Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 5, 2023

1,219 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 steers $265.03/cwt +11.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,942/hd at 733 lb · 243 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $232.82/cwt +23.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,600/hd at 687 lb · 140 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $235.74/cwt -5.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,986/hd at 842 lb · 70 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,219 1,276 892
Feeder cattle 1,046 1,224 727
Slaughter cattle 166 47 131
Replacement cattle 7 5 34

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages and yearlings. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 lower with good demand for weaned packages and yearlings; some fleshy bawling calves facing discounts. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
480–485 482 3 262.50–265.00 $264.16 $1,273 +10.35
501–520 value added 512 10 273.00–282.50 $275.99 $1,413 +7.31
502–545 519 4 250.00–275.00 $265.90 $1,380 +14.70
553–594 value added 579 18 267.50–279.00 $274.87 $1,591 -3.88
555–591 582 5 257.50–267.00 $259.70 $1,511 +8.70
600–640 614 36 240.00–248.00 $242.40 $1,488 +8.80
600–640 value added 629 30 240.00–262.00 $254.65 $1,602 -12.13
651–674 value added 661 20 245.00–269.00 $265.21 $1,753 +17.93
690 690 2 233.00 $233.00 $1,608 -4.41
720 thin fleshed 720 5 172.00 $172.00 $1,238 -97.61
725 725 1 232.00 $232.00 $1,682 +3.02
705–738 value added 733 237 234.00–269.75 $267.13 $1,958 +16.48
760–781 value added 774 13 242.00–259.00 $253.40 $1,961 +12.24
792 792 2 243.00 $243.00 $1,925 —
841–842 842 61 227.00–236.00 $234.82 $1,977 +9.19
845 value added 845 9 242.00 $242.00 $2,045 —
910 910 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,929 -24.50
1011 1011 57 225.00 $225.00 $2,275 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–390 380 4 220.00–250.00 $239.42 $910 -7.10
425 425 2 180.00–230.00 $205.00 $871 -27.56
450–490 475 3 232.00–240.00 $236.42 $1,123 —
520 520 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,279 +32.00
575 575 1 222.00 $222.00 $1,276 -19.00
620–645 635 3 205.00–225.00 $215.54 $1,369 +9.59
650–675 659 4 192.00–225.00 $209.61 $1,381 +23.61
750–780 755 7 171.00–224.00 $214.48 $1,619 +16.98
800–805 802 3 179.00–181.00 $180.33 $1,446 —
950–985 968 2 179.00–190.00 $184.40 $1,785 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,040 —
690–695 693 4 199.00–224.00 $209.51 $1,452 —
755 755 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,699 —
880 880 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,672 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–265 263 2 177.50–205.00 $191.38 $503 -26.12
300 300 1 210.00 $210.00 $630 —
385 value added 385 1 225.00 $225.00 $866 -10.23
385–395 390 4 230.00 $230.00 $897 +4.80
400–448 430 5 225.00–232.50 $227.34 $978 -1.91
405–443 value added 437 10 236.00–240.00 $238.21 $1,041 +0.21
455–470 value added 467 5 232.00–242.00 $233.95 $1,093 -17.19
453–487 473 10 229.00–232.00 $230.31 $1,089 +1.88
506–532 value added 520 16 230.00–235.00 $232.73 $1,210 -9.40
518–525 520 4 229.00 $229.00 $1,191 -0.89
550–582 570 6 221.00–229.00 $224.14 $1,278 -6.47
557–592 value added 577 19 232.00–245.00 $238.04 $1,373 -13.96
600 600 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,440 +25.70
600–612 607 6 192.00–226.00 $211.07 $1,281 -3.23
605–642 value added 624 8 227.00–240.00 $230.74 $1,440 -16.15
656 656 3 204.00 $204.00 $1,338 -5.30
665–697 value added 688 137 230.50–244.00 $233.45 $1,606 —
725 725 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,323 -25.50
730 730 3 190.00 $190.00 $1,387 -18.00
810–845 817 13 181.00–192.50 $185.33 $1,514 -16.06
860 860 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,462 -16.00
1045 1045 4 189.00 $189.00 $1,975 —
1100 1100 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,969 -6.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
