Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 10, 2023

835 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $244.97/cwt +0.58 vs last sale · ≈ $1,876/hd at 766 lb · 115 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $234.59/cwt +52.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,769/hd at 754 lb · 73 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $224.50/cwt -7.25 vs last sale · ≈ $2,122/hd at 945 lb · 52 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 835 1,161 884
Feeder cattle 725 1,111 803
Slaughter cattle 102 44 72
Replacement cattle 8 6 9

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher on 400-600 lbs with good demand for weaned packages. Yearling steers sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sold noticeably lower; however more plain quality and fat bawling heifer calves on offer today. Buyers continue to show preference for hard, weaned, vaccinated calf packages. The price spread between the good quality weaned packages and the average quality bawling calves is widening. The price spread has also widened between steer and bull calves. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady with moderate 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
412–430 419 5 252.50–260.00 $257.48 $1,079 -1.52
430 value added 430 1 277.00 $277.00 $1,191 —
455 455 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,183 +9.62
471–496 value added 484 10 269.00–276.00 $272.41 $1,318 —
522 522 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,284 +8.00
551–568 value added 555 14 254.00–260.00 $258.28 $1,433 —
550–595 580 17 242.50–250.00 $245.58 $1,424 +5.87
606–646 626 6 239.00–242.00 $240.45 $1,505 +4.45
670–682 value added 676 24 257.00–260.00 $258.51 $1,748 +13.51
676 676 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,622 —
761–775 value added 766 115 237.00–245.75 $244.97 $1,876 +0.14
806–830 820 12 229.00–232.00 $230.23 $1,888 —
881 881 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,938 -8.50
945 945 52 224.50 $224.50 $2,122 -7.25
1083 1083 51 222.50 $222.50 $2,410 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527–535 530 3 195.00–236.00 $222.20 $1,178 -12.80
600–645 630 6 214.00–220.00 $218.10 $1,374 -8.66
663–675 666 4 212.00–221.00 $214.28 $1,427 -5.72
710–720 716 6 210.00–225.00 $219.37 $1,571 +17.00
765–775 770 2 191.00–209.00 $199.94 $1,540 -20.06
815–835 823 3 200.00–210.00 $205.86 $1,694 -19.14
1020 1020 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,979 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462–474 471 14 191.00–200.00 $196.57 $926 +1.57
500–515 503 9 190.00 $190.00 $956 —
552–590 579 7 190.00–200.00 $192.72 $1,116 -29.70
600–605 603 9 196.00–204.00 $200.46 $1,209 -2.59
663 663 6 200.00 $200.00 $1,326 +4.61
693 value added 693 4 225.00 $225.00 $1,559 -12.40
753 753 3 183.00 $183.00 $1,378 +1.00
754 value added 754 70 236.80 $236.80 $1,785 —
980 980 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,421 —
1050 1050 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,365 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–344 338 8 160.00–162.50 $160.59 $543 —
380 380 2 177.50 $177.50 $674 +15.00
435 435 2 180.00 $180.00 $783 -5.00
466–485 477 7 171.00–180.00 $174.77 $834 -5.57
515–530 523 2 170.00 $170.00 $889 -20.90
560–598 587 7 180.00–185.00 $182.13 $1,069 -7.87
600–645 629 10 169.00–184.00 $178.95 $1,126 +2.63
670–680 674 4 152.50–173.00 $167.14 $1,127 —
725–730 728 2 145.00–160.00 $152.47 $1,110 -6.53
930 930 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,125 -9.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 140.00 $140.00 $455 -10.00
360 360 1 140.00 $140.00 $504 —
417 417 2 155.00 $155.00 $646 —
485 485 1 145.00 $145.00 $703 —
525 525 1 150.00 $150.00 $788 —
681 681 3 150.00 $150.00 $1,022 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–330 318 3 239.00–245.00 $241.29 $767 +11.29
420–427 426 6 238.00–249.00 $247.19 $1,053 +17.19
460–488 478 12 232.00–247.50 $238.56 $1,140 —
520 520 2 221.00–231.00 $226.00 $1,175 +4.17
560–598 592 6 220.00–225.00 $220.79 $1,307 —
612–638 631 11 188.00–206.00 $199.86 $1,261 -8.22
680 680 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,377 +5.16
722 722 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,372 —
780–790 783 5 180.00–193.00 $183.42 $1,436 -7.58
986 986 3 202.00 $202.00 $1,992 —
1010 1010 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,222 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 200.00 $200.00 $480 —
370–385 377 3 202.50–231.00 $215.24 $811 —
400–445 415 4 210.00–220.00 $217.56 $903 —
500–540 522 5 180.00–191.00 $188.42 $984 -28.58
550–590 570 3 210.00–214.00 $212.37 $1,211 -0.63
613–615 614 4 181.00–183.00 $182.50 $1,121 —
655–670 659 4 172.50–181.00 $175.41 $1,156 -9.59
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 2 221.00 $221.00 $884 —
660 660 7 183.00 $183.00 $1,208 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 200.00 $200.00 $730 —
485 485 1 200.00 $200.00 $970 +15.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1215 1067 85-90% 5 80.00–84.00 $81.55 $870 —
950–1240 1114 85-90% 18 84.00–93.00 $87.63 $976 +7.63
955–1440 1143 85-90% 6 72.00–80.00 $75.72 $865 -4.28
1190–1270 1230 85-90% 2 95.00–100.00 $97.58 $1,200 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1430 1310 75-80% 5 85.00–91.00 $88.31 $1,157 —
1305–1635 1429 75-80% 7 93.00–97.00 $95.19 $1,360 -4.60
1190–1981 1627 75-80% 15 99.00–108.00 $102.64 $1,670 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100 1100 80-85% 1 89.00 $89.00 $979 —
1080–1570 1301 80-85% 10 90.00–100.00 $96.10 $1,250 —
1360–1485 1419 80-85% 4 102.00–111.00 $104.96 $1,489 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410 1410 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,466 —
1520–1745 1613 3 114.00–121.00 $118.09 $1,905 —
1955 1955 1 129.00 $129.00 $2,522 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
760 760 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 100.00 $100.00 $760
980–995 988 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 91.00–96.00 $93.32 $922

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1480–1570 1525 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,475.00–1,625.00 $1,552.21 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1255 1255 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125 1125 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,406 —

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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.