Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 3, 2023

1,161 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 heifers $238.12/cwt +25.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,752/hd at 736 lb · 247 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 2-3 heifers $219.83/cwt +54.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,675/hd at 762 lb · 136 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $233.28/cwt +2.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,548/hd at 663 lb · 102 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,161 1,581 1,102
Feeder cattle 1,111 1,454 1,003
Slaughter cattle 44 123 90
Replacement cattle 6 4 9

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold uneven with 300-500 lbs 3.00 higher in a light test; 500-600 lbs 3.00 lower and yearling packages 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 lower with moderate demand. Buyers showing preference for weaned and yearling packages. Off-color, plain quality, and fat bawling calves facing deep discounts. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 lower with moderate demand and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower with moderate to 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
210 210 1 287.50 $287.50 $604 —
405 405 1 259.00 $259.00 $1,049 +3.00
470–476 474 5 248.00–254.00 $250.38 $1,187 —
547 547 2 238.00 $238.00 $1,302 —
577–598 595 28 236.50–243.00 $239.71 $1,426 -1.29
600–617 value added 609 11 240.00–246.00 $242.94 $1,480 —
630 630 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,487 +1.60
661 value added 661 5 245.00 $245.00 $1,619 —
712–747 value added 718 70 248.00–250.00 $249.64 $1,792 +10.81
721 721 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,694 +3.00
760–783 value added 776 61 235.50–246.50 $244.83 $1,900 +5.02
785 785 2 231.00 $231.00 $1,813 +3.00
805 fancy 805 62 246.20 $246.20 $1,982 —
894 894 5 228.50 $228.50 $2,043 -3.78
934 934 55 231.75 $231.75 $2,165 +6.87
1024 1024 7 194.50 $194.50 $1,992 +17.02
1115 1115 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,896 -6.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473 473 3 211.00 $211.00 $998 -24.00
510 510 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,198 +15.00
625–642 635 5 220.00–234.00 $226.76 $1,440 -5.24
680 680 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,496 —
705–735 715 5 189.00–220.00 $202.37 $1,447 —
785 785 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,727 +14.84
840 840 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,890 +26.55
862 862 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,905 —
920 920 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,932 +32.00
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
693 693 9 127.00 $127.00 $880 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 7 195.00 $195.00 $907 -30.32
538–542 540 8 216.00–218.00 $217.00 $1,172 -3.49
585–590 588 41 211.00–223.00 $222.42 $1,308 +1.42
605–645 616 16 194.00–208.00 $203.05 $1,251 -1.64
619 value added 619 5 221.00 $221.00 $1,368 -6.21
657–688 value added 662 92 226.00–239.75 $237.40 $1,572 +3.40
665–678 676 10 192.00–202.00 $195.39 $1,321 -26.61
719–743 732 23 189.00–204.00 $198.40 $1,452 -8.01
736 value added 736 224 242.20 $242.20 $1,783 +16.19
757 757 2 182.00 $182.00 $1,378 -15.85
818 value added 818 68 224.75 $224.75 $1,838 —
820–848 841 5 157.00–180.00 $164.52 $1,384 -7.87
945 945 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,606 —
1130 1130 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,435 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–290 278 2 170.00–187.00 $178.12 $495 +3.07
385 385 3 162.50 $162.50 $626 -27.49
442 442 2 185.00 $185.00 $818 -7.31
465–467 466 3 173.00–184.00 $180.34 $840 -9.23
505–515 510 2 181.00–201.00 $190.90 $974 -14.24
585 585 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,112 -15.67
640–645 642 3 170.00–189.00 $176.32 $1,132 —
702 702 2 159.00 $159.00 $1,116 -3.98
762 value added 762 135 220.25 $220.25 $1,678 —
775 775 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,263 -1.90
925 925 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,202 —
985 985 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,478 +6.74
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,070 +10.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035 1035 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,666 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 150.00 $150.00 $465 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 3 230.00 $230.00 $690 —
355 355 1 250.00 $250.00 $888 -25.00
407 407 4 230.00 $230.00 $936 -25.81
520–542 533 5 220.00–227.00 $221.83 $1,182 -8.53
600–615 607 3 197.00–217.00 $208.08 $1,263 +0.21
661–663 662 9 192.00–200.00 $197.34 $1,306 -7.54
760 760 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,452 -9.84
855 855 10 198.00 $198.00 $1,693 +13.52
1153 1153 3 112.00 $112.00 $1,291 —
1230 1230 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,328 —
1300 1300 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,560 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 210.00 $210.00 $630 +10.00
495 495 1 200.00 $200.00 $990 -15.00
545 545 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,183 +8.14
585 585 2 213.00 $213.00 $1,246 -6.01
680 680 3 185.00 $185.00 $1,258 -3.22
775 775 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,232 -25.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 2 185.00 $185.00 $906 +45.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780 780 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,412 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1660 1428 75-80% 8 97.00–103.00 $99.79 $1,425 +10.76
1240–1735 1428 75-80% 8 93.00–96.00 $94.23 $1,346 +5.20
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1205 1140 80-85% 4 89.00–91.00 $90.01 $1,026 —
1105–1485 1258 80-85% 3 92.00 $92.00 $1,157 -14.42
1200–1375 1278 80-85% 4 99.00–111.00 $103.30 $1,320 -3.12
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1125 1048 85-90% 4 87.00–90.00 $88.30 $925 -1.48
1120 1120 85-90% 1 80.00 $80.00 $896 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310–1505 1450 4 114.00–125.00 $119.41 $1,731 —
1725–2060 1901 4 128.00–135.00 $131.28 $2,496 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
890–1075 988 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,450.00–1,625.00 $1,538.74

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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.