Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 21, 2023

784 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $187.76/cwt +3.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,239/hd at 660 lb · 87 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $192.68/cwt -0.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,123/hd at 583 lb · 76 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $182.58/cwt -2.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,618/hd at 886 lb · 62 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 784 959 895
Feeder cattle 678 880 717
Slaughter cattle 100 75 172
Replacement cattle 6 4 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned calf packages suitable for grass. Feeder heifers sold steady with good demand. Very active market for attractive weaned calf packages suitable for grass. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 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
265–275 value added 270 2 217.50–220.00 $218.73 $591 —
280 280 1 203.00 $203.00 $568 —
320–335 value added 328 2 224.00–240.00 $231.82 $760 +19.32
387–395 390 3 210.00–220.00 $213.38 $832 —
390 value added 390 1 240.00 $240.00 $936 +5.11
425–430 428 3 191.00–192.00 $191.33 $819 -8.67
410–446 value added 431 14 220.00–255.00 $238.38 $1,027 +7.77
455–490 value added 475 19 213.00–250.00 $236.96 $1,126 +1.14
505–545 value added 530 18 216.00–244.50 $238.44 $1,264 +22.08
530–545 538 2 197.00–204.00 $200.45 $1,078 -4.55
570–575 573 2 192.00–205.00 $198.47 $1,137 —
562–588 value added 574 17 216.00–232.00 $225.25 $1,293 +5.05
600–640 value added 614 26 205.00–225.00 $215.55 $1,323 +2.43
635 635 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,264 +11.77
660–675 value added 664 11 202.00–209.00 $205.21 $1,363 +7.35
678–690 684 6 193.00–196.00 $194.49 $1,330 +3.49
720–730 725 2 180.00–183.00 $181.49 $1,316 +8.49
700–747 value added 736 25 189.00–199.00 $193.54 $1,424 +2.18
765–792 value added 774 12 189.00–194.00 $191.91 $1,485 +6.53
795 795 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,391 —
806–813 fancy 810 6 188.00–189.00 $188.50 $1,527 +2.50
860 fancy 860 6 188.00 $188.00 $1,617 +2.30
889 889 56 182.00 $182.00 $1,618 +0.67
935 935 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,618 —
958 958 24 170.50 $170.50 $1,633 +19.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 200.00 $200.00 $450 —
311 311 3 190.00 $190.00 $591 —
610 610 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,098 —
712 712 2 154.00 $154.00 $1,096 —
890 890 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,495 +17.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 170.00 $170.00 $756 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 value added 325 5 215.00 $215.00 $699 —
360–362 361 3 190.00–201.00 $193.65 $699 +7.62
365–390 value added 381 4 210.00–220.00 $217.00 $827 -11.54
400–428 value added 422 5 200.00–204.00 $200.76 $847 -14.39
452–483 value added 463 20 200.00–215.00 $207.88 $962 +6.12
455–480 474 4 193.00–194.00 $193.76 $918 +9.85
500–535 value added 520 13 183.00–204.00 $196.08 $1,020 -4.51
525–548 542 4 172.00–180.00 $178.06 $965 -7.46
560 560 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,019 —
550–596 value added 583 75 177.00–198.00 $192.82 $1,124 -0.20
605 605 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,016 -2.70
617–625 fancy 620 17 189.00 $189.00 $1,172 —
616–645 value added 635 18 173.00–189.00 $184.42 $1,171 -3.38
657–660 value added 658 6 184.00–189.00 $188.16 $1,238 +4.23
657–689 fancy 660 81 186.00–189.00 $187.73 $1,239 —
700–748 value added 717 22 173.00–179.50 $176.47 $1,265 -2.47
752–787 value added 770 4 165.00–170.00 $167.44 $1,289 -8.06
790 790 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,359 —
800–825 value added 813 2 166.00–170.00 $167.97 $1,366 —
900 900 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,026 -34.00
967–990 970 18 145.50–162.00 $147.37 $1,429 +27.04
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–230 215 2 150.00–167.50 $159.36 $343 —
250–263 260 4 170.00–177.00 $175.32 $456 —
310–345 328 2 175.00–182.00 $178.31 $585 +8.31
430 430 1 156.00 $156.00 $671 —
485–495 493 5 165.00–174.00 $172.23 $849 +2.23
530 530 1 156.00 $156.00 $827 -13.01
695 695 1 143.00 $143.00 $994 —
890 890 1 105.00 $105.00 $934 -9.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472 value added 472 2 191.00 $191.00 $902 —
500 500 1 172.00 $172.00 $860 —
570 570 1 170.00 $170.00 $969 —
750 750 2 169.00 $169.00 $1,268 —
1125 1125 1 116.00 $116.00 $1,305 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 137.50 $137.50 $557 -4.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 value added 290 1 201.00 $201.00 $583 -20.85
303 value added 303 5 245.00 $245.00 $742 —
380 380 1 203.00 $203.00 $771 -7.00
400 value added 400 1 243.00 $243.00 $972 —
415 415 2 200.00 $200.00 $830 —
485 value added 485 6 224.00 $224.00 $1,086 -5.69
521 thin fleshed 521 11 224.00 $224.00 $1,167 —
540 value added 540 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,145 -1.30
582 582 7 194.00 $194.00 $1,129 —
577–595 value added 583 3 205.00–226.00 $218.86 $1,276 —
610–645 622 4 166.00–201.00 $187.96 $1,169 —
625–640 value added 633 2 194.00–215.00 $204.38 $1,294 +11.43
653–660 value added 656 5 180.00–197.00 $190.16 $1,247 +6.49
700 value added 700 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,218 -1.00
720 720 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,116 —
865–880 873 2 146.00–172.00 $158.89 $1,387 +12.89
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 160.00 $160.00 $912 —
645 645 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,032 —
770 770 2 131.00–144.00 $137.50 $1,059 +4.50

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1380 1209 80-85% 5 86.00–90.00 $87.99 $1,064 +9.48
1015–1560 1300 80-85% 22 91.00–126.00 $100.99 $1,313 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1760 1486 75-80% 19 93.00–118.00 $103.21 $1,534 +6.19
1590 1590 75-80% 1 87.00 $87.00 $1,383 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815 815 85-90% 1 61.00 $61.00 $497 —
810–1070 940 85-90% 2 67.00–76.00 $70.88 $666 —
875–1245 1060 85-90% 2 84.00–94.00 $89.87 $953 +20.87
1200–1340 1278 85-90% 3 78.00–81.00 $79.33 $1,014 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1770 1490 10 101.00–116.00 $110.61 $1,648 —
1410–2000 1741 10 124.00–137.00 $130.75 $2,276 —

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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 (2-4 yrs)Open 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,092

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1655–1745 1700 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,550.00–1,675.00 $1,614.15
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00

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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.