Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report, Lexington, KY

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 21, 2023

906 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 2-3 heifers $169.50/cwt +18.40 vs last sale · ≈ $809/hd at 477 lb · 97 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2-3 steers $185.94/cwt ≈ $913/hd at 491 lb · 89 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $183.82/cwt +15.41 vs last sale · ≈ $1,415/hd at 770 lb · 69 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 906 1,033 852
Feeder cattle 842 972 811
Slaughter cattle 63 60 39
Replacement cattle 1 1 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady on similar quality. Feeder heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 5.00 to 7.00 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
277 value added 277 2 240.00 $240.00 $665 —
305–340 value added 318 3 215.00–227.50 $222.25 $707 +6.45
350–372 value added 363 5 210.00–238.00 $228.82 $831 +5.54
400–440 value added 423 10 210.00–226.00 $218.75 $925 -7.29
454–485 value added 469 37 208.00–223.00 $215.60 $1,011 -12.45
500–541 value added 523 13 195.00–210.00 $207.78 $1,087 -8.24
547 547 2 179.00 $179.00 $979 -9.13
553–575 565 12 180.00–185.00 $182.20 $1,029 —
555–585 value added 575 23 194.00–204.00 $197.64 $1,136 +4.59
600–649 value added 641 52 170.00–194.50 $188.82 $1,210 +9.98
666–695 value added 679 14 171.00–180.50 $178.31 $1,211 -0.54
715–743 value added 733 14 171.00–181.00 $178.27 $1,307 +10.27
765–770 value added 770 69 165.00–184.10 $183.82 $1,415 +14.96
810–835 818 31 167.00–173.00 $171.87 $1,406 +2.42
882 882 6 171.00 $171.00 $1,508 +1.46
910 910 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,511 -1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
401 401 19 165.00 $165.00 $662 -2.41
475 475 1 181.00 $181.00 $860 —
491 value added 491 88 186.00 $186.00 $913 —
540 540 1 170.00 $170.00 $918 -3.00
572–590 578 3 164.00–170.00 $166.04 $960 -4.83
605–645 625 2 144.00–154.00 $149.16 $932 +4.16
685 685 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,096 —
700–725 713 2 148.00–153.00 $150.46 $1,073 +5.46
945 945 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,399 —
960 960 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,392 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,003 +18.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 value added 295 2 207.50 $207.50 $612 —
305–345 327 5 170.00–181.00 $174.79 $572 +7.79
325–335 value added 332 3 189.00–195.00 $190.96 $634 +11.89
350–380 365 2 176.00 $176.00 $642 —
365–398 value added 389 10 184.00–191.00 $187.85 $731 +7.34
410 410 1 178.00 $178.00 $730 +9.74
415–446 value added 426 27 181.00–202.00 $189.46 $807 +4.15
452–472 value added 462 13 184.00–191.00 $185.67 $858 +18.02
450–475 466 5 171.00–181.00 $175.72 $819 +12.22
505–507 506 3 169.00 $169.00 $855 +15.00
500–537 value added 527 30 170.00–179.00 $175.86 $927 +7.85
552–565 556 3 155.00–167.00 $159.06 $884 +3.69
560–585 value added 567 9 170.00–178.00 $175.28 $994 -1.49
600–640 value added 614 41 164.00–177.50 $175.37 $1,077 +10.90
650–695 value added 678 17 145.00–166.00 $159.36 $1,080 +4.07
720 value added 720 14 161.00 $161.00 $1,159 +11.16
755–784 value added 779 24 144.00–154.00 $151.92 $1,183 +5.42
750–793 782 4 133.00–136.00 $133.72 $1,046 -5.28
810 810 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,029 -12.00
995 995 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,214 +9.00
1020 1020 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,204 —
1095 1095 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,139 —
1160 1160 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,183 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 160.00 $160.00 $448 +8.27
330–345 340 3 144.00–160.00 $154.82 $526 —
371 value added 371 14 151.00 $151.00 $560 —
477 value added 477 97 169.50 $169.50 $809 —
535 535 1 141.00 $141.00 $754 +1.00
775–790 783 2 124.00–125.00 $124.50 $975 +9.92
800 800 1 100.00 $100.00 $800 —
875 875 1 116.00 $116.00 $1,015 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 1 135.00 $135.00 $749 —
680 680 1 120.00 $120.00 $816 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 161.00 $161.00 $684 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 value added 295 1 221.00 $221.00 $652 —
345 value added 345 1 215.00 $215.00 $742 —
350–375 value added 366 5 210.00–223.00 $216.89 $794 -10.14
430–440 value added 434 7 204.00–220.00 $209.67 $910 -2.43
490–495 value added 492 6 196.00–203.00 $199.83 $983 -16.89
510–515 value added 513 3 190.00–211.00 $199.30 $1,022 +0.43
510–545 533 11 173.00–186.00 $183.90 $980 +12.90
560 560 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,036 +10.00
605–642 value added 621 10 162.00–170.00 $167.12 $1,038 -2.67
678 value added 678 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,119 +8.00
760–790 775 2 130.00–138.00 $133.92 $1,038 -8.08
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 170.00 $170.00 $476 —
330 330 1 200.00 $200.00 $660 +19.00
445 445 1 181.00 $181.00 $805 —
470 470 2 178.00 $178.00 $837 —
520 520 1 170.00 $170.00 $884 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 180.00 $180.00 $558 +40.00
420 420 1 165.00 $165.00 $693 —
550 550 1 166.00 $166.00 $913 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685–1365 1054 85-90% 4 45.00–55.00 $51.64 $544 -13.21
910–1195 1070 85-90% 8 65.00–71.00 $68.73 $735 +3.88
1025–1225 1114 85-90% 5 76.00–94.00 $83.69 $932 —
1045–1245 1177 85-90% 3 73.00–75.00 $74.41 $876 -0.55
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1475 1226 80-85% 13 81.00–87.00 $84.20 $1,032 —
1140–1515 1308 80-85% 5 87.00–95.00 $91.63 $1,199 +0.80
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1385 1272 75-80% 5 78.00–86.00 $83.73 $1,065 —
1210–1650 1403 75-80% 12 87.00–100.00 $94.00 $1,319 +11.15

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1865 1643 2 103.00–105.00 $103.86 $1,706 —
1665–1860 1763 2 127.00–137.00 $132.28 $2,332 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1045 1045 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 94.00 $94.00 $982

↑ Back to top

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.