Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 9, 2024

2,243 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 steers $234.80/cwt ≈ $1,713/hd at 729 lb · 303 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $220.57/cwt +27.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,415/hd at 642 lb · 194 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $207.01/cwt -12.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,720/hd at 831 lb · 193 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,243 1,492 1,660
Feeder cattle 2,160 1,310 1,560
Slaughter cattle 83 175 100
Replacement cattle — 7 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday demand mixed with feeder steers under 600 lbs 5.00 higher with good demand; over 600 lbs 5.00 to 8.00 lower with moderate demand. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs sold 5.00 higher with good demand; over 500 lbs 5.00 lower with moderate demand. Good demand for local stocker calf placements however wintry weather creating logistical problems moving cattle west. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 lower with moderate 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
326 value added 326 9 285.00 $285.00 $929 —
395 value added 395 1 277.00 $277.00 $1,094 —
400–446 value added 427 14 270.00–300.00 $276.88 $1,182 +3.95
430 430 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,118 +4.53
450–487 value added 471 29 267.50–280.00 $272.19 $1,282 -6.81
470–490 478 5 255.00–260.00 $257.95 $1,233 —
508–541 value added 529 47 257.50–279.00 $268.28 $1,419 +4.71
563–575 565 5 250.00–256.00 $251.22 $1,419 +1.55
579 value added 579 5 264.00 $264.00 $1,529 -2.67
605–630 615 10 225.00–231.00 $229.49 $1,411 -8.10
600–648 value added 629 31 238.50–249.00 $242.84 $1,527 -9.16
653–686 667 19 220.00–231.00 $226.55 $1,511 -8.95
662–685 value added 680 32 235.00–241.00 $239.57 $1,629 -6.93
700–745 710 9 198.00–215.00 $211.04 $1,498 —
702–738 value added 730 294 218.00–236.75 $235.53 $1,719 —
750 750 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,552 -4.00
753–778 value added 777 63 214.00–214.50 $214.48 $1,667 -10.52
805–848 831 193 195.00–210.25 $207.01 $1,720 +2.01
894 894 59 209.00 $209.00 $1,868 —
902–934 918 136 196.50–208.25 $202.49 $1,859 —
989 fancy 989 54 200.75 $200.75 $1,985 —
1034 1034 49 195.00 $195.00 $2,016 +31.00
1050–1081 1075 5 196.00–197.00 $196.20 $2,109 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317–320 318 3 250.00–252.50 $250.84 $798 +5.84
470–480 475 2 233.00–245.00 $239.06 $1,136 —
510–535 514 6 232.00–245.00 $239.77 $1,232 -7.23
550–585 570 3 225.00–240.00 $234.15 $1,335 -9.85
620–630 625 2 209.00–218.00 $213.46 $1,334 —
650–685 669 7 195.00–220.00 $212.57 $1,422 —
725–740 733 2 170.00–195.00 $182.37 $1,337 -13.20
814–816 815 9 190.00–194.00 $192.22 $1,567 +12.22
890 890 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,691 —
923 923 51 188.50 $188.50 $1,740 —
980–990 988 4 148.00–177.00 $169.81 $1,678 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
750–790 765 8 201.00–208.00 $202.61 $1,550 —
867 867 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,647 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,118 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 value added 250 1 220.00 $220.00 $550 —
291 291 8 207.50 $207.50 $604 —
365–394 389 14 197.50–210.00 $206.81 $804 +1.42
382–396 value added 390 5 215.00–219.00 $216.57 $845 +3.99
405–443 429 13 196.00–210.00 $203.06 $871 +2.22
462–492 value added 467 12 211.00–214.00 $211.53 $988 —
458–485 469 28 197.00–206.00 $201.34 $944 +0.19
500–545 value added 524 22 210.00–227.00 $217.36 $1,139 —
506–545 530 25 195.00–201.00 $199.06 $1,055 -9.01
553–597 574 13 194.00–205.00 $201.24 $1,155 -11.82
564–596 value added 582 22 207.00–222.00 $216.02 $1,257 -18.39
625–641 634 12 180.00–190.00 $187.83 $1,191 -3.44
