Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, August 29, 2023

1,276 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $241.16/cwt ≈ $2,120/hd at 879 lb · 250 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $253.53/cwt ≈ $1,802/hd at 711 lb · 109 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $238.64/cwt ≈ $2,203/hd at 923 lb · 109 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,276 183 1,153
Feeder cattle 1,224 158 1,079
Slaughter cattle 47 24 71
Replacement cattle 5 1 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday - Limited comparison to last week's lite test; however market was noticeably higher for weaned calf packages and yearlings today with good buyer participation for all classes.

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
424 value added 424 10 271.00 $271.00 $1,149 —
422–430 425 3 257.50–258.00 $257.83 $1,096 —
450–480 value added 464 15 258.00–267.00 $264.68 $1,228 —
450–480 465 11 250.00–258.00 $253.81 $1,180 +13.81
506–512 509 11 248.00–255.00 $251.20 $1,279 —
500–535 value added 516 14 258.00–278.00 $268.68 $1,386 —
581–583 value added 582 30 278.50–279.00 $278.75 $1,622 +37.75
597 597 2 251.00 $251.00 $1,498 —
605–630 618 3 230.00–239.00 $233.60 $1,444 +15.60
600–635 value added 630 21 259.00–268.00 $266.78 $1,681 —
655–670 value added 664 7 247.00–248.00 $247.28 $1,642 +17.78
687–695 692 5 235.00–239.00 $237.41 $1,643 —
706–732 value added 709 86 246.00–251.00 $250.65 $1,777 —
706–721 thin fleshed 715 20 269.00–270.00 $269.61 $1,928 —
720–742 735 3 228.00–231.00 $228.98 $1,683 —
750–762 value added 753 7 236.00–245.00 $241.16 $1,816 +21.16
751–762 754 8 228.50–230.00 $228.88 $1,726 +28.88
816 thin fleshed 816 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,958 —
820 820 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,640 -33.50
805–835 821 6 221.00–234.00 $225.63 $1,852 -7.87
845 fancy 845 64 243.50 $243.50 $2,058 —
869–874 fancy 872 117 239.80–242.00 $240.95 $2,101 —
868–887 876 16 212.00–220.00 $215.37 $1,887 —
880–894 thin fleshed 887 117 243.90–245.90 $244.90 $2,172 —
919 fancy 919 53 240.90 $240.90 $2,214 —
927 927 56 236.50 $236.50 $2,192 —
957–982 fancy 971 84 229.75–235.20 $233.01 $2,263 —
975–995 985 2 193.00–203.00 $197.95 $1,950 +16.95
1155–1171 1169 7 174.00–183.00 $181.73 $2,124 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 232.50 $232.50 $721 —
370–395 383 2 246.00–247.00 $246.52 $944 +26.52
420–440 430 2 230.00–235.00 $232.56 $1,000 +42.56
500–540 526 5 206.00–232.00 $214.00 $1,126 —
555 555 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,338 —
615–640 631 7 197.00–229.00 $205.95 $1,300 —
675 675 2 186.00 $186.00 $1,256 -3.00
705–725 719 6 210.00–229.00 $223.57 $1,607 —
770 770 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,521 —
860 860 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,471 —
905 905 2 187.50 $187.50 $1,697 —
1025 1025 1 147.50 $147.50 $1,512 —
1055 1055 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,403 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 217.50 $217.50 $620 —
357–380 365 5 222.00–227.00 $225.20 $822 +5.20
367–395 value added 376 3 231.00–237.50 $235.23 $884 —
410–430 416 4 224.00–232.00 $229.25 $954 +0.17
446 value added 446 3 238.00 $238.00 $1,061 ±0.00
467–490 474 8 220.00–232.00 $228.43 $1,083 -1.57
470–489 value added 485 33 233.00–253.00 $251.14 $1,218 —
504–535 521 15 220.00–235.00 $229.89 $1,198 —
505–546 value added 529 21 237.00–248.00 $242.13 $1,281 —
561 value added 561 5 252.00 $252.00 $1,414 +26.00
565–578 575 5 229.00–231.00 $230.61 $1,326 —
600–631 value added 620 26 231.00–250.00 $246.89 $1,531 —
600–635 621 7 206.00–218.00 $214.30 $1,331 —
