Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, July 18, 2023

1,026 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $229.14/cwt +14.12 vs last sale · ≈ $2,150/hd at 938 lb · 235 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $233.04/cwt ≈ $2,076/hd at 891 lb · 115 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $253.34/cwt +14.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,700/hd at 671 lb · 99 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,026 842 1,008
Feeder cattle 948 740 952
Slaughter cattle 61 96 53
Replacement cattle 17 6 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady on similar quality with good demand. Yearlings sold firm with very good demand. Slaughter cows sold 4.00 higher with very 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
300–305 302 3 250.00 $250.00 $755 +5.00
385 value added 385 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,020 —
420–428 value added 424 8 260.00–281.00 $266.44 $1,130 +0.88
453–455 value added 454 10 257.00–282.00 $267.03 $1,212 —
470 470 3 249.00 $249.00 $1,170 -11.53
500–528 value added 517 19 239.00–251.00 $244.51 $1,264 -29.12
550–575 value added 565 7 237.00–250.00 $244.90 $1,384 -30.44
570–595 583 2 223.00–227.00 $224.96 $1,312 -30.02
616–618 value added 617 6 229.00–235.00 $232.00 $1,431 -51.11
655–690 value added 671 99 229.00–263.00 $253.34 $1,700 +14.69
705–735 value added 728 4 221.00–249.00 $242.22 $1,763 +7.43
745 745 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,639 —
760 760 2 222.00 $222.00 $1,687 +6.00
755–786 value added 776 9 235.00–244.00 $239.08 $1,855 +14.42
820–840 fancy 837 14 235.00 $235.00 $1,967 —
860–895 882 3 205.00–213.00 $210.29 $1,855 —
884–898 value added 891 112 233.50–234.00 $233.65 $2,082 —
913–915 913 7 210.00–226.00 $223.71 $2,042 +15.71
909–949 fancy 939 228 228.00–231.60 $229.31 $2,153 —
955–965 959 5 190.00–219.00 $206.60 $1,981 —
1004 fancy 1004 47 219.75 $219.75 $2,206 -1.25
1095 fancy 1095 54 219.25 $219.25 $2,401 +0.50
1165 1165 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,398 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
728 728 8 200.00 $200.00 $1,456 —
835 835 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,612 —
965 965 1 167.00 $167.00 $1,612 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–245 233 2 240.00–265.00 $251.83 $587 —
275 275 1 215.00 $215.00 $591 —
316–340 value added 320 15 212.50–229.00 $222.30 $711 —
360–386 value added 377 8 210.00–225.00 $215.40 $812 -2.10
370–390 380 2 202.50–207.50 $205.07 $779 +0.01
405–425 value added 411 4 220.00–226.00 $222.80 $916 —
402–440 414 5 200.00–210.00 $204.62 $847 -11.38
455–495 476 4 200.00–215.00 $208.89 $994 -11.11
465–491 value added 482 10 222.00–233.00 $229.95 $1,108 +6.14
500–522 value added 511 13 220.00–231.00 $225.69 $1,153 -8.97
545 545 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,090 ±0.00
552–597 value added 575 17 223.00–233.00 $227.53 $1,308 -4.11
600–625 value added 614 18 224.00–230.00 $225.72 $1,386 -8.27
625–630 627 6 192.00–207.00 $202.01 $1,267 +4.14
650–675 value added 659 8 219.00–225.00 $221.63 $1,461 -4.23
665–698 685 5 195.00–214.00 $200.83 $1,376 +16.31
700 value added 700 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,505 —
705 705 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,354 -7.55
735 735 5 228.00 $228.00 $1,676 +47.00
787–790 788 3 185.00–188.00 $187.00 $1,474 —
812 812 2 161.00 $161.00 $1,307 —
900 900 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,233 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347–348 348 5 180.00–192.00 $187.21 $651 —
355–365 362 3 181.00–197.00 $186.24 $674 —
485 485 3 196.00–200.00 $197.33 $957 -12.67
520–545 533 6 177.00–200.00 $185.26 $987 +19.26
555–582 573 3 170.00–171.00 $170.32 $976 +5.32
685 685 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,055 —
700–710 705 2 142.50–161.00 $151.82 $1,070 -2.90
765 765 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,063 -18.00
840 840 1 115.00 $115.00 $966 -22.82
890 890 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,166 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
660 660 1 139.00 $139.00 $917 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–215 value added 208 2 275.00–282.50 $278.89 $580 —
363–377 value added 367 9 258.00–269.00 $261.18 $959 —
411–440 value added 418 4 249.00–283.00 $274.06 $1,146 +17.01
455–492 475 5 220.00–238.00 $231.40 $1,099 -11.61
450–492 value added 479 13 248.00–281.00 $252.45 $1,209 —
535–547 543 3 234.00–237.00 $236.01 $1,282 +10.76
560–595 577 7 222.00–238.00 $232.31 $1,340 +5.91
605–626 621 4 220.00–222.00 $221.51 $1,376 —
655–675 661 4 199.00–214.00 $205.70 $1,360 —
700–747 714 7 198.00–204.00 $201.47 $1,438 -11.85
765–770 768 2 198.00–201.00 $199.50 $1,532 —
890 890 2 182.00 $182.00 $1,620 —
980 980 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,666 —
1610 1610 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,916 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 170.00 $170.00 $654 -12.50
460–480 467 3 180.00–213.00 $198.21 $926 —
510–545 526 4 197.00–215.00 $204.73 $1,077 —
640 640 8 190.00 $190.00 $1,216 —
860 860 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,453 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,106 —
872 872 2 176.00 $176.00 $1,535 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955 955 85-90% 1 79.00 $79.00 $754 +0.20
775–1170 989 85-90% 12 90.00–96.00 $93.47 $924 +14.67
1000–1060 1030 85-90% 2 82.00–85.00 $83.46 $860 -5.36
880–1135 1031 85-90% 10 100.00–107.00 $102.26 $1,054 +13.44
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1205 1183 80-85% 3 98.00–106.00 $101.38 $1,199 +10.37
1140–1460 1271 80-85% 15 108.00–123.00 $113.56 $1,443 +15.58
1305 1305 80-85% 1 90.00 $90.00 $1,174 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1335 1181 75-80% 4 96.00–107.00 $103.42 $1,221 —
1640 1640 75-80% 1 122.00 $122.00 $2,001 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1700 1413 2 111.00–120.00 $116.42 $1,645 —
1465–1755 1615 3 126.00–139.00 $130.94 $2,115 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
830–935 867 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 109.00 $109.00 $945

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1150 1150 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
860–905 886 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 925.00–1,075.00 $1,000.11 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1040–1235 1138 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,125.00–1,275.00 $1,197.91 —

↑ Back to top

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.