175 175 1 167.50 $167.50 $293 —
290 290 1 193.00 $193.00 $560 -7.00
325–337 333 3 172.50–192.50 $179.01 $596 -30.99
475–495 487 5 182.50–225.00 $212.85 $1,037 -0.27
507 507 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,090 —
550–570 560 2 195.00–200.00 $197.54 $1,106 -18.84
635 635 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,194 -3.96
675 675 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,282 +10.51
820 820 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,148 —
915 915 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,098 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 212.50 $212.50 $563 —
320 320 1 212.50 $212.50 $680 —
517–533 528 6 165.00–224.00 $184.27 $973 —
575–590 585 3 210.00–224.00 $214.59 $1,255 —
655 655 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,408 +22.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1337–1375 1341 9 136.00–155.00 $152.84 $2,050 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 207.50 $207.50 $529 —
320 320 3 232.50 $232.50 $744 -23.50
355–390 373 2 252.50–253.00 $252.76 $943 —
393 fancy 393 6 275.00 $275.00 $1,081 —
400–435 value added 418 2 252.50–260.00 $256.41 $1,072 —
400–437 428 10 232.50–247.50 $243.53 $1,042 -1.14
455–495 471 11 230.00–244.00 $238.42 $1,123 -21.56
505–530 515 6 230.00–249.00 $241.23 $1,242 +1.63
505–540 value added 517 3 248.00–266.00 $259.73 $1,343 —
507–548 fancy 524 12 250.00–251.00 $250.44 $1,312 —
560–580 571 8 232.50–249.00 $240.91 $1,376 +4.54
577 value added 577 4 245.00 $245.00 $1,414 —
590 fancy 590 2 247.00 $247.00 $1,457 —
615–630 value added 623 2 222.00–223.00 $222.51 $1,386 —
645 645 2 220.00–225.00 $222.50 $1,435 +5.50
650–697 669 5 206.00–210.00 $207.97 $1,391 -5.70
730–740 735 2 195.00–210.00 $202.45 $1,488 +12.45
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 324 4 200.00–235.00 $214.92 $696 -2.59
356–395 371 7 217.50–251.00 $227.71 $845 -0.59
440 440 2 215.00 $215.00 $946 —
470–475 473 2 192.50–230.00 $211.35 $1,000 -18.65
548 548 3 229.00 $229.00 $1,255 +23.57
585–586 586 5 223.00–225.00 $224.60 $1,316 +0.30
653 653 5 209.00 $209.00 $1,365 +25.05
735 735 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,242 —
780 780 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,357 —
865 865 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,254 —
915 915 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,281 -24.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 187.50 $187.50 $900 —
940 940 3 100.00 $100.00 $940 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,093 —
560 560 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,226 +19.49

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1670 1243 80-85% 24 104.00–114.00 $109.53 $1,361 —
1250–1350 1286 80-85% 5 95.00–102.00 $97.79 $1,258 —
1120–1730 1349 80-85% 21 103.00–128.00 $116.96 $1,578 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1405 1298 75-80% 4 96.00–103.00 $100.17 $1,300 —
1150–1550 1351 75-80% 22 102.00–115.00 $109.51 $1,479 +0.07
1210–1980 1539 75-80% 23 114.00–135.00 $119.03 $1,832 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970 970 85-90% 1 83.00 $83.00 $805 —
740–1195 1033 85-90% 7 83.00–90.00 $86.19 $890 —
890–1235 1047 85-90% 21 91.00–104.00 $97.55 $1,021 —
930–1205 1091 85-90% 10 102.00–119.00 $109.79 $1,198 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475 1475 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,770 —
1265–2200 1732 12 131.00–144.00 $138.60 $2,401 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
845–1410 1165 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,175.00–1,600.00 $1,477.07

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
284 284 5 160.00 $160.00 $454 —
366 366 4 160.00 $160.00 $586 —
421 421 3 145.00 $145.00 $610 —

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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.