Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 18, 2023

906 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $195.25/cwt +15.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,398/hd at 716 lb · 94 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $252.89/cwt -4.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,207/hd at 477 lb · 63 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $247.04/cwt +11.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,392/hd at 564 lb · 59 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 906 1,397 892
Feeder cattle 835 1,293 817
Slaughter cattle 71 93 75
Replacement cattle — 11 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady; some weaned thin-fleshed packages 5.00 higher. Active market today with good buyer participation. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 lower with good demand. 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
240 240 1 237.50 $237.50 $570 —
255–290 273 2 217.50–235.00 $225.69 $616 —
317–345 value added 335 11 245.00–275.00 $260.56 $873 —
380 380 1 200.00 $200.00 $760 -27.00
362–396 value added 384 13 239.00–277.50 $260.35 $1,000 -5.83
410–442 value added 433 28 220.00–265.00 $253.57 $1,098 -4.17
436 436 3 216.00 $216.00 $942 —
460 fancy 460 14 244.00 $244.00 $1,122 —
460–497 value added 482 49 215.00–264.00 $255.43 $1,231 -1.90
516 fancy 516 7 228.00 $228.00 $1,176 —
520 520 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,056 —
503–542 value added 521 23 211.00–250.00 $229.35 $1,195 -14.22
552 thin fleshed 552 20 260.00 $260.00 $1,435 —
553–590 value added 565 32 221.00–255.00 $246.61 $1,393 +10.71
590 fancy 590 7 212.00 $212.00 $1,251 —
609–630 613 6 203.00–206.00 $205.49 $1,260 +9.96
614 thin fleshed 614 10 243.00 $243.00 $1,492 —
613–635 value added 618 12 209.00–233.00 $225.12 $1,391 -0.02
654–660 thin fleshed 659 24 229.00–231.00 $230.59 $1,520 +4.59
655–668 value added 665 4 207.00–218.00 $209.71 $1,395 -10.34
709–740 value added 723 12 193.00–198.00 $193.85 $1,402 -25.61
747 thin fleshed 747 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,643 —
768–779 thin fleshed 775 33 220.00–223.00 $222.27 $1,723 —
815–835 822 3 199.00–204.00 $202.31 $1,663 —
887 887 4 187.00 $187.00 $1,659 —
1045 1045 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,933 +11.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 201.00 $201.00 $472 —
600 600 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,200 —
865 865 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,548 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 382 2 163.00 $163.00 $623 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 210.00 $210.00 $514 —
290 value added 290 1 221.00 $221.00 $641 —
305–342 value added 328 12 210.00–219.00 $216.86 $711 +6.11
335 335 1 192.00 $192.00 $643 +9.50
355–385 368 4 190.00–197.50 $193.72 $713 -1.65
377–395 value added 380 18 201.00–215.00 $211.88 $805 -0.33
382–392 fancy 390 16 209.00–222.00 $220.16 $859 —
405–445 value added 436 31 202.00–217.00 $209.51 $913 -2.29
455–497 value added 471 15 198.00–216.00 $206.76 $974 +2.13
466–482 472 5 191.00–195.00 $192.63 $909 +5.97
472 thin fleshed 472 11 215.00 $215.00 $1,015 —
486 fancy 486 12 197.00 $197.00 $957 —
508 thin fleshed 508 3 211.00 $211.00 $1,072 —
505–548 value added 526 32 193.00–210.00 $201.10 $1,058 +3.38
525–547 538 7 186.00–201.00 $192.16 $1,034 +6.89
565–597 value added 570 12 205.00–206.00 $205.17 $1,169 -0.82
567–578 574 5 181.00–190.00 $184.56 $1,059 +0.32
594 thin fleshed 594 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,182 —
600–640 value added 626 22 185.00–199.00 $192.27 $1,204 -6.55
650–665 658 2 172.50–177.00 $174.78 $1,150 +1.46
655–676 value added 671 13 181.00–193.00 $189.39 $1,271 -9.27
711–725 value added 716 94 188.50–198.00 $195.25 $1,398 —
761 value added 761 13 188.50 $188.50 $1,434 —
787 787 7 164.50 $164.50 $1,295 -12.50
895 895 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,253 —
925 925 1 136.00 $136.00 $1,258 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–235 227 3 175.00–185.00 $178.09 $404 +8.09
295 295 1 177.50 $177.50 $524 —
350–395 373 2 181.00–182.50 $181.80 $678 +18.28
450–475 463 2 173.00–181.00 $176.89 $819 +13.33
526 526 6 153.00 $153.00 $805 +0.38
600–640 620 2 141.00–163.00 $152.35 $945 -5.47
695 695 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,119 —
735 735 1 134.00 $134.00 $985 —
777 777 2 121.00 $121.00 $940 —
845 845 1 110.00 $110.00 $930 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 180.00 $180.00 $882 -10.00
560 560 1 170.00 $170.00 $952 -4.34
815 815 1 120.00 $120.00 $978 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 242.50 $242.50 $679 +32.50
315 value added 315 1 240.00 $240.00 $756 -9.63
358–375 value added 363 6 230.00–250.00 $241.19 $876 -10.81
365 365 1 212.50 $212.50 $776 -8.33
402–440 thin fleshed 415 3 264.00–265.00 $264.65 $1,098 —
410–442 value added 425 9 230.00–257.50 $246.66 $1,048 -3.77
450–475 value added 464 4 213.00–262.50 $236.83 $1,099 +15.91
492 492 2 201.00 $201.00 $989 +8.48
500–505 value added 503 2 220.00–238.00 $229.04 $1,152 -1.12
527 thin fleshed 527 5 230.00 $230.00 $1,212 —
527–537 532 4 200.00–214.00 $207.07 $1,102 +8.59
565–595 585 3 191.00–214.00 $206.60 $1,209 +7.42
613 thin fleshed 613 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,410 —
615–625 620 2 183.00–191.00 $186.97 $1,159 -7.46
605–632 value added 627 8 201.00–217.00 $209.85 $1,316 +4.48
660–680 value added 670 2 210.00–225.00 $217.61 $1,458 +32.34
700 700 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,134 +19.00
770–790 780 2 146.00–150.00 $147.97 $1,154 -18.53
871 871 3 149.00 $149.00 $1,298 —
1035 1035 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,076 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–355 353 2 155.00–181.00 $168.09 $593 -6.80
411–415 412 4 167.00–185.00 $171.53 $707 -13.47
478 478 9 160.00 $160.00 $765 —
570 570 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,037 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
506 506 4 185.00 $185.00 $936 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487 487 2 135.00 $135.00 $657 —
530 530 1 142.50 $142.50 $755 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1265 1186 80-85% 7 85.00–91.00 $88.24 $1,047 -11.68
1010–1470 1256 80-85% 15 92.00–112.00 $99.75 $1,253 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1840 1439 75-80% 18 97.00–109.00 $102.17 $1,470 —
1620 1620 75-80% 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,474 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670–920 837 85-90% 3 62.00–65.00 $63.83 $534 —
845–915 880 85-90% 2 71.00–74.00 $72.56 $639 -1.44
875–1010 968 85-90% 4 77.00–86.00 $82.17 $795 —
1005–1060 1033 85-90% 2 87.00 $87.00 $899 +3.30

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1660 1486 5 103.00–113.00 $109.43 $1,626 —
1530–2200 1861 4 115.00–135.00 $124.53 $2,318 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085 1085 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,096 —

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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.