Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 19, 2022

907 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 steers $181.31/cwt +10.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,110/hd at 612 lb · 92 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $144.87/cwt +2.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,039/hd at 717 lb · 71 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $138.71/cwt +5.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,078/hd at 777 lb · 62 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 907 886 896
Feeder cattle 817 822 804
Slaughter cattle 75 62 79
Replacement cattle 15 2 13

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with very good demand for weaned thin-fleshed packages. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows and 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
380–395 value added 389 4 191.00–196.00 $193.73 $754 —
412–425 416 3 168.00–172.00 $170.64 $710 +2.64
400–448 value added 436 10 179.00–197.00 $191.68 $836 +16.66
455–498 value added 492 11 179.00–196.00 $190.08 $935 +9.77
493 493 3 156.00 $156.00 $769 —
500–545 value added 520 49 166.00–190.00 $182.39 $948 +4.93
551–597 value added 572 18 167.00–186.00 $174.45 $998 -6.43
600–646 value added 612 92 156.00–186.80 $181.31 $1,110 +9.78
665–680 value added 669 12 162.00–164.00 $162.91 $1,090 —
677–685 678 8 149.00–152.00 $151.62 $1,028 +2.62
700–710 value added 709 17 154.00–163.50 $161.33 $1,144 -2.70
760 value added 760 20 152.50 $152.50 $1,159 -8.15
776–785 778 5 144.00–145.00 $144.20 $1,122 -1.80
802–835 834 44 142.00–145.00 $142.13 $1,185 -2.87
907–946 944 57 131.00–141.10 $140.58 $1,327 —
977 fancy 977 48 137.75 $137.75 $1,346 —
1009 fancy 1009 50 135.10 $135.10 $1,363 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–430 428 2 147.50–154.00 $150.77 $645 +0.77
560 560 1 148.00 $148.00 $829 —
640 640 1 140.00 $140.00 $896 —
655 655 1 140.00 $140.00 $917 —
775 775 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,023 —
810 810 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,069 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 158.00 $158.00 $822 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160 1160 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,450 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 125.00 $125.00 $662 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 value added 270 1 172.50 $172.50 $466 —
300–320 310 2 157.00 $157.00 $487 —
335 value added 335 5 175.00 $175.00 $586 +1.00
350–380 value added 361 5 165.00–177.00 $174.07 $628 +8.22
405–447 value added 435 20 154.00–174.00 $168.70 $734 +6.37
460–485 value added 469 14 150.00–160.00 $153.47 $720 -2.91
455–490 470 5 145.00–151.00 $147.63 $694 -4.35
510–520 515 2 145.00–149.00 $147.02 $757 +2.90
500–548 value added 533 20 150.00–160.00 $155.82 $831 +2.97
591 591 3 145.00 $145.00 $857 +0.77
585–599 value added 597 9 150.00–155.00 $154.46 $922 +3.67
612–637 value added 617 19 141.00–151.00 $146.87 $906 +2.35
650–677 value added 668 11 147.00–150.00 $147.90 $988 —
677 677 2 139.00 $139.00 $941 —
700–720 710 2 130.00–131.00 $130.49 $926 +4.73
717 value added 717 67 145.95 $145.95 $1,046 +2.41
725–735 730 2 121.00–125.00 $122.99 $898 -2.77
777 value added 777 61 138.95 $138.95 $1,080 +5.34
785 785 1 124.00 $124.00 $973 —
835–840 838 2 120.00–121.00 $120.50 $1,010 —
867 867 4 130.50 $130.50 $1,131 —
885 885 1 106.00 $106.00 $938 —
1047 1047 2 117.00 $117.00 $1,225 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 145.00 $145.00 $500 —
565 565 2 136.00 $136.00 $768 +1.00
600 600 1 125.00 $125.00 $750 —
675–690 683 2 110.00–127.00 $118.59 $810 -3.86
715 715 1 114.00 $114.00 $815 -2.00
750 750 1 111.00 $111.00 $832 +18.64
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 122.00 $122.00 $506 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–320 value added 312 3 185.00–190.00 $186.71 $583 -1.93
385–390 value added 388 2 184.00–189.00 $186.48 $724 —
455 value added 455 1 181.00 $181.00 $824 —
515 515 1 164.00 $164.00 $845 —
580 580 1 152.00 $152.00 $882 -3.66
730 730 1 134.00 $134.00 $978 —
755–760 758 2 118.00–120.00 $119.00 $902 -12.61
880 880 1 111.00 $111.00 $977 +16.00
940 940 1 105.00 $105.00 $987 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
160 160 1 200.00 $200.00 $320 —
965 965 2 99.00 $99.00 $955 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665 665 1 130.00 $130.00 $864 -1.00
815 815 1 91.00 $91.00 $742 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1500 1482 75-80% 3 83.00 $83.00 $1,230 —
1275–1940 1608 75-80% 27 86.00–97.00 $88.86 $1,429 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830 830 80-85% 1 73.00 $73.00 $606 —
1155–1505 1263 80-85% 4 76.00–83.00 $79.17 $1,000 -10.49
1115–1785 1329 80-85% 16 85.00–100.00 $89.42 $1,188 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920 920 85-90% 1 48.00 $48.00 $442 -3.00
890–1050 946 85-90% 4 64.00–69.00 $66.17 $626 +15.17
1005–1380 1113 85-90% 4 76.00–79.00 $77.76 $865 +22.15

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1715 1423 2 103.00–107.00 $105.41 $1,500 +6.41
1400–2190 1869 7 109.00–126.00 $116.67 $2,181 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1055–1145 1100 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 900.00–950.00 $926.02
1350 1350 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805 805 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00

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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
1457–1595 1503 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,425.00–1,525.00 $1,489.63 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1225 1225 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
948 948 42 123.00 $123.00 $1,166 —

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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.