Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 13, 2022

1,781 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) report →

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $174.43/cwt -0.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,527/hd at 875 lb · 287 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $169.01/cwt +27.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,169/hd at 692 lb · 226 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $162.19/cwt ≈ $1,260/hd at 777 lb · 193 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,781 892 654
Feeder cattle 1,720 727 561
Slaughter cattle 60 131 51
Replacement cattle 1 34 42

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady to 5.00 lower with buyers showing preference for long-weaned calves and discounting fleshy, soft, and bawling calves. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher on attractive quality calves. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls mostly 3.00 to 5.00 lower with moderate 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
350–385 value added 368 2 217.50–220.00 $218.69 $805 +13.00
400–448 value added 425 12 195.00–225.00 $215.69 $917 +10.59
475 475 1 180.00 $180.00 $855 -4.00
460–498 value added 476 14 192.00–204.00 $198.95 $947 -6.33
500–547 522 30 174.00–180.00 $178.20 $930 -2.62
522–540 value added 527 25 185.00–201.00 $193.61 $1,020 -10.23
565 fancy 565 1 174.00 $174.00 $983 —
550–586 578 6 172.00–175.00 $173.15 $1,001 -8.53
570–597 value added 596 40 191.50–196.00 $191.72 $1,143 +2.09
600–645 value added 613 24 168.00–190.00 $180.17 $1,104 -6.94
613–645 622 12 152.00–167.00 $158.80 $988 -2.70
660–687 674 7 151.00–160.00 $156.71 $1,056 -1.29
665–691 value added 689 87 164.00–185.00 $178.52 $1,230 -7.83
700–747 value added 716 58 161.00–181.00 $170.45 $1,220 -3.79
705–718 fancy 717 42 182.25–187.00 $182.69 $1,310 —
718–745 726 7 151.00–158.00 $155.95 $1,132 —
765–780 770 3 155.00–156.00 $155.66 $1,199 -3.04
755–787 value added 775 4 158.00–162.00 $159.99 $1,240 -28.81
810 810 3 154.00 $154.00 $1,247 —
811 fancy 811 114 180.25 $180.25 $1,462 —
861 thin fleshed 861 124 176.50 $176.50 $1,520 —
881–893 886 163 170.50–175.00 $172.86 $1,532 +13.86
930 930 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,367 —
955 955 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,452 —
1021 1021 54 148.70 $148.70 $1,518 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230–245 238 2 150.00–160.00 $155.16 $369 —
410–445 428 2 161.00–162.00 $161.52 $691 -15.48
460 460 1 175.00 $175.00 $805 —
500–535 516 4 144.00–151.00 $146.57 $756 -7.92
560–592 582 4 154.00–170.00 $164.54 $958 —
610–625 620 3 143.00–145.00 $144.34 $895 -0.74
677 677 2 142.00 $142.00 $961 -7.00
705 705 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,022 —
765–790 782 3 135.00–150.00 $142.66 $1,116 —
875 875 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,251 —
915 915 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,190 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
506–525 511 4 169.00 $169.00 $864 —
555–582 573 3 161.00–170.00 $163.91 $939 —
660 660 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,036 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 2 130.00 $130.00 $780 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–347 fancy 335 3 165.00–170.00 $166.54 $558 —
367 fancy 367 2 170.00 $170.00 $624 —
370–395 381 4 153.00–167.00 $160.50 $612 +1.93
407–440 value added 426 18 154.00–171.00 $160.92 $686 +5.18
405–447 430 12 148.00–156.00 $152.33 $655 +0.33
450–455 value added 453 5 156.00–159.00 $157.81 $715 +2.81
450–496 484 8 150.00–155.00 $152.29 $737 +1.59
500–537 513 10 141.00–153.00 $147.31 $756 -2.42
500–544 value added 516 44 155.00–168.00 $162.89 $841 +3.61
555–593 571 12 149.00–153.00 $150.97 $862 -2.65
