Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 31, 2023

954 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 $223.32/cwt +40.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,612/hd at 722 lb · 146 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $231.12/cwt +3.10 vs last sale · ≈ $2,074/hd at 897 lb · 129 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $229.29/cwt -14.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,693/hd at 738 lb · 84 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 954 1,753 1,499
Feeder cattle 895 1,590 1,445
Slaughter cattle 42 162 44
Replacement cattle 17 1 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday weaned steer and heifer calves sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand. Yearling steers sold 5.00 higher with good demand. Yearling heifers sold steady with moderate demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 2.00 lower 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
400 400 1 247.00 $247.00 $988 —
405 value added 405 2 257.00 $257.00 $1,041 -2.00
500–540 value added 527 10 250.00–268.00 $262.70 $1,384 +6.57
560 560 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,372 -1.07
550–591 value added 568 26 259.00–270.00 $266.52 $1,514 +15.97
606–642 value added 615 41 242.00–264.00 $260.77 $1,604 +0.86
710 710 7 225.00–228.00 $227.57 $1,616 +3.93
705–744 value added 741 77 224.00–230.00 $229.45 $1,700 -13.44
752–790 767 13 221.00–226.00 $222.42 $1,706 -1.10
756–778 value added 774 67 230.00–245.25 $242.36 $1,876 -1.71
825–840 833 4 223.00–231.00 $225.75 $1,880 +2.52
870 value added 870 2 254.00 $254.00 $2,210 +25.98
887 887 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,951 —
897–898 fancy 898 125 230.00–232.00 $230.93 $2,074 —
913 fancy 913 14 230.00 $230.00 $2,100 +8.64
1036 1036 3 158.00 $158.00 $1,637 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 227.00 $227.00 $1,056 —
511 511 4 236.00 $236.00 $1,206 +6.75
565 565 1 237.00 $237.00 $1,339 +37.00
660–695 686 5 213.00–229.00 $219.10 $1,503 +19.11
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 210.00 $210.00 $966 +55.00
643 643 5 201.00 $201.00 $1,292 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 725 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,595 —

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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 1 217.50 $217.50 $631 —
300 300 1 200.00 $200.00 $600 —
341 value added 341 4 208.00 $208.00 $709 —
385 value added 385 1 212.50 $212.50 $818 —
420–432 value added 430 6 217.00–221.00 $220.35 $948 -1.22
450–465 value added 460 6 214.00–231.00 $222.84 $1,025 +6.86
456–492 472 16 202.00–211.00 $208.43 $984 +5.58
516–533 value added 524 18 205.00–218.00 $210.64 $1,104 +6.09
500–547 531 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,062 +3.26
550–580 567 7 200.00–202.00 $201.13 $1,140 +2.90
615–635 622 14 194.00–196.00 $195.00 $1,213 +0.81
602–643 624 17 199.50–206.00 $202.69 $1,265 +8.50
655–692 671 9 185.00–191.00 $186.97 $1,255 -9.10
676 value added 676 70 231.00 $231.00 $1,562 +17.00
705 705 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,234 +8.40
714–731 value added 722 144 220.00–227.75 $223.99 $1,617 —
740 740 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,295 -17.91
775 775 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,488 +8.50
781 781 27 210.50 $210.50 $1,644 +27.00
860 860 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,694 +37.00
900 900 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,440 —
928 928 5 168.00 $168.00 $1,559 —
1180 1180 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,900 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 323 2 183.00–187.50 $185.41 $599 +0.41
520 520 1 188.00 $188.00 $978 —
605–640 628 3 157.00–181.00 $170.93 $1,073 —
685 685 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,096 +7.44
705–725 715 4 140.00–156.00 $147.47 $1,054 +3.78
870–895 883 3 121.00–145.00 $131.28 $1,159 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 2 203.00 $203.00 $1,005 —
675 675 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,276 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 130.00 $130.00 $760 +30.00
695 695 2 125.00 $125.00 $869 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 fancy 330 1 295.00 $295.00 $974 —
345 345 1 260.00 $260.00 $897 +30.00
375 375 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,003 +37.50
400 value added 400 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,030 +8.50
440 440 2 242.50–244.00 $243.25 $1,070 +13.25
533 value added 533 5 253.00 $253.00 $1,348 —
625–635 630 2 190.00–201.00 $195.54 $1,232 -0.54
690 690 3 193.00 $193.00 $1,332 -8.12
700 700 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,302 -0.19
826 826 4 178.00 $178.00 $1,470 —
855 855 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,454 —
940 940 4 148.00 $148.00 $1,391 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 237.50 $237.50 $570 —
355 355 2 223.00 $223.00 $792 —
475–485 478 3 220.00–234.00 $229.27 $1,096 —
500–545 521 4 210.00–217.00 $213.25 $1,111 -4.75
550–595 573 3 209.00–222.00 $215.17 $1,233 +23.31
800 800 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,288 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 255.00 $255.00 $650 —
752 752 2 179.00 $179.00 $1,346 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1605 1413 75-80% 3 87.00–89.00 $88.08 $1,245 -7.19
1260–1800 1534 75-80% 7 97.00–103.00 $100.02 $1,534 —
1320–1785 1551 75-80% 4 93.00–96.00 $94.22 $1,461 -9.43
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1400 1241 80-85% 5 86.00–89.00 $86.97 $1,079 -9.17
1270 1270 80-85% 2 93.00 $93.00 $1,181 —
1240–1715 1467 80-85% 6 98.00–107.00 $101.22 $1,485 -2.86
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
745–1395 1008 85-90% 5 82.00–87.00 $84.89 $856 —
1035 1035 85-90% 1 63.00 $63.00 $652 —
1040 1040 85-90% 1 95.00 $95.00 $988 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1620 1620 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,750 —
2035–2185 2115 3 124.00–130.00 $127.30 $2,692 —
2190 2190 1 118.00 $118.00 $2,584 —

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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
1370–1630 1467 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,550.00–1,700.00 $1,636.70 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1305 1305 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00 —

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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.