Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 23, 2023

812 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $235.26/cwt -4.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,389/hd at 590 lb · 97 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $219.71/cwt +4.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,594/hd at 725 lb · 96 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $186.12/cwt +10.12 vs last sale · ≈ $1,601/hd at 860 lb · 89 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 812 1,255 1,153
Feeder cattle 752 1,143 979
Slaughter cattle 58 106 172
Replacement cattle 2 6 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality with very good demand for weaned calf packages. Very active market for calves and yearlings. Slaughter cows and 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
367–380 value added 371 3 241.00–244.00 $242.02 $898 +12.02
405–445 value added 416 7 221.00–245.00 $233.25 $970 -4.51
460 460 2 198.00 $198.00 $911 -21.00
450–490 value added 475 14 225.00–238.00 $230.75 $1,096 -9.74
500 500 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,025 —
517–547 value added 538 39 233.00–246.00 $239.93 $1,291 +3.34
573 573 3 218.00 $218.00 $1,249 —
550–598 value added 591 94 231.00–246.00 $235.81 $1,394 -3.46
625–647 value added 644 49 218.00–225.20 $224.05 $1,443 -7.17
676 value added 676 6 213.00 $213.00 $1,440 -11.79
690 690 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,332 -6.00
715 715 2 184.00 $184.00 $1,316 —
703–736 value added 718 22 206.00–218.00 $215.44 $1,547 -0.26
728 fancy 728 72 222.00 $222.00 $1,616 —
778 778 3 201.00 $201.00 $1,564 —
820 820 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,640 +5.19
868 868 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,736 +2.28
900–905 903 2 180.00–189.00 $184.51 $1,666 -10.96
1000 1000 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,650 -15.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 2 202.50 $202.50 $618 —
460–480 470 2 165.00–201.00 $183.38 $862 -23.62
515 515 1 160.00 $160.00 $824 —
900 900 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,350 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1630 1480 2 156.00–164.00 $160.41 $2,374 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,330 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 value added 280 1 217.50 $217.50 $609 —
310 value added 310 2 205.00 $205.00 $636 —
300–337 325 3 185.00–193.00 $190.54 $619 —
362–395 value added 373 7 221.00–230.00 $222.64 $830 +29.44
372–385 376 3 200.00–201.00 $200.34 $753 —
400–412 408 6 202.00–204.00 $203.35 $830 —
405–432 value added 419 8 208.00–235.00 $222.71 $933 -0.39
458–485 value added 461 10 230.00–236.00 $235.37 $1,085 +16.82
492–495 493 3 198.00 $198.00 $976 —
507 507 2 197.00 $197.00 $999 +8.03
500–548 value added 525 29 202.00–229.00 $220.01 $1,155 -2.07
560–585 577 7 185.00–199.00 $195.47 $1,128 +5.02
560–587 value added 580 21 209.00–219.00 $211.93 $1,229 -4.38
600–642 value added 616 10 189.00–199.00 $194.30 $1,197 -20.08
662 fancy 662 31 214.90 $214.90 $1,423 —
650–693 value added 671 22 175.00–205.00 $197.42 $1,325 -5.74
660–691 682 6 173.00–190.00 $176.56 $1,204 -8.81
700–731 value added 718 7 195.00–198.00 $196.75 $1,413 -4.25
758–765 759 5 164.00–179.00 $175.98 $1,336 —
859–862 value added 860 89 185.50–188.25 $186.12 $1,601 +2.95
900–945 913 4 124.00–132.00 $127.26 $1,162 —
921 value added 921 3 157.00 $157.00 $1,446 —
1005 1005 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,266 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 183.00 $183.00 $458 —
410–445 428 2 177.50–190.00 $183.49 $785 —
575 575 1 171.00 $171.00 $983 +3.05
600 600 2 141.00 $141.00 $846 —
920 920 1 104.00 $104.00 $957 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 187.50 $187.50 $684 —
840 840 1 109.00 $109.00 $916 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265 1265 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,594 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–335 325 3 212.50–222.50 $215.63 $701 +3.03
350 350 1 217.00 $217.00 $760 —
380–390 value added 385 2 234.00–244.00 $238.94 $920 —
400–433 425 4 200.00–219.00 $204.47 $869 —
422–430 value added 425 3 229.00–234.00 $232.31 $987 +8.01
462 462 4 210.00 $210.00 $970 —
465–495 value added 481 7 224.00–228.00 $225.02 $1,082 -5.98
500–540 value added 514 23 220.00–240.00 $229.34 $1,179 +10.19
580–590 value added 585 4 198.00–225.00 $215.81 $1,262 +0.49
600–645 value added 622 21 192.00–215.00 $208.96 $1,300 +1.21
658–685 value added 667 6 193.00–201.00 $196.18 $1,309 —
700 700 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,302 —
760 760 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,360 —
825 825 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,328 +18.00
850 850 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,360 +30.45
905 905 3 154.00 $154.00 $1,394 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–367 364 4 185.00–220.00 $197.56 $719 +10.41
400–445 420 4 190.00–200.00 $193.43 $812 —
460–465 463 2 175.00–180.00 $177.51 $822 +7.51
500 500 2 180.00 $180.00 $900 +6.66
590 590 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,003 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 200.00 $200.00 $700 —
470 value added 470 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,010 —
565–580 573 2 211.00–215.00 $212.97 $1,220 +23.88
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 147.50 $147.50 $649 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1985 1597 75-80% 25 107.00–126.00 $118.33 $1,890 +37.33
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1440 1281 80-85% 16 107.00–125.00 $116.57 $1,493 +37.57
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1055 1038 85-90% 2 102.00–111.00 $106.58 $1,106 +20.03

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1445 1275 2 115.00–124.00 $120.10 $1,531 —
1895–2165 1984 9 125.00–152.00 $138.17 $2,741 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1140 1140 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 925.00 $925.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
702 702 5 124.00 $124.00 $870 —

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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.