Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 4, 2023

932 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $175.98/cwt +7.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,702/hd at 967 lb · 107 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $205.59/cwt +11.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,188/hd at 578 lb · 100 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $208.78/cwt +12.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,094/hd at 524 lb · 81 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 932 1,020 815
Feeder cattle 832 958 765
Slaughter cattle 99 62 48
Replacement cattle 1 — 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned calves suitable for grass; some hard thin-fleshed 4-weights sharply higher. Slaughter cows and 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
255 value added 255 1 200.00 $200.00 $510 —
340–345 value added 343 2 239.00–258.00 $248.57 $853 +15.77
362–372 value added 367 6 235.00–265.00 $244.57 $898 +3.11
410–440 value added 428 12 213.00–255.00 $237.47 $1,016 +1.40
460–495 value added 481 24 212.00–269.00 $257.44 $1,238 +20.76
507–535 value added 527 8 223.00–245.00 $231.72 $1,221 -12.80
556–580 566 5 209.00–211.00 $209.82 $1,188 +19.08
555–597 value added 575 31 231.00–243.25 $241.11 $1,386 +9.81
615–637 value added 632 7 199.00–221.00 $216.52 $1,368 -2.56
650–688 value added 674 8 220.00–226.00 $223.83 $1,509 +10.49
700–725 value added 708 3 185.00–204.00 $197.52 $1,398 +9.60
750–795 value added 765 3 174.00–193.00 $180.58 $1,381 -3.72
836 fancy 836 2 187.00 $187.00 $1,563 +0.70
857 fancy 857 22 185.90 $185.90 $1,593 -3.10
910 910 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,647 +6.50
919 fancy 919 57 180.70 $180.70 $1,661 —
966–969 fancy 967 107 175.95–176.00 $175.98 $1,702 —
1035 1035 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,656 —
1070 1070 49 165.00 $165.00 $1,766 —
1307 1307 4 130.00 $130.00 $1,699 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 200.00 $200.00 $840 —
545 545 1 173.00 $173.00 $943 —
555 555 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,054 —
655 655 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,186 —
745 745 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,088 —
750–767 761 3 154.00–171.00 $159.58 $1,214 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
262–270 265 3 200.00 $200.00 $530 +17.50
255–290 value added 273 2 207.00–217.50 $212.59 $580 —
305–340 317 3 180.00–193.00 $186.58 $591 +0.62
315–345 value added 324 7 200.00–222.00 $217.20 $704 —
355–395 value added 370 14 199.00–235.00 $213.56 $790 +4.87
415–430 423 2 190.00–192.00 $191.02 $808 +13.52
400–446 value added 437 5 204.00–222.00 $218.70 $956 +20.26
450–460 value added 455 13 202.00–225.00 $219.59 $999 +20.58
460–486 477 12 189.00–195.00 $192.57 $919 +7.57
500–547 value added 524 81 194.00–212.00 $208.78 $1,094 +12.59
560–575 565 3 182.00–188.00 $185.69 $1,049 +5.18
565–594 value added 578 97 189.00–210.00 $206.21 $1,192 +10.13
603–630 value added 608 5 176.00–197.00 $192.65 $1,171 +8.81
741 741 3 160.00 $160.00 $1,186 +19.00
752 752 5 169.00 $169.00 $1,271 —
869–885 value added 870 34 151.00–165.75 $164.98 $1,435 -7.02
900 900 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,143 —
1045 1045 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,348 +8.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 169.00 $169.00 $363 —
255–272 264 6 173.00–197.50 $184.00 $486 —
325–335 330 2 150.00–160.00 $155.08 $512 -18.52
392 392 2 170.00 $170.00 $666 ±0.00
460–475 466 5 160.00–177.50 $166.11 $774 —
531 531 3 174.00 $174.00 $924 —
610 610 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,037 +19.00
670–680 678 4 132.50–160.00 $148.18 $1,005 +19.18
705–745 725 2 115.00–121.00 $118.08 $856 -12.92
755–780 761 4 120.00–140.00 $127.60 $971 +2.60
810 810 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,029 —
861–880 866 4 121.00–130.00 $127.71 $1,106 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,065 —
670 670 1 147.00 $147.00 $985 -2.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1270 1240 2 126.00–137.00 $131.63 $1,632 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 152.50 $152.50 $336 —
640 640 1 111.00 $111.00 $710 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 value added 332 3 212.00–212.50 $212.15 $704 —
360 360 1 185.00 $185.00 $666 -24.74
400 400 1 212.00 $212.00 $848 +4.00
410–440 value added 434 5 225.00–258.00 $234.68 $1,019 +7.94
455–497 value added 469 9 232.00–257.00 $244.49 $1,147 —
480 480 2 197.50–202.00 $199.75 $959 -0.79
525–545 value added 538 6 222.50–250.00 $244.72 $1,317 —
581–587 value added 583 5 233.00 $233.00 $1,358 +5.00
600–625 value added 612 11 189.00–213.00 $199.11 $1,219 -12.37
657–675 value added 663 3 184.00–192.00 $189.29 $1,255 —
652–685 669 4 172.00–174.00 $173.02 $1,158 +8.02
710–735 729 4 144.00–164.00 $154.42 $1,126 —
750–752 751 3 157.00–164.00 $159.33 $1,197 +17.03
820 820 2 131.00 $131.00 $1,074 -19.00
872 872 2 112.00 $112.00 $977 —
970–990 985 9 110.00–116.00 $114.55 $1,128 +0.55
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 157.50 $157.50 $536 -27.50
605–620 614 4 165.00–172.00 $169.77 $1,042 —
655 655 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,041 —
765–787 780 3 130.00–136.00 $134.04 $1,046 —
915 915 1 100.00 $100.00 $915 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 152.50 $152.50 $511 —
535 535 1 132.00 $132.00 $706 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830 830 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,004 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1215 1122 80-85% 3 78.00–82.00 $79.99 $897 —
1010–1525 1292 80-85% 10 92.00–108.00 $98.53 $1,273 —
950–1550 1307 80-85% 16 85.00–91.00 $87.87 $1,148 +3.87
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1645 1338 75-80% 8 85.00–91.00 $87.97 $1,177 -1.25
1190–1875 1454 75-80% 19 92.00–108.00 $98.97 $1,439 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775–1250 973 85-90% 8 77.00–84.00 $79.96 $778 -12.14
890–1060 985 85-90% 3 68.00–73.00 $70.13 $691 -21.97
870–1505 1068 85-90% 6 87.00–97.00 $89.96 $961 +11.94

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1470 1315 5 93.00–116.00 $109.74 $1,443 —
1830–2190 2022 6 118.00–131.00 $123.84 $2,504 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
875–950 913 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 98.00–111.00 $104.77 $957

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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.