Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 24, 2023

1,753 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 heifers $225.21/cwt -4.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,743/hd at 774 lb · 250 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $228.02/cwt -9.04 vs last sale · ≈ $1,963/hd at 861 lb · 211 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $229.78/cwt -17.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,923/hd at 837 lb · 144 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,753 1,779 1,438
Feeder cattle 1,590 1,692 1,377
Slaughter cattle 162 74 61
Replacement cattle 1 13 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers mixed with very good demand for weaned 4-weights and hard short yearling 6-weights; however 700-1000 lb yearling packages 5.00 to 10.00 lower with light demand following Monday's CME bearish trading. Feeder heifers sold uneven with 4-weights 2.00 to 4.00 lower; 500-700 lbs steady; yearling packages 5.00 to 10.00 lower with light demand. More reports of feedlots filling up pushing several yearling loads to town this week. Buyers showing good preference for hard-weaned calves over fleshy bawlers. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower 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
403 value added 403 5 259.00 $259.00 $1,044 —
445 445 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,090 —
455–490 475 4 238.00–248.00 $242.72 $1,153 -15.22
500–542 525 14 240.00–247.00 $242.02 $1,271 -2.98
517–540 value added 534 8 244.00–260.00 $256.13 $1,368 —
553–593 value added 570 7 250.00–251.00 $250.55 $1,428 -28.45
567–580 572 8 245.50–247.00 $246.07 $1,408 —
600–643 value added 624 120 240.00–265.00 $259.91 $1,622 +9.53
610–635 630 14 229.00–241.00 $231.95 $1,461 —
652 652 2 232.00 $232.00 $1,513 -12.50
652–692 value added 665 19 241.00–259.00 $252.63 $1,680 +0.17
660–677 thin fleshed 666 12 260.00–266.00 $263.97 $1,758 —
700–702 701 11 220.00–225.00 $223.64 $1,568 -2.33
716 fancy 716 21 259.50 $259.50 $1,858 —
701–741 value added 737 74 231.00–244.50 $242.89 $1,790 -8.23
752–757 value added 754 25 238.00–247.50 $244.07 $1,840 -6.43
760–776 772 4 219.00–225.00 $223.52 $1,726 -0.53
824–838 832 23 220.00–225.00 $223.23 $1,857 -10.27
833–843 value added 838 121 228.80–233.00 $231.03 $1,936 —
858–864 value added 861 211 226.50–228.75 $228.02 $1,963 -12.88
918–941 fancy 929 111 221.00–221.75 $221.36 $2,056 -14.61
965–977 970 5 194.00–196.00 $194.81 $1,890 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 245.00 $245.00 $919 —
516–525 518 4 229.00–230.00 $229.25 $1,188 —
550 550 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,100 -32.28
600–645 618 6 200.00–225.00 $217.04 $1,341 -0.92
650–670 657 5 174.00–218.00 $199.99 $1,314 -26.01
710–745 728 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,529 +7.35
781–792 783 9 194.00–210.00 $206.41 $1,616 —
852–860 855 3 195.00–202.00 $199.65 $1,707 —
957 957 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,723 +10.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 190.00 $190.00 $884 —
850 850 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,700 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 155.00 $155.00 $744 -57.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282 282 2 185.00 $185.00 $522 —
390–395 393 4 195.00–196.00 $195.50 $768 —
405–420 414 10 193.00–211.00 $204.23 $846 -5.77
410–447 value added 435 3 220.00–225.00 $221.57 $964 -7.83
450–479 value added 465 13 213.00–222.00 $215.98 $1,004 —
480–496 488 11 194.00–210.00 $202.85 $990 -0.15
505–540 525 9 190.00–201.00 $196.74 $1,033 -0.79
506–548 value added 526 21 203.00–206.00 $204.55 $1,076 —
550–598 570 19 194.00–203.00 $198.23 $1,130 +10.23
557–598 value added 579 26 206.00–213.00 $209.11 $1,211 —
602–620 613 7 175.00–195.00 $184.18 $1,129 -18.90
620 value added 620 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,302 —
622–636 630 9 186.00–200.00 $194.19 $1,223 -8.89
641 fancy 641 31 234.50 $234.50 $1,503 —
663–670 664 6 175.00–180.00 $175.84 $1,168 -21.18
662–682 673 10 185.00–201.00 $196.07 $1,320 -0.95
694 value added 694 17 214.00 $214.00 $1,485 -29.25
700–722 709 13 156.00–188.00 $166.60 $1,181 -9.55
702–742 723 21 186.00–203.00 $192.91 $1,395 +16.76
766–775 766 39 180.00–223.50 $222.37 $1,703 —
