Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 2, 2024

1,492 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $241.02/cwt +44.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,367/hd at 567 lb · 166 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $225.47/cwt +54.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,524/hd at 676 lb · 160 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $239.30/cwt +45.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,287/hd at 538 lb · 105 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,492 513 1,082
Feeder cattle 1,310 479 988
Slaughter cattle 175 29 75
Replacement cattle 7 5 19

Market comments — USDA reporter

No market comparison with last week due to Holidays; however market active throughout the sale with good buyer participation for all classes. Several attractive quality weaned calf packages on offer today.

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
390 390 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,053 —
400–445 406 7 255.00–258.00 $255.47 $1,037 —
400–445 value added 429 15 269.00–288.00 $272.93 $1,171 +3.26
457 value added 457 2 279.00 $279.00 $1,275 +13.00
500–540 value added 530 15 256.00–272.00 $263.57 $1,397 +6.57
555–570 value added 564 6 250.00–273.00 $266.67 $1,504 —
585–590 586 6 249.00–251.00 $249.67 $1,463 —
605 value added 605 1 252.00 $252.00 $1,525 +21.35
620–649 641 11 231.00–256.00 $237.59 $1,523 +20.14
658 value added 658 84 246.50 $246.50 $1,622 +15.50
662–669 667 8 234.00–236.00 $235.50 $1,571 —
780 780 3 211.00 $211.00 $1,646 —
787 value added 787 48 225.00 $225.00 $1,771 +8.20
800–810 805 2 185.00–186.00 $185.50 $1,493 —
813 fancy 813 10 229.50 $229.50 $1,866 +1.30
842 842 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,726 —
1045 1045 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,714 —
1115–1130 1123 2 160.00–165.00 $162.52 $1,825 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 3 245.00 $245.00 $833 —
542 542 2 247.00 $247.00 $1,339 —
590 590 1 244.00 $244.00 $1,440 —
710–740 725 2 192.00–199.00 $195.57 $1,418 —
760–780 770 3 175.00–198.00 $189.08 $1,456 —
815 815 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,467 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 1 253.00 $253.00 $1,278 —
815 815 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,548 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 215.00 $215.00 $452 —
335–341 339 5 199.00–207.00 $202.17 $685 —
355–395 value added 375 2 211.00–214.00 $212.58 $797 +0.90
383–387 385 5 203.00–207.00 $205.39 $791 —
400–433 value added 415 19 211.00–215.00 $212.03 $880 -2.97
405–445 442 19 200.00–210.00 $200.84 $888 +2.92
455–491 475 8 200.00–202.00 $201.15 $955 +10.95
500–542 524 15 194.00–218.00 $208.07 $1,090 —
540 fancy 540 90 244.50 $244.50 $1,320 —
563 fancy 563 87 248.50 $248.50 $1,399 —
550–575 567 6 209.00–215.00 $213.06 $1,208 —
561–574 value added 572 73 233.50–241.00 $234.41 $1,341 +38.01
600–607 604 4 195.00–204.00 $199.47 $1,205 +22.73
605–649 631 12 189.00–194.00 $191.27 $1,207 +14.53
655 655 2 195.00 $195.00 $1,277 +7.00
659 fancy 659 79 238.50 $238.50 $1,572 —
670–695 683 2 171.00–175.00 $173.04 $1,182 +11.49
694 value added 694 77 214.25 $214.25 $1,487 —
745 745 2 191.00 $191.00 $1,423 —
746 value added 746 72 217.25 $217.25 $1,621 —
750–751 751 6 164.00–169.00 $168.17 $1,263 -8.83
792 value added 792 66 207.00 $207.00 $1,639 —
810 810 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,223 —
1015 1015 2 142.00 $142.00 $1,441 —
1145 1145 2 139.00 $139.00 $1,592 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 195.00 $195.00 $439 —
325 325 1 180.00 $180.00 $585 —
470–483 480 6 193.00–195.00 $193.66 $930 +16.11
510–545 531 7 174.00–190.00 $184.17 $978 +14.84
560–585 573 3 180.00–195.00 $188.08 $1,078 +3.08
662–670 665 3 141.00–150.00 $146.98 $977 —
700–710 706 4 140.00–145.00 $142.76 $1,008 —
775 775 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,132 +16.00
805–820 811 4 128.00–147.00 $133.28 $1,081 —
855–895 875 2 123.00–127.00 $125.05 $1,094 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 4 209.00 $209.00 $1,035 —
595 595 3 206.00 $206.00 $1,226 —
735 735 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,191 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 232.00 $232.00 $882 —
445 value added 445 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,246 —
460–475 468 2 253.00–265.00 $259.10 $1,213 +39.10
465–480 value added 473 2 275.00–279.00 $277.03 $1,310 —
502 502 2 237.00 $237.00 $1,190 —
607–647 626 10 201.00–209.00 $205.01 $1,283 +25.01
610–647 value added 629 6 212.50–215.00 $213.91 $1,345 +9.44
700 700 2 176.00 $176.00 $1,232 -10.00
845 845 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,352 —
857–865 862 5 160.00–186.00 $175.66 $1,514 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 240.00 $240.00 $696 —
350 350 1 242.00 $242.00 $847 —
400 400 1 220.00 $220.00 $880 +2.50
570–595 583 2 227.00–238.00 $232.38 $1,355 +20.55
665–685 675 2 178.00–200.00 $188.84 $1,275 +28.84
705 705 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,058 —
815 815 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,149 —
865 865 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,211 +15.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 200.00 $200.00 $510 —
598 598 3 228.00 $228.00 $1,363 —
650–685 673 3 194.00–204.00 $197.22 $1,327 +27.22

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1340 1118 80-85% 18 93.00–101.00 $96.70 $1,081 —
1070–1295 1158 80-85% 5 84.00–92.00 $88.82 $1,029 —
1035–1445 1258 80-85% 27 101.00–116.00 $105.86 $1,332 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
660–885 794 85-90% 7 63.00–74.00 $70.21 $557 —
765–1025 915 85-90% 7 74.00–82.00 $77.50 $709 —
705–1105 947 85-90% 12 82.00–90.00 $86.09 $815 —
895–1140 1025 85-90% 11 90.00–97.00 $93.55 $959 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1490 1308 75-80% 3 87.00–89.00 $87.92 $1,150 —
1040–1570 1379 75-80% 20 92.00–101.00 $96.55 $1,331 +6.71
1230–1860 1506 75-80% 8 101.00–111.00 $106.06 $1,597 +11.08

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1900 1346 5 93.00–109.00 $102.84 $1,384 +0.66
1125–1910 1487 8 111.00–124.00 $119.29 $1,774 —
1455–1890 1703 5 125.00–133.00 $127.75 $2,176 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
830–1220 1024 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 10 99.00–122.00 $108.83 $1,114

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920 920 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
930 930 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00
1120 1120 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985 985 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,251 —
1009 1009 21 131.00 $131.00 $1,322 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 6 163.00 $163.00 $1,035 —
852 thin fleshed 852 54 176.75 $176.75 $1,506 —

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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.