Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 3, 2022

1,457 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 $153.90/cwt +4.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,285/hd at 835 lb · 192 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $162.42/cwt +4.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,178/hd at 725 lb · 176 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $168.69/cwt -1.76 vs last sale · ≈ $1,154/hd at 684 lb · 163 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,457 934 158
Feeder cattle 1,351 832 113
Slaughter cattle 93 102 40
Replacement cattle 13 — 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady; except 500-600 lb 2.00 to 4.00 higher with very good demand for weaned thin-fleshed packages. Limited comparison on yearlings however very good demand for yearling 600-800 lbs this week. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady with good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 higher 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
320 value added 320 1 197.00 $197.00 $630 +6.00
305–347 326 4 190.00 $190.00 $619 +4.00
370–385 377 4 175.00–187.50 $181.94 $686 —
390 value added 390 1 195.00 $195.00 $760 -8.47
423 423 6 161.00–164.00 $162.50 $687 -9.50
400–446 value added 425 12 182.00–198.00 $194.10 $825 -3.18
450–490 value added 468 18 189.00–200.00 $193.13 $904 -0.20
503–547 value added 530 34 176.00–195.50 $190.39 $1,009 +3.91
520–547 535 6 160.00–172.00 $170.05 $910 +7.28
563 563 5 170.00 $170.00 $957 +3.38
561–590 value added 575 21 179.00–191.00 $186.47 $1,072 +9.02
606 606 4 148.00 $148.00 $897 -2.00
600–649 value added 626 91 154.00–189.50 $169.41 $1,061 +1.35
657–698 value added 684 163 151.00–177.50 $168.69 $1,154 +4.93
700 700 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,022 +4.20
700–749 value added 721 108 151.00–165.00 $158.96 $1,146 +0.40
732 thin fleshed 732 67 168.25 $168.25 $1,232 —
776–795 value added 789 13 149.50–150.50 $149.80 $1,182 -9.20
805 805 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,046 -17.21
834 thin fleshed 834 151 156.00 $156.00 $1,301 —
807–849 839 39 141.00–148.00 $146.98 $1,233 -0.23
870–886 881 7 139.00 $139.00 $1,225 —
967 967 5 132.00 $132.00 $1,276 —
1017 1017 2 129.00 $129.00 $1,312 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 142.50 $142.50 $826 -12.50
635 635 2 130.00–143.00 $136.50 $867 -3.00
951 951 3 119.00 $119.00 $1,132 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 176.00 $176.00 $854 —
750 750 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,065 +3.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
311 311 3 154.00 $154.00 $479 -3.10
320–325 value added 323 3 163.00–164.00 $163.67 $529 -5.27
353–365 356 4 150.00–154.00 $152.97 $545 —
370–375 value added 373 2 159.00–160.00 $159.50 $595 -20.90
400–432 421 3 142.00–147.00 $143.58 $604 —
420–448 value added 442 22 155.00–166.00 $162.73 $719 -5.23
455–495 473 5 143.00–151.00 $148.49 $702 +0.88
462–493 value added 484 23 152.00–162.00 $157.70 $763 +2.01
502–546 value added 531 35 150.00–163.00 $156.76 $832 +1.71
555–563 560 10 139.00–143.00 $141.00 $790 -3.53
555–583 value added 574 41 148.00–159.00 $152.01 $873 +1.23
600–640 value added 610 101 137.00–157.00 $153.63 $937 +9.03
650–677 666 5 130.00–131.00 $130.20 $867 -3.42
650–695 value added 688 54 135.00–149.50 $146.93 $1,011 -0.07
700–735 711 4 124.00–129.00 $126.72 $901 -0.99
700–733 value added 722 20 130.00–137.00 $132.31 $955 —
766–790 value added 769 22 131.00–139.50 $138.87 $1,068 —
780 780 1 123.00 $123.00 $959 —
800–810 804 8 119.00–126.00 $124.38 $1,000 -3.62
814–835 thin fleshed 817 76 136.00–141.00 $140.35 $1,147 —
930 930 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,014 —
990 990 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,049 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–340 335 2 140.00–150.00 $144.93 $486 —
390 390 2 150.00 $150.00 $585 +2.00
440 440 1 135.00 $135.00 $594 —
490 490 1 135.00 $135.00 $662 ±0.00
510–535 528 4 130.00–136.00 $131.95 $697 -5.05
630–640 633 4 123.00–128.00 $124.26 $787 —
675 675 1 117.50 $117.50 $793 -4.50
740 740 1 110.00 $110.00 $814 —
785 785 1 117.00 $117.00 $918 —
802–815 806 3 100.00–109.00 $105.97 $854 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 152.50 $152.50 $518 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 187.50 $187.50 $488 —
320 320 3 190.00 $190.00 $608 +16.00
325 fancy 325 1 201.00 $201.00 $653 —
435 435 1 182.00 $182.00 $792 —
442 value added 442 4 189.00 $189.00 $835 -2.00
470–472 471 3 159.00–163.00 $161.67 $761 —
555–595 value added 578 3 165.00–170.00 $166.69 $963 +1.69
577–585 578 7 156.00–167.00 $157.59 $911 +6.04
600–607 value added 605 3 145.00–151.00 $146.98 $889 -6.02
605–620 613 2 144.00–145.00 $144.51 $886 -2.49
726 value added 726 4 136.00 $136.00 $987 —
700–745 728 13 120.00–131.00 $122.52 $892 —
750 750 2 125.00–131.00 $128.00 $960 +6.50
805 805 1 117.00 $117.00 $942 +7.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 167.50 $167.50 $595 —
470 470 2 147.50 $147.50 $693 —
550 550 1 145.00 $145.00 $798 —
600 600 1 130.00 $130.00 $780 —
655–692 673 5 119.00–136.00 $125.82 $847 +0.82
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 725 1 125.00 $125.00 $906 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1325 1190 80-85% 13 75.00–83.00 $78.98 $940 —
1180–1230 1205 80-85% 2 69.00–71.00 $70.02 $844 —
1045–1455 1250 80-85% 17 84.00–92.00 $88.38 $1,105 +1.59
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1625 1385 75-80% 13 78.00–84.00 $81.05 $1,123 +6.05
1275–1900 1522 75-80% 15 84.00–95.00 $85.89 $1,307 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975 975 85-90% 1 45.00 $45.00 $439 —
865–1180 1026 85-90% 8 68.00–74.00 $71.29 $731 —
1085 1085 85-90% 1 62.00 $62.00 $673 -8.18
1015–1245 1110 85-90% 5 75.00–88.00 $82.01 $910 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–2185 1797 10 111.00–129.00 $122.62 $2,203 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 94.00 $94.00 $916

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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
1175–1895 1364 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,375.00–1,525.00 $1,454.72 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1290–1305 1298 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 925.00–1,100.00 $1,011.99 —

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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.