Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 28, 2023

625 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 $176.32/cwt +4.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,460/hd at 828 lb · 88 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $177.19/cwt -1.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,272/hd at 718 lb · 67 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $171.00/cwt +5.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,570/hd at 918 lb · 56 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 625 906 948
Feeder cattle 556 842 859
Slaughter cattle 66 63 78
Replacement cattle 3 1 11

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday attractive weaned steer calf packages under 600 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher in a light test with very good demand; average quality offerings steady. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with very good demand for attractive weaned calf packages. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 5.00 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
320 320 1 190.00 $190.00 $608 —
335 value added 335 1 230.00 $230.00 $770 +7.75
350–362 358 3 200.00–205.00 $203.37 $728 —
430 430 1 194.00 $194.00 $834 —
420–442 value added 436 8 222.00–235.00 $233.06 $1,016 +14.31
482 value added 482 2 207.00 $207.00 $998 -8.60
500–538 value added 521 14 197.00–214.00 $202.63 $1,056 -5.15
555–560 556 4 185.00–190.00 $187.51 $1,043 +5.31
560–598 value added 585 16 191.00–200.00 $195.00 $1,141 -2.64
607 607 2 158.00 $158.00 $959 —
600–637 value added 611 23 168.00–195.00 $183.21 $1,119 -5.61
656–693 value added 677 22 173.00–185.00 $182.78 $1,237 +4.47
712–725 716 3 150.00–155.00 $153.31 $1,098 —
700–725 value added 718 64 168.00–188.00 $178.31 $1,280 +0.04
750–787 value added 773 21 165.00–176.00 $172.68 $1,335 -11.14
805–837 828 88 156.00–177.00 $176.32 $1,460 +4.45
880–890 885 2 160.00–167.00 $163.48 $1,447 -7.52
918 918 56 171.00 $171.00 $1,570 +5.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 value added 525 1 187.00 $187.00 $982 —
561 value added 561 3 183.00 $183.00 $1,027 —
770 770 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,155 —
915 915 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,290 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 170.00 $170.00 $578 —
390 390 1 176.00 $176.00 $686 —
505 505 1 180.00 $180.00 $909 +10.00
665 665 1 147.00 $147.00 $978 -13.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 140.00 $140.00 $364 —
595 595 1 130.00 $130.00 $774 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 185.00 $185.00 $500 —
310–330 320 2 175.00–180.00 $177.42 $568 +2.63
325 value added 325 1 193.00 $193.00 $627 +2.04
365 365 1 180.00 $180.00 $657 +4.00
393 value added 393 3 191.00 $191.00 $751 +3.15
420 value added 420 2 181.00 $181.00 $760 -8.46
445 445 1 166.00 $166.00 $739 -12.00
452–477 value added 465 10 175.00–187.00 $182.27 $848 -3.40
500–540 value added 518 14 175.00–184.00 $181.04 $938 +5.18
550–599 value added 585 38 172.00–184.00 $179.85 $1,052 +4.57
610–640 value added 627 6 160.00–171.00 $165.02 $1,035 -10.35
630 630 1 141.00 $141.00 $888 —
650–687 value added 665 11 150.00–172.00 $163.84 $1,090 +4.48
667 667 2 149.00 $149.00 $994 —
703–710 value added 705 7 154.00–169.00 $164.68 $1,161 +3.68
705–712 707 6 145.00–147.00 $145.67 $1,030 —
755–770 value added 767 5 147.00–160.00 $157.44 $1,208 +5.52
758–795 767 5 131.00–144.00 $139.71 $1,072 +5.99
835 value added 835 4 145.00 $145.00 $1,211 —
865 865 1 112.00 $112.00 $969 —
925 925 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,193 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 150.00 $150.00 $360 —
260 260 1 152.00 $152.00 $395 -8.00
300 300 1 147.00 $147.00 $441 —
365 365 1 161.00 $161.00 $588 —
490 490 1 144.00 $144.00 $706 —
520 520 1 129.00 $129.00 $671 -12.00
815 815 1 90.00 $90.00 $734 -10.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 163.00 $163.00 $742 —
930 930 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,256 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 135.00 $135.00 $614 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 2 200.00 $200.00 $700 —
400–435 value added 412 3 203.00–215.00 $208.18 $858 -1.49
442 442 2 190.00 $190.00 $840 —
490 490 1 190.00 $190.00 $931 —
506–510 value added 507 6 184.00–198.00 $186.35 $945 -12.95
510 510 1 170.00 $170.00 $867 -13.90
560–592 577 6 165.00–174.00 $171.40 $989 -13.60
575–590 value added 580 3 176.00–180.00 $178.64 $1,036 —
605 value added 605 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,028 +2.88
635 635 1 151.00 $151.00 $959 —
660–692 value added 681 3 168.00–173.00 $169.61 $1,155 +4.61
715 715 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,008 —
712–745 value added 723 3 144.00–155.00 $151.22 $1,093 —
770 770 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,078 +6.08
805–845 818 9 118.00–134.00 $131.07 $1,072 —
905–930 918 2 100.00 $100.00 $918 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 147.50 $147.50 $361 —
475–495 485 2 140.00–141.00 $140.51 $681 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 142.50 $142.50 $570 -22.50
765 765 1 129.00 $129.00 $987 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1450 1248 75-80% 3 85.00–87.00 $85.92 $1,072 —
1135–2055 1535 75-80% 21 88.00–105.00 $94.99 $1,458 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1435 1229 80-85% 6 83.00–87.00 $85.00 $1,045 +0.80
1070–1525 1323 80-85% 13 87.00–107.00 $96.12 $1,272 +4.49
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1155 1025 85-90% 2 72.00–78.00 $75.38 $773 —
1060 1060 85-90% 1 59.00 $59.00 $625 +7.36
1195–1230 1217 85-90% 3 65.00–67.00 $66.00 $803 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1575–2040 1810 4 122.00–144.00 $135.79 $2,458 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1025–1045 1035 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 92.00–96.00 $94.02 $973
1280 1280 (<2 yrs)Open 1 85.00 $85.00 $1,088

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1390 1390 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 111.00 $111.00 $522 —
825 fancy 825 12 137.50 $137.50 $1,134 —

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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.