Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 23, 2024

1,780 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 $206.32/cwt +69.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,601/hd at 776 lb · 290 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $209.63/cwt ≈ $1,521/hd at 726 lb · 194 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $217.71/cwt ≈ $1,789/hd at 822 lb · 176 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,780 115 526
Feeder cattle 1,694 82 383
Slaughter cattle 86 33 143

Market comments — USDA reporter

Feeder steers and heifers - limited market comparison with last Tuesday's lite test (weather) however 400-600 lb weaned steer calf packages and 500-600 lb weaned heifer packages noticeably higher with good demand and good buyer participation. Slaughter cows sold 5.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 higher 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
267 fancy 267 2 292.50 $292.50 $781 —
340 fancy 340 6 297.50–298.00 $297.92 $1,013 —
382 fancy 382 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,146 —
401 fancy 401 3 298.00 $298.00 $1,195 —
426 value added 426 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,150 —
436 436 3 269.00 $269.00 $1,173 +16.17
458–471 value added 467 12 272.00–279.00 $276.71 $1,292 —
454–491 475 12 264.00–271.00 $269.03 $1,278 +10.29
508–535 value added 518 5 274.00–280.00 $275.95 $1,429 —
510–541 523 21 251.00–266.00 $258.53 $1,352 +9.12
570 570 4 250.00 $250.00 $1,425 —
560–597 value added 587 46 250.50–263.00 $255.07 $1,497 —
600–627 value added 612 7 240.00–250.00 $245.61 $1,503 —
622–648 643 17 224.00–237.00 $230.14 $1,480 +8.14
655 value added 655 23 245.00 $245.00 $1,605 —
679 679 5 237.00 $237.00 $1,609 +23.00
716 716 4 212.00 $212.00 $1,518 —
707–745 value added 718 70 219.00–230.00 $227.80 $1,636 —
721 fancy 721 25 235.00 $235.00 $1,694 —
761 value added 761 7 220.00 $220.00 $1,674 —
804 fancy 804 70 225.25 $225.25 $1,811 —
812–824 value added 818 40 209.50–211.00 $210.24 $1,720 —
800–844 843 66 204.00–217.00 $214.24 $1,806 —
940 fancy 940 57 215.25 $215.25 $2,023 —
963–973 971 22 190.00–192.00 $190.45 $1,849 —
1000 1000 50 201.50 $201.50 $2,015 —
1087 1087 4 181.50 $181.50 $1,973 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 220.00 $220.00 $671 —
435 435 2 244.00 $244.00 $1,061 —
575 575 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,351 —
605 605 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,216 +10.00
660 660 2 218.00 $218.00 $1,439 —
725 725 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,450 —
975 975 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,696 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
763 763 3 215.00 $215.00 $1,640 —
1032 1032 4 185.00 $185.00 $1,909 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1245 1233 2 160.00–165.00 $162.47 $2,003 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 213.00 $213.00 $809 —
475 475 1 209.00 $209.00 $993 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–292 281 3 197.00–200.00 $199.08 $559 —
311–336 327 8 190.00–205.00 $199.64 $653 —
338 value added 338 4 217.00 $217.00 $733 —
377–380 value added 379 5 212.50–225.00 $219.98 $834 —
410 410 1 192.50 $192.50 $789 -7.50
415–440 value added 430 15 217.50–236.00 $226.93 $976 —
450–470 457 11 204.00–215.00 $210.94 $964 +10.10
453–497 value added 470 24 219.00–236.00 $231.20 $1,087 —
500 500 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,050 -1.51
501–543 value added 523 38 216.00–230.00 $224.43 $1,174 —
552–575 value added 567 23 220.00–223.00 $222.44 $1,261 —
560–590 569 4 207.00–211.00 $209.24 $1,191 +1.01
612 fancy 612 43 235.00 $235.00 $1,438 —
600–630 613 12 208.00–216.00 $212.57 $1,303 +16.74
620–631 628 12 184.00–205.00 $198.15 $1,244 +2.32
615–645 value added 642 19 206.00–207.00 $206.10 $1,323 —
670–684 value added 674 104 213.00 $213.00 $1,436 —
660–695 678 4 184.00–190.00 $187.27 $1,270 -3.35
700–720 709 4 171.00–174.00 $172.76 $1,225 —
708–748 value added 726 190 200.00–214.75 $210.41 $1,528 —
767–784 value added 776 289 197.00–209.75 $206.41 $1,602 —
790 790 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,414 —
802–830 811 3 175.00 $175.00 $1,419 —
821–835 value added 822 70 200.75–205.00 $201.12 $1,653 —
852–855 value added 854 14 194.00–200.00 $197.86 $1,690 —
860 860 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,385 —
901–932 921 17 180.50–185.00 $183.45 $1,690 +21.45
1020–1040 1032 5 170.00–178.00 $174.84 $1,804 —
1085 1085 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,736 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 170.00 $170.00 $570 ±0.00
435 435 2 190.00 $190.00 $826 +21.00
465–471 470 5 186.00–195.00 $193.22 $908 —
547 547 2 201.00 $201.00 $1,099 —
745 745 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,118 +33.00
770–785 772 7 140.00–159.00 $156.24 $1,206 —
815 815 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,141 +19.00
870 870 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,174 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 3 202.00 $202.00 $1,303 —
688 688 3 189.00 $189.00 $1,300 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 276.00 $276.00 $842 —
415–440 427 6 252.50–261.00 $256.64 $1,096 —
467 467 2 251.00 $251.00 $1,172 +0.50
545 545 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,376 +17.50
568 568 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,505 —
610–620 615 2 196.00–198.00 $197.01 $1,212 -9.49
650–675 664 5 190.00–215.00 $201.22 $1,336 —
720 720 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,454 —
845 845 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,394 —
850 850 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,488 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–445 423 2 219.00–220.00 $219.47 $928 +1.24
490 490 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,102 +37.00
500–530 515 3 206.00–221.00 $215.52 $1,110 —
550–570 560 7 214.00–229.00 $223.33 $1,251 +28.35
655 655 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,212 +20.00
800 800 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,168 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600–615 608 2 190.00–205.00 $197.59 $1,201 +20.59
667 667 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,267 —
725 725 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,356 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 205.00 $205.00 $533 +40.00
330–340 335 2 175.00–202.50 $188.54 $632 —
475 475 1 207.50 $207.50 $986 —
585 585 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,228 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1765 1419 75-80% 10 107.00–112.00 $110.36 $1,566 -1.83
1315–1810 1547 75-80% 26 112.00–127.00 $118.27 $1,830 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1140 993 85-90% 8 88.00–91.00 $89.73 $891 —
960–1120 1017 85-90% 7 103.00–110.00 $106.78 $1,086 —
900–1165 1041 85-90% 6 95.00–103.00 $98.33 $1,024 —
890–1160 1068 85-90% 4 83.00–84.00 $83.75 $894 -16.29
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1370 1159 80-85% 8 106.00–112.00 $108.98 $1,263 -3.08
1195 1195 80-85% 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,159 -15.06
1115–1690 1356 80-85% 10 112.00–120.00 $116.26 $1,576 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1885–2045 1963 3 124.00–140.00 $131.06 $2,573 —

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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.