603–645 value added 642 182 199.00–225.00 $222.73 $1,430 —
656–696 value added 673 181 195.00–218.00 $212.12 $1,428 -2.13
660–696 680 6 185.00–195.00 $190.61 $1,296 +17.57
681 681 3 180.00 $180.00 $1,226 +6.96
710 710 3 192.00 $192.00 $1,363 +1.00
738 value added 738 128 202.50 $202.50 $1,494 -14.75
750 750 2 188.00 $188.00 $1,410 +19.83
770 value added 770 21 207.75 $207.75 $1,600 +0.75
841 841 7 170.00 $170.00 $1,430 +19.00
850 850 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,530 —
855–865 860 2 177.00–179.00 $177.99 $1,531 —
913 913 4 163.00 $163.00 $1,488 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 172.50 $172.50 $569 -7.50
417 417 2 187.00 $187.00 $780 —
470 470 1 185.00 $185.00 $870 -8.66
500–545 524 5 172.00–185.00 $179.51 $941 -4.66
557–595 570 3 180.00–185.00 $181.74 $1,036 -6.34
747 747 2 154.00 $154.00 $1,150 —
820–845 833 2 150.00–152.50 $151.27 $1,260 +17.99
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510–520 515 2 170.00–192.50 $181.36 $934 —
625 625 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,125 —
650–685 668 2 165.00–168.00 $166.54 $1,112 —
700 700 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,183 +7.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265 1265 1 132.50 $132.50 $1,676 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 value added 390 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,072 —
460–491 value added 486 6 250.00–275.00 $257.36 $1,251 -19.67
480–495 488 3 245.00–247.50 $246.17 $1,201 -12.93
500–548 527 12 236.00–249.00 $240.30 $1,266 +3.30
527–530 value added 529 8 255.00–258.00 $257.25 $1,361 —
575 575 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,392 —
600–645 value added 630 12 215.00–229.00 $218.91 $1,379 +5.00
605–647 632 4 187.00–210.00 $202.01 $1,277 -3.00
680–685 681 5 193.00–211.00 $207.38 $1,412 —
685 value added 685 2 214.00 $214.00 $1,466 —
821 821 5 169.00 $169.00 $1,387 +9.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 207.50 $207.50 $446 —
390 390 2 242.50 $242.50 $946 —
400 400 1 240.00 $240.00 $960 +20.00
470–490 483 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,159 —
527 527 2 223.00 $223.00 $1,175 —
597 597 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,313 -12.38
610 610 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,153 —
665–690 678 2 150.00–172.50 $161.46 $1,095 -27.38
715 715 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,072 ±0.00
895 895 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,342 +10.00
900 900 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,170 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,085 —
665 665 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,197 -17.22
700–710 705 2 160.00–166.00 $162.98 $1,149 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 210.00 $210.00 $819 —
545 545 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,144 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1650 1440 75-80% 8 93.00–98.00 $94.46 $1,360 —
1155–1750 1489 75-80% 7 82.00–92.00 $87.69 $1,306 —
1135–2000 1505 75-80% 31 98.00–112.00 $103.60 $1,559 -2.46
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1160 1100 80-85% 2 93.00–95.00 $94.05 $1,035 -2.65
1110–1380 1245 80-85% 2 87.00–88.00 $87.55 $1,090 —
1085–1675 1342 80-85% 15 101.00–114.00 $105.25 $1,412 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920 920 85-90% 1 53.00 $53.00 $488 -24.50
935 935 85-90% 1 89.00 $89.00 $832 +2.91
925–1135 1030 85-90% 2 75.00 $75.00 $772 -18.55
1010–1195 1103 85-90% 2 92.00–93.00 $92.46 $1,020 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1665 1400 2 112.00–122.00 $116.05 $1,625 —
1650–2040 1823 5 125.00–130.00 $127.17 $2,318 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 97.50 $97.50 $566 —

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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.