Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 17, 2023

807 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $160.40/cwt +0.24 vs last sale · ≈ $922/hd at 575 lb · 83 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $165.39/cwt -2.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,209/hd at 731 lb · 76 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $170.50/cwt -0.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,514/hd at 888 lb · 62 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 807 1,662 667
Feeder cattle 762 1,560 630
Slaughter cattle 38 100 36
Replacement cattle 7 2 1

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold mostly steady early; few weaned 400-600 lb packages 3.00 to 5.00 higher with good demand. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady with good demand. Softer market undertone late morning following lower CME feeder prices. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 lower with moderate demand. 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
390 390 1 197.50 $197.50 $770 +10.50
425 425 1 170.00 $170.00 $722 -18.16
415–440 value added 432 6 198.00–204.00 $202.08 $873 —
460–470 value added 468 6 189.00–193.00 $189.65 $888 —
538 value added 538 3 205.00 $205.00 $1,103 +8.21
557–580 value added 566 20 177.00–190.00 $183.94 $1,041 —
576–596 587 7 175.00–176.00 $175.58 $1,031 -3.74
622–642 value added 625 36 165.00–179.00 $177.09 $1,107 -1.97
647 647 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,035 +0.88
655–673 value added 664 46 165.00–173.50 $172.43 $1,145 -9.32
657–697 667 12 151.00–160.00 $156.62 $1,045 -0.09
710–740 value added 724 17 160.00–172.50 $166.84 $1,208 -10.55
745 745 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,132 -2.47
798 value added 798 3 157.00 $157.00 $1,253 —
888 888 62 170.50 $170.50 $1,514 +15.50
1070 1070 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,519 —
1180 1180 24 149.00 $149.00 $1,758 +39.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
567 567 2 162.00 $162.00 $919 +5.25
820 820 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,230 +29.00
885 885 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,274 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765 765 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,071 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 142.50 $142.50 $285 —
282 value added 282 6 174.00 $174.00 $491 —
334–337 value added 335 9 164.00–179.00 $175.64 $588 —
367–397 value added 382 4 165.00–175.00 $170.20 $650 —
377–390 383 5 150.00–158.00 $155.97 $597 -3.68
430–437 value added 434 4 160.00–170.00 $165.04 $716 —
453–494 value added 470 24 163.00–177.00 $170.69 $802 —
472–480 475 3 150.00–153.00 $151.99 $722 -7.44
513–535 517 5 155.00 $155.00 $801 +1.29
500–548 value added 531 11 159.00–162.00 $160.51 $852 -5.04
560–570 568 12 149.00–155.00 $151.41 $860 -2.27
561–596 value added 576 71 155.00–167.00 $161.92 $933 -1.79
600–605 602 6 140.00–147.00 $143.82 $866 -2.52
600–648 value added 623 22 151.00–157.00 $153.19 $954 -11.84
650–653 value added 652 27 150.00–160.00 $153.75 $1,002 —
717–745 value added 723 5 134.00–140.00 $135.24 $978 -33.85
715–745 725 4 125.00–129.00 $127.48 $924 -6.66
732 fancy 732 67 169.90 $169.90 $1,244 —
752–786 value added 775 15 136.00–148.00 $144.12 $1,117 —
779–787 781 8 128.50–130.00 $129.62 $1,012 -5.38
783 783 3 136.00 $136.00 $1,065 +1.00
801 value added 801 45 155.75 $155.75 $1,248 -4.10
840 840 1 102.00 $102.00 $857 -29.00
847 847 2 137.00 $137.00 $1,160 —
860–870 865 2 109.00–114.00 $111.49 $964 -10.51
860–878 875 6 119.00–120.00 $119.16 $1,043 -2.84
902 902 2 116.00 $116.00 $1,046 -12.00
906–918 911 7 90.00–106.00 $99.09 $903 -28.91
1005 1005 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,055 —
1145 1145 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,305 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 130.00 $130.00 $318 —
365 365 1 142.00 $142.00 $518 +1.00
400–447 431 3 144.00–147.00 $146.07 $630 +21.07
470 470 2 144.00 $144.00 $677 +7.91
515 515 1 145.00 $145.00 $747 +19.00
570 570 2 145.00 $145.00 $826 +13.73
630 630 1 110.00 $110.00 $693 —
655–695 668 3 124.00–125.00 $124.65 $833 -7.02
700–735 714 11 111.00–122.00 $117.29 $837 -4.71
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 110.00 $110.00 $429 —
400 400 1 126.00 $126.00 $504 —
450 450 1 130.00 $130.00 $585 —
505 505 2 110.00 $110.00 $556 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730 730 1 108.00 $108.00 $788 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 175.00 $175.00 $464 -12.57
320–335 326 4 182.50–197.50 $193.07 $629 -5.93
377–395 value added 381 5 190.00–210.00 $194.15 $740 —
375–395 385 3 170.00–175.00 $172.48 $664 -15.52
410 value added 410 1 205.00 $205.00 $840 —
480–495 490 3 170.00–181.00 $177.41 $869 +5.22
517–545 value added 536 11 171.00–190.00 $182.38 $978 —
550–590 560 4 165.00 $165.00 $924 -7.29
555–595 value added 572 8 168.00–186.00 $173.66 $993 —
615–640 value added 626 11 150.00–161.00 $153.80 $963 —
630 630 1 145.00 $145.00 $914 -8.52
652–685 value added 667 17 149.00–157.00 $152.34 $1,016 —
678 678 3 145.00 $145.00 $983 +4.69
705–745 value added 728 5 136.00–142.00 $138.39 $1,007 —
745 745 2 133.00 $133.00 $991 +5.66
753 753 3 132.00 $132.00 $994 +12.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 157.50 $157.50 $323 —
420 420 1 145.00 $145.00 $609 —
455–460 458 2 141.00–149.00 $145.02 $664 —
545 545 1 150.00 $150.00 $818 -10.00
570 570 1 130.00 $130.00 $741 —
825 825 1 110.00 $110.00 $908 —
905 905 1 94.00 $94.00 $851 -6.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 127.50 $127.50 $395 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1055 1028 85-90% 2 57.00–58.00 $57.51 $591 —
935–1315 1111 85-90% 11 64.00–70.00 $66.10 $734 —
1170 1170 85-90% 1 83.00 $83.00 $971 —
1280 1280 85-90% 1 45.00 $45.00 $576 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1665 1355 75-80% 3 66.00–70.00 $67.68 $917 —
1430 1430 75-80% 2 77.00 $77.00 $1,101 —
1420–1715 1522 75-80% 3 71.00–72.00 $71.69 $1,091 -4.62
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1325 1313 80-85% 2 62.00–68.00 $65.03 $854 —
1355 1355 80-85% 1 86.00 $86.00 $1,165 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190 1190 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,107 —
1820 1820 1 113.00 $113.00 $2,057 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1505 1505 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00

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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
1642 1642 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,475.00 $1,475.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 6 96.00 $96.00 $533 —

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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.