 5 130.00–149.00 $144.68 $971 —
706–745 value added 715 8 136.00–150.00 $144.47 $1,033 —
725 725 1 128.00 $128.00 $928 -2.48
806 806 3 134.00 $134.00 $1,080 —
960 960 1 90.00 $90.00 $864 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–320 318 2 140.00–150.00 $144.96 $461 -12.54
355 355 1 147.00 $147.00 $522 -10.50
495 495 1 140.00 $140.00 $693 ±0.00
520–525 523 2 140.00 $140.00 $732 —
555–575 565 2 133.00–141.00 $136.93 $774 +0.04
650 650 1 127.00 $127.00 $826 -3.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685 685 1 140.00 $140.00 $959 —
735 735 1 134.00 $134.00 $985 —
935 935 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,131 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185 1185 80-85% 1 73.00 $73.00 $865 —
1210 1210 80-85% 1 83.00 $83.00 $1,004 —
1005–1785 1335 80-85% 12 85.00–94.00 $88.27 $1,178 -2.75
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1520 1409 75-80% 4 76.00–84.00 $80.05 $1,128 —
1485 1485 75-80% 1 70.00 $70.00 $1,040 —
1405–1745 1558 75-80% 6 84.00–88.00 $85.70 $1,335 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940 940 85-90% 1 63.00 $63.00 $592 -3.68
935–1165 1050 85-90% 2 89.00–91.00 $89.89 $944 —
1060–1065 1063 85-90% 2 69.00–73.00 $71.00 $755 -15.14

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160 1160 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,218 —
1835–2140 2027 3 124.00–129.00 $126.89 $2,572 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1185 1185 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00

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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.