652–690 670 11 200.00–216.00 $209.30 $1,402 —
700–735 721 8 185.00–197.00 $191.25 $1,379 —
722 722 2 208.00 $208.00 $1,502 —
722 value added 722 5 236.00 $236.00 $1,704 —
751–781 763 9 207.00–216.00 $210.73 $1,608 —
805–812 value added 808 25 213.00–217.50 $215.87 $1,744 —
820–830 823 7 190.00–206.00 $201.39 $1,657 —
887 887 2 186.00 $186.00 $1,650 —
911 value added 911 16 203.00 $203.00 $1,849 —
905–930 918 2 190.00–194.00 $191.97 $1,762 —
945 945 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,720 —
1060 1060 1 199.00 $199.00 $2,109 —
1103 1103 3 185.00 $185.00 $2,041 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–295 285 3 200.00 $200.00 $570 —
310 310 1 210.00 $210.00 $651 —
350–355 353 2 200.00–220.00 $209.93 $741 +9.93
440 440 1 215.00 $215.00 $946 +5.00
460–497 477 6 210.00–219.00 $213.12 $1,017 +33.12
563–590 571 5 200.00–222.00 $216.38 $1,236 —
625–635 630 5 181.00–201.00 $191.96 $1,209 —
660–675 668 2 179.00–180.00 $179.49 $1,199 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 200.00 $200.00 $720 —
670 670 2 193.00 $193.00 $1,293 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 165.00 $165.00 $808 —
505 505 1 160.00 $160.00 $808 -7.50
565 565 1 175.00 $175.00 $989 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
312 312 4 256.00 $256.00 $799 —
435–437 436 3 240.00–247.00 $244.67 $1,067 —
470–476 475 16 242.00–267.00 $259.98 $1,235 +32.48
508–545 525 6 233.00–248.00 $239.60 $1,258 —
554–596 580 16 231.00–246.00 $236.37 $1,371 +8.37
610 610 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,324 —
667–687 676 6 195.00–223.00 $213.67 $1,444 —
715 715 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,358 —
755–765 761 4 178.00–201.00 $186.76 $1,421 —
800–805 802 3 181.00–185.00 $183.66 $1,473 —
857 857 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,543 —
1080 1080 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,404 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–322 321 3 212.50–220.00 $217.51 $698 —
360–380 370 2 221.00–236.00 $228.30 $845 +19.78
462–495 475 7 230.00 $230.00 $1,092 —
505–520 515 4 190.00–229.00 $205.43 $1,058 +23.18
550 550 4 228.00 $228.00 $1,254 +9.00
555–575 565 3 220.00–229.00 $224.30 $1,267 +5.30
615 615 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,156 —
655–670 663 2 180.00–188.00 $183.95 $1,220 +13.95
905 905 2 164.00 $164.00 $1,484 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412–433 425 5 209.00–221.00 $216.34 $919 —
585–586 586 4 186.00–204.00 $199.51 $1,169 —
625 625 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,328 —
805 805 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,368 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1585 1353 75-80% 7 99.00–114.00 $109.44 $1,481 -1.99
1230–1720 1421 75-80% 9 115.00–121.00 $117.32 $1,667 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1195 1062 80-85% 3 110.00–114.00 $112.83 $1,198 —
1045–1445 1195 80-85% 7 115.00–127.00 $120.11 $1,435 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655–780 723 85-90% 3 69.00–83.00 $78.26 $566 —
1050–1210 1130 85-90% 2 107.00–115.00 $110.72 $1,251 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1495–1745 1621 4 131.00–137.00 $134.97 $2,188 —
1685–1915 1800 2 129.00 $129.00 $2,322 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1300 1300 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,525.00 $1,525.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1115 1115 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
825 825 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 750.00 $750.00 —

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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.