555–587 value added 574 46 154.00–172.00 $163.26 $937 +0.51
603–642 value added 608 26 150.00–170.00 $159.75 $971 -17.55
605–630 624 5 140.00–147.00 $145.20 $906 +2.08
660–680 675 4 145.00–147.00 $145.49 $982 +5.49
667–699 value added 692 222 151.00–173.40 $169.43 $1,172 +28.16
700 700 1 137.00 $137.00 $959 +2.89
700–743 value added 715 23 147.00–153.00 $151.07 $1,080 —
767–795 772 6 136.00–142.00 $140.97 $1,088 —
773–796 value added 777 187 149.00–165.00 $162.87 $1,265 —
802 802 2 133.00 $133.00 $1,067 —
1220 1220 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,196 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 157.50 $157.50 $536 +17.50
410–420 415 2 130.00–132.00 $130.99 $544 -4.46
502–520 511 4 125.00–141.00 $136.44 $697 +7.44
598 598 3 130.00 $130.00 $777 -6.94
605–630 616 11 135.00–137.00 $136.16 $839 +3.66
665 665 1 139.00 $139.00 $924 +2.00
700 700 1 136.00 $136.00 $952 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 141.00 $141.00 $684 —
600–643 632 4 144.00–147.00 $144.71 $915 +7.71
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 113.00 $113.00 $475 -8.00
465 465 2 110.00 $110.00 $512 —
500 500 1 107.00 $107.00 $535 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 180.00 $180.00 $504 -17.50
300 value added 300 1 202.50 $202.50 $608 —
360–365 value added 363 3 205.00–214.00 $211.03 $766 -1.97
410 value added 410 6 210.00–229.00 $217.33 $891 —
405–445 421 4 165.00–192.00 $179.62 $756 —
456–495 value added 470 7 189.00–199.00 $194.24 $913 -5.53
455–487 473 12 172.00–186.00 $181.99 $861 -0.81
522 value added 522 2 178.00 $178.00 $929 -11.31
515–540 528 16 164.00–167.00 $165.50 $874 +6.48
550–592 573 14 153.00–165.00 $161.20 $924 +0.75
607–617 value added 613 6 153.00–162.00 $156.69 $961 -10.72
650 value added 650 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,001 —
660–695 685 9 140.00–151.00 $143.27 $981 —
702 702 2 147.00 $147.00 $1,032 -2.00
705–745 value added 725 2 150.00–156.00 $153.08 $1,110 -10.92
795 795 2 139.00 $139.00 $1,105 +1.00
840 840 1 117.00 $117.00 $983 -30.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 145.00 $145.00 $334 —
280 280 1 152.50 $152.50 $427 -32.50
325 325 1 140.00 $140.00 $455 —
435 435 1 140.00 $140.00 $609 -13.36
472–480 476 4 154.00–160.00 $157.03 $747 +15.03
500–535 518 2 142.00–150.00 $146.14 $757 —
560–582 571 4 133.00–150.00 $142.26 $812 —
630 630 1 150.00 $150.00 $945 —
745 745 1 124.00 $124.00 $924 —
925 925 2 100.00 $100.00 $925 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605–645 625 2 130.00–150.00 $139.68 $873 —
900 900 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,062 +28.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 129.00 $129.00 $645 —
675 675 1 107.00 $107.00 $722 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1310 1205 80-85% 4 72.00–79.00 $76.32 $920 -10.64
1085–1495 1253 80-85% 7 80.00–84.00 $81.99 $1,027 —
1200–1495 1328 80-85% 6 85.00–94.00 $87.79 $1,166 -9.18
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1590 1373 75-80% 5 82.00–84.00 $83.24 $1,143 —
1330–1585 1470 75-80% 3 78.00 $78.00 $1,147 -9.97
1460–1590 1517 75-80% 7 86.00–94.00 $88.57 $1,344 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1100 1063 85-90% 4 63.00–67.00 $64.78 $689 -11.95
885–1180 1077 85-90% 3 77.00–78.00 $77.37 $833 +0.64
940–1360 1093 85-90% 3 79.00–85.00 $82.68 $904 +5.95
1195 1195 85-90% 1 56.00 $56.00 $669 -29.21

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1105 1103 2 87.00 $87.00 $960 —
1470–1885 1650 3 111.00–120.00 $113.67 $1,876 —
1395–2145 1863 7 99.00–109.00 $105.43 $1,964 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1200 1200 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00

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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.