750–789 value added 769 142 225.75–226.00 $225.88 $1,737 -4.12
777–782 780 4 182.00–185.00 $183.50 $1,431 —
789 thin fleshed 789 65 228.00 $228.00 $1,799 —
808 808 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,333 ±0.00
830 830 5 166.00 $166.00 $1,378 +1.00
830 fancy 830 14 210.00 $210.00 $1,743 —
847 value added 847 9 200.00 $200.00 $1,694 —
895 895 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,432 -9.00
895 895 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,790 +31.00
1145 1145 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,603 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 165.00 $165.00 $371 —
320 320 1 185.00 $185.00 $592 —
350–360 355 2 160.00–187.50 $173.56 $616 -2.48
435–445 438 3 171.00–180.00 $176.95 $775 -3.05
455 455 1 180.00 $180.00 $819 -4.00
667–695 680 4 150.00–160.00 $152.56 $1,037 —
705–740 726 9 120.00–152.00 $143.69 $1,043 —
792 792 2 150.00 $150.00 $1,188 -10.21
842 842 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,095 —
905 905 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,086 —
965 965 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,062 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 162.50 $162.50 $577 —
465 465 1 108.00 $108.00 $502 —
510 510 1 142.00 $142.00 $724 —
595 595 1 100.00 $100.00 $595 —
730 730 1 100.00 $100.00 $730 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
743 743 3 173.00 $173.00 $1,285 —
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
742 742 2 94.00 $94.00 $697 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 332 3 230.00 $230.00 $764 —
367 367 2 230.00 $230.00 $844 -37.50
420–432 428 3 230.00 $230.00 $984 -30.11
433 value added 433 4 249.00 $249.00 $1,078 —
478 478 5 225.00 $225.00 $1,076 -31.91
465–495 value added 480 4 243.00–247.00 $244.48 $1,174 -35.52
515–543 531 15 227.00–229.00 $227.99 $1,211 +2.20
555–560 556 4 220.00–233.00 $229.73 $1,277 +8.64
600–635 617 5 180.00–213.00 $196.08 $1,210 -10.48
660–680 670 2 192.50–210.00 $201.12 $1,348 +1.12
705–732 719 8 170.00–203.00 $186.19 $1,339 -3.00
755–757 756 3 170.00–203.00 $192.02 $1,452 -13.45
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 333 2 182.50–195.00 $188.98 $629 —
435 435 1 183.00 $183.00 $796 -26.00
525 525 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,144 +8.00
575–585 582 5 170.00–200.00 $191.86 $1,117 -14.61
650 650 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,170 —
720–725 723 2 140.00–168.00 $154.05 $1,114 —
770–775 773 3 162.00–164.00 $163.34 $1,263 -14.66
897 897 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,166 -20.00
920 920 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,196 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 150.00 $150.00 $540 —
940 940 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,184 —
Small 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 2 217.00 $217.00 $1,215 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1095 950 85-90% 2 93.00–99.00 $96.46 $916 —
855–1305 1068 85-90% 9 61.00–73.00 $68.25 $729 -18.22
880–1385 1097 85-90% 19 73.00–80.00 $76.98 $844 —
855–1330 1140 85-90% 29 80.00–91.00 $83.43 $951 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1645 1441 75-80% 16 92.00–99.00 $95.27 $1,373 —
1370–1560 1447 75-80% 11 85.00–92.00 $88.67 $1,283 —
1340–1775 1581 75-80% 8 100.00–107.00 $103.65 $1,639 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1350 1226 80-85% 12 85.00–91.00 $88.34 $1,083 —
1155–1340 1244 80-85% 4 92.00–99.00 $96.14 $1,196 —
1400–1615 1486 80-85% 4 102.00–106.00 $104.08 $1,547 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1210 1203 2 90.00–98.00 $93.98 $1,131 —
1705–1795 1750 2 127.00–129.00 $127.97 $2,239 —
1590–2115 1824 4 118.00–125.00 $120.70 $2,202 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
985–1195 1088 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 100.00–120.00 $107.32 $1,168

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 1 78.00 $78.00 $601 —
820 820 1 62.00 $62.00 $508 —
1005 1005 1 94.00 $94.00 $945 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
593 593 4 173.00 $173.00 $1,026 —
600–620 604 7 140.00–170.00 $162.76 $983 —
763–770 766 5 142.00–163.00 $154.55 $1,184 —

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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.