Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 28, 2023

1,020 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 steers $211.11/cwt +9.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,438/hd at 681 lb · 101 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $176.31/cwt +7.96 vs last sale · ≈ $1,393/hd at 790 lb · 80 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $185.90/cwt -2.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,545/hd at 831 lb · 79 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,020 784 887
Feeder cattle 958 678 801
Slaughter cattle 62 100 86
Replacement cattle — 6 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality; yearlings traded 3.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 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
305–343 value added 336 8 232.00–235.00 $232.80 $782 +0.98
360–375 368 2 200.00–210.00 $205.10 $755 -8.28
357–395 value added 373 9 220.00–252.50 $241.46 $901 +1.46
405 405 1 211.00 $211.00 $855 +19.67
402–446 value added 413 25 223.00–246.00 $236.07 $975 -2.31
455–485 value added 473 20 220.00–241.00 $236.68 $1,119 -0.28
467–490 484 14 198.00–207.50 $199.77 $967 —
525–527 526 7 201.00–210.00 $206.15 $1,084 +5.70
505–545 value added 528 48 214.00–252.50 $244.52 $1,291 +6.08
550–590 value added 573 36 198.00–248.00 $231.30 $1,325 +6.05
550–585 578 23 188.00–196.00 $190.74 $1,102 -7.73
602–645 value added 620 22 206.00–226.00 $219.08 $1,358 +3.53
673–695 680 7 171.00–187.00 $181.19 $1,232 -13.30
650–685 value added 681 94 190.00–217.00 $213.34 $1,453 +8.13
700–744 value added 734 23 184.50–201.00 $187.92 $1,379 -5.62
740 740 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,288 -7.49
760 760 3 157.00–168.00 $164.33 $1,249 -10.67
750–788 value added 784 19 178.00–186.00 $184.30 $1,445 -7.61
811–835 817 4 177.00–179.00 $178.49 $1,458 —
808–841 fancy 832 75 185.00–186.75 $186.30 $1,550 -2.20
861 fancy 861 4 189.00 $189.00 $1,627 +1.00
865 865 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,540 -4.00
905–912 909 10 174.00–175.00 $174.50 $1,586 +1.50
950–965 965 44 168.00–177.00 $168.20 $1,623 -2.30
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665 665 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,250 —
890 890 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,468 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 2 170.00–190.00 $180.00 $468 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 197.50 $197.50 $474 —
283 283 3 182.50 $182.50 $516 —
300–323 314 5 185.00–187.50 $185.96 $584 —
350–375 362 6 174.00–190.00 $184.71 $669 -8.94
355–395 value added 378 22 195.00–228.00 $208.69 $789 -8.31
435 435 1 177.50 $177.50 $772 —
430–448 value added 445 7 196.00–199.00 $198.44 $883 -2.32
452 452 2 185.00 $185.00 $836 -8.76
450–495 value added 466 35 192.00–213.00 $199.01 $927 -8.87
500–547 value added 528 36 179.00–201.00 $196.19 $1,036 +0.11
550–590 value added 561 34 188.00–198.00 $196.08 $1,100 +3.26
572–585 576 6 180.00–183.00 $180.51 $1,040 -1.49
600–640 value added 614 10 169.00–187.00 $183.84 $1,129 -0.58
615–620 618 2 155.00–161.00 $158.01 $977 -9.99
675 675 2 145.00 $145.00 $979 —
662–693 value added 684 26 161.00–173.00 $165.45 $1,132 -22.71
701 value added 701 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,192 -6.47
745 745 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,050 —
763–797 value added 790 80 163.75–180.25 $176.31 $1,393 +8.87
812–837 825 4 145.00–147.00 $146.02 $1,205 —
840 value added 840 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,235 -20.97
851 value added 851 53 172.00 $172.00 $1,464 —
1025 1025 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,240 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–342 329 4 170.00–185.00 $173.60 $571 -4.71
370 370 1 170.00 $170.00 $629 —
575 575 1 161.00 $161.00 $926 —
610 610 1 151.00 $151.00 $921 —
672 672 4 129.00 $129.00 $867 -14.00
745 745 1 131.00 $131.00 $976 —
750 750 2 125.00 $125.00 $938 —
900 900 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,062 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680 680 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,013 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 140.00 $140.00 $427 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
218 218 3 190.00 $190.00 $414 —
345 345 1 217.50 $217.50 $750 —
367 value added 367 2 235.00 $235.00 $862 —
375–395 385 2 200.00–220.00 $209.74 $807 +6.74
415–420 418 2 208.00 $208.00 $869 +8.00
405–448 value added 435 6 221.00–240.00 $226.74 $986 -16.26
460–495 479 6 190.00–210.00 $200.54 $961 —
500–505 value added 502 3 209.00–220.00 $212.69 $1,068 —
510 510 1 190.00 $190.00 $969 —
555 value added 555 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,265 +9.14
575–590 579 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,158 +6.00
610–623 value added 620 4 210.00–216.00 $211.48 $1,311 +7.10
630 630 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,065 -18.96
685 685 2 165.00 $165.00 $1,130 —
755–780 768 3 137.00–148.00 $142.30 $1,093 —
815 815 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,222 —
990 990 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,129 —
1040 1040 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,144 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 185.00 $185.00 $592 —
445 445 1 202.00 $202.00 $899 —
475 475 1 197.50 $197.50 $938 —
710 710 1 124.00 $124.00 $880 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695 695 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,209 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 150.00 $150.00 $428 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1285 1238 80-85% 3 81.00–83.00 $81.68 $1,011 -6.31
1335 1335 80-85% 1 84.00 $84.00 $1,121 -16.99
1090–1765 1337 80-85% 12 91.00–109.00 $97.29 $1,301 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1405 1326 75-80% 6 87.00–91.00 $89.22 $1,183 —
1180–1625 1436 75-80% 10 93.00–122.00 $99.20 $1,425 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1020 988 85-90% 2 89.00–95.00 $92.10 $910 —
1045–1115 1085 85-90% 3 76.00–82.00 $78.02 $847 -11.85

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555–2055 1788 4 123.00–129.00 $126.19 $2,256 —
2460 2460 1 103.00 $103.00 $2,534 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434 434 5 140.00 $140.00 $608 —
480 480 2 121.00 $121.00 $581 —

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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.