Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 19, 2023

1,638 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $252.34/cwt -2.66 vs last sale · ≈ $2,093/hd at 829 lb · 501 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $261.74/cwt +16.42 vs last sale · ≈ $1,898/hd at 725 lb · 200 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $231.80/cwt -0.37 vs last sale · ≈ $2,214/hd at 955 lb · 109 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,638 1,948 718
Feeder cattle 1,564 1,843 662
Slaughter cattle 74 83 56
Replacement cattle — 22 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality with very good demand for weaned packages and yearlings. 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
355–363 value added 360 6 265.00–280.00 $269.93 $972 —
420 420 1 256.00 $256.00 $1,075 —
415–435 value added 428 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,156 —
470 value added 470 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,246 -8.15
495 495 6 260.00 $260.00 $1,287 -5.83
500–543 value added 512 16 256.00–264.00 $258.45 $1,323 -11.62
540–541 541 4 238.00–251.00 $241.25 $1,305 -9.79
553–593 value added 572 38 253.00–269.00 $264.32 $1,512 +4.99
579–597 582 30 248.00–250.00 $249.59 $1,453 -2.13
615 615 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,439 -7.50
615–637 value added 629 14 247.00–263.00 $251.68 $1,583 -4.33
651–694 value added 675 24 249.00–269.00 $262.11 $1,769 -11.22
680 680 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,598 -4.38
710–733 value added 725 195 244.00–264.75 $262.26 $1,901 +16.94
720–731 727 5 241.00–242.00 $241.60 $1,756 —
776–780 777 4 231.00–237.00 $232.51 $1,807 —
765–792 value added 791 62 249.00–254.00 $249.14 $1,971 -6.68
811–848 fancy 827 439 250.00–255.70 $253.22 $2,094 -1.78
820–845 845 62 239.00–246.25 $246.14 $2,080 —
872–875 872 34 242.00–246.00 $242.12 $2,111 +7.49
900–920 910 2 231.00–241.00 $236.05 $2,148 +9.05
919 fancy 919 59 236.75 $236.75 $2,176 -4.00
955 fancy 955 109 231.80 $231.80 $2,214 —
1152 1152 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,958 —
1243 1243 3 178.00 $178.00 $2,213 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 240.00 $240.00 $864 —
480–485 483 2 222.50–245.00 $233.81 $1,129 +17.34
515–540 528 2 220.00–221.00 $220.51 $1,164 -1.00
652 652 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,402 -9.04
760 760 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,573 —
850–865 858 2 201.00–203.00 $202.01 $1,733 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375–1590 1447 3 160.00–162.50 $160.92 $2,329 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 value added 290 1 245.00 $245.00 $710 —
345 value added 345 1 230.00 $230.00 $794 —
355 355 1 220.00 $220.00 $781 -4.78
417–420 value added 418 3 237.50 $237.50 $993 -2.75
448 448 3 229.00 $229.00 $1,026 +5.04
458 458 4 222.00 $222.00 $1,017 -3.00
452–478 value added 462 11 236.00–246.00 $242.26 $1,119 +7.73
521 521 3 225.00 $225.00 $1,172 +2.92
505–547 value added 538 18 226.00–239.00 $233.45 $1,256 -5.07
580 580 2 218.00–225.00 $221.50 $1,285 +1.50
561–593 value added 584 19 229.00–240.00 $235.79 $1,377 —
611–640 value added 620 9 228.00–253.00 $242.82 $1,505 —
620–635 627 3 226.00–228.00 $226.99 $1,423 +5.00
650–695 658 10 223.00–229.00 $228.37 $1,503 +0.22
653–694 664 20 240.00–241.00 $240.59 $1,598 +12.44
685–690 value added 688 3 229.00–231.00 $230.34 $1,585 -21.41
713–730 value added 715 35 235.00–241.25 $240.61 $1,720 +3.05
718–745 723 5 220.00–223.00 $222.38 $1,608 +14.88
735 735 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,690 +22.50
764 value added 764 6 231.50 $231.50 $1,769 -5.70
805 value added 805 57 233.50 $233.50 $1,880 —
812 812 2 207.00 $207.00 $1,681 +8.00
825–829 828 12 219.00–220.00 $219.33 $1,816 +20.33
910–941 927 10 212.00–214.00 $212.79 $1,973 +31.79
1065–1090 1079 4 149.00–182.00 $157.84 $1,703 —
1135 1135 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,918 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 180.00 $180.00 $549 —
355 355 1 167.50 $167.50 $595 -21.09
482 482 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,012 +7.52
510–535 522 3 200.00–211.00 $204.58 $1,068 +10.90
570 570 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,226 +12.12
630 630 2 160.00–200.00 $180.00 $1,134 -15.60
690–695 693 2 193.00–199.00 $196.01 $1,358 +1.18
745 745 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,043 -37.30
855–890 872 3 153.00–177.50 $165.26 $1,441 +2.26
950 950 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,520 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,067 +20.00
625 625 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,431 —
647 value added 647 2 233.00 $233.00 $1,508 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485 1485 1 135.00 $135.00 $2,005 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–395 383 2 245.00–262.50 $254.04 $973 +8.87
405–435 420 2 235.00–257.50 $245.85 $1,033 -2.60
447 value added 447 5 250.00 $250.00 $1,118 —
515–540 521 4 236.00–239.00 $236.78 $1,234 +0.82
505–532 value added 526 6 241.00–247.00 $243.31 $1,280 —
560 value added 560 4 243.00 $243.00 $1,361 —
575–590 583 3 220.00–230.00 $224.96 $1,312 -18.02
610–635 623 3 205.00–214.00 $209.31 $1,304 -1.76
660–690 673 4 210.00–225.00 $214.68 $1,445 -4.13
735 735 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,521 -5.75
788 788 3 213.00 $213.00 $1,678 -4.00
800–815 807 6 190.00–201.00 $197.49 $1,594 -3.51
855–885 865 4 190.00–205.00 $196.34 $1,698 —
900 900 2 187.00 $187.00 $1,683 -3.00
1075 1075 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,828 +60.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
537–545 540 3 200.00–233.00 $221.89 $1,198 +3.02
565–590 584 5 200.00–224.00 $204.81 $1,196 -9.23
635 635 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,238 +14.00
710 710 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,278 +14.41
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
687 687 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,374 —
760 760 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,482 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 1 150.00 $150.00 $922 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205 1205 75-80% 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,229 —
1195–1605 1385 75-80% 18 104.00–112.00 $108.33 $1,500 —
1270–1585 1475 75-80% 3 114.00–118.00 $116.28 $1,715 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1195 1085 80-85% 4 115.00–119.00 $116.19 $1,261 —
1155 1155 80-85% 1 80.00 $80.00 $924 —
980–1345 1159 80-85% 13 103.00–114.00 $107.83 $1,250 —
1235–1340 1277 80-85% 3 98.00–101.00 $99.70 $1,273 -9.53
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925 925 85-90% 1 78.00 $78.00 $722 —
865–1235 1061 85-90% 4 85.00–88.00 $86.79 $921 —
890–1385 1147 85-90% 13 89.00–99.00 $93.23 $1,069 -16.32

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1960 1373 4 127.00–130.00 $128.54 $1,765 —
1390–2060 1705 5 133.00–143.00 $138.70 $2,365 -3.52

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825 825 55 186.00 $186.00 $1,534 —

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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.