Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 17, 2023

1,779 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 $247.69/cwt +17.46 vs last sale · ≈ $2,033/hd at 821 lb · 358 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $239.07/cwt +29.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,596/hd at 668 lb · 166 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $250.18/cwt ≈ $1,786/hd at 714 lb · 160 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,779 835 2,242
Feeder cattle 1,692 725 2,133
Slaughter cattle 74 102 104
Replacement cattle 13 8 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday steers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for 400-500 lb weaned offerings and yearling packages. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower with most decline on yearlings. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher 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
450–470 457 3 254.00–260.00 $257.94 $1,179 -2.06
465 value added 465 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,302 +7.59
518–530 521 4 245.00 $245.00 $1,276 -1.00
565 value added 565 36 279.00 $279.00 $1,576 +20.72
600–640 value added 624 5 250.00–251.00 $250.38 $1,562 —
667 667 44 244.50 $244.50 $1,631 +4.50
688–691 value added 689 18 248.00–258.00 $252.46 $1,739 -6.05
700–730 714 6 223.00–230.00 $225.97 $1,613 —
701–728 value added 714 154 249.50–254.50 $251.12 $1,793 —
751–775 756 5 222.00–232.00 $224.05 $1,694 —
763 fancy 763 67 260.00 $260.00 $1,984 —
771 value added 771 5 250.50 $250.50 $1,931 +5.53
798 thin fleshed 798 7 250.00 $250.00 $1,995 —
801 801 60 233.50 $233.50 $1,870 +3.27
821–828 fancy 823 251 249.50–252.30 $251.58 $2,071 —
835 thin fleshed 835 47 245.00 $245.00 $2,046 —
853 value added 853 58 240.90 $240.90 $2,055 —
885 885 44 232.00 $232.00 $2,053 +12.00
918–934 fancy 926 110 235.00–236.95 $235.97 $2,185 —
920–927 927 36 214.00–227.50 $227.13 $2,105 +2.63
986 fancy 986 156 229.80 $229.80 $2,266 —
1120 1120 4 180.00 $180.00 $2,016 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,140 —
552–553 553 7 230.00–238.00 $232.28 $1,285 —
602–611 608 10 210.00–230.00 $217.96 $1,325 -0.14
682 682 2 226.00 $226.00 $1,541 +11.72
702–722 712 4 192.00–213.00 $202.65 $1,443 -16.72
955 955 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,624 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,052 —
515 515 2 216.00 $216.00 $1,112 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 2 210.00 $210.00 $872 —
417–432 value added 425 4 224.00–235.00 $229.40 $975 —
495 495 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,005 +6.43
500–548 522 20 190.00–211.00 $197.53 $1,031 +7.53
592 592 2 188.00 $188.00 $1,113 -4.72
604–623 611 10 190.00–210.00 $203.08 $1,241 +2.62
659–697 664 15 191.00–198.00 $197.02 $1,308 -2.98
668 value added 668 151 243.25 $243.25 $1,625 +18.25
700–731 712 8 170.00–180.00 $176.15 $1,254 —
702–717 value added 716 81 219.00–225.00 $224.49 $1,607 —
766 value added 766 65 230.00 $230.00 $1,762 -6.80
830 830 2 165.00 $165.00 $1,370 —
885 885 2 169.00 $169.00 $1,496 —
900 900 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,422 —
1000 1000 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,530 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–377 375 3 170.00–179.00 $176.04 $660 -1.46
435 435 1 180.00 $180.00 $783 ±0.00
475 475 1 184.00 $184.00 $874 +9.23
505–547 526 4 180.00–186.00 $184.56 $971 +14.56
561–590 578 7 174.00–182.00 $178.67 $1,033 -3.46
600–625 613 7 170.00–187.00 $180.35 $1,106 +1.40
785–790 789 7 159.00–167.50 $160.21 $1,264 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670 670 1 132.00 $132.00 $884 -18.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,057 —
400–432 413 6 257.50–265.00 $260.11 $1,074 +12.92
451 value added 451 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,263 —
450–480 470 3 245.00–262.50 $256.91 $1,207 +18.35
501–517 506 6 220.00–237.00 $225.79 $1,142 -0.21
565–595 586 7 218.00–230.00 $221.09 $1,296 +0.30
603–625 608 7 192.50–215.00 $206.56 $1,256 +6.70
603–621 value added 612 6 224.00–231.00 $227.45 $1,392 —
675 675 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,350 -2.50
717–742 734 6 183.00–202.00 $189.19 $1,389 -0.81
755–790 768 5 186.00–212.00 $205.47 $1,578 +22.05
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 209.00 $209.00 $909 -8.56
488 488 3 207.00 $207.00 $1,010 —
520–528 527 7 210.00 $210.00 $1,107 +21.58
550–585 567 5 188.00–213.00 $206.47 $1,171 -5.90
626 626 3 186.00 $186.00 $1,164 +3.50
790 790 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,406 —
835 835 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,336 —
875 875 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,312 —
955 955 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,423 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 180.00 $180.00 $594 —
445 445 2 187.50 $187.50 $834 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,104 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1375 1320 75-80% 3 87.00–92.00 $89.93 $1,187 +1.62
1295–1740 1460 75-80% 12 97.00–103.00 $99.99 $1,460 —
1295–1970 1677 75-80% 13 104.00–114.00 $107.85 $1,809 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1565 1346 80-85% 4 95.00–96.00 $95.76 $1,289 —
1280–1500 1366 80-85% 4 87.00–93.00 $90.33 $1,234 —
1290–1490 1377 80-85% 10 104.00–116.00 $106.93 $1,472 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1035 940 85-90% 2 69.00–74.00 $71.25 $670 —
885–1160 1051 85-90% 5 78.00–82.00 $80.69 $848 -0.86
945–1160 1052 85-90% 3 85.00–89.00 $86.47 $910 +4.92
1150–1170 1160 85-90% 2 97.00–100.00 $98.49 $1,142 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1930 1590 6 118.00–125.00 $121.62 $1,934 —
1585–2045 1871 5 128.00–134.00 $131.27 $2,456 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
940 940 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,119
1015 1015 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,208

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
860–985 923 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 750.00–800.00 $773.31
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1105 1105 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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.