Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 30, 2024

1,098 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $231.43/cwt +13.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,876/hd at 811 lb · 194 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $253.60/cwt +10.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,747/hd at 689 lb · 97 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $193.72/cwt -12.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,507/hd at 778 lb · 95 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,098 1,780 442
Feeder cattle 1,016 1,694 380
Slaughter cattle 76 86 60
Replacement cattle 6 — 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday weaned steer and heifer calf packages sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher; some hard weaned calves sharply higher with very good demand. Active market with good buyer participation. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 lower with good 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
310 value added 310 1 290.00 $290.00 $899 —
345 345 2 270.00 $270.00 $932 —
350–365 360 3 279.00–281.00 $280.35 $1,009 —
375–390 value added 387 11 290.00–317.00 $304.46 $1,178 —
410–435 423 2 261.00–265.00 $262.94 $1,112 -6.06
437–438 value added 438 5 287.00–290.00 $288.20 $1,262 +18.20
455–492 value added 482 9 279.00–302.50 $293.88 $1,417 +17.17
529–540 533 9 258.00–260.00 $259.33 $1,382 +0.80
505–540 value added 534 18 265.00–282.00 $278.70 $1,488 +2.75
555–595 value added 566 15 262.50–275.00 $270.06 $1,529 +14.99
575–585 576 13 248.00–252.00 $248.31 $1,430 -1.69
601–646 value added 625 40 245.00–261.00 $255.56 $1,597 +9.95
642 642 2 237.00 $237.00 $1,522 +6.86
655 655 3 230.00–236.00 $234.00 $1,533 -3.00
670–695 value added 690 94 242.50–257.25 $254.23 $1,754 +9.23
715–745 value added 725 31 222.00–239.50 $233.68 $1,694 +5.88
737–740 739 7 216.00–218.00 $216.57 $1,600 +4.57
759–780 value added 767 9 219.00–231.00 $221.69 $1,700 +1.69
806 fancy 806 65 233.75 $233.75 $1,884 +8.50
809–818 thin fleshed 813 123 228.90–233.90 $231.53 $1,882 —
801–845 815 6 201.00–210.00 $204.15 $1,664 -10.09
865–885 875 10 202.00–211.00 $204.51 $1,789 —
1087 fancy 1087 47 198.00 $198.00 $2,152 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 259.00 $259.00 $868 +39.00
515–525 520 3 231.00–246.00 $238.95 $1,243 —
691–693 692 7 225.00 $225.00 $1,557 +7.00
773 773 3 212.00 $212.00 $1,639 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
708 708 5 206.00 $206.00 $1,458 —
915 915 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,748 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 215.00 $215.00 $666 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
277–290 282 4 238.00–245.00 $240.29 $678 +41.21
315–345 value added 332 5 220.00–245.00 $236.62 $786 +19.62
375 375 1 205.00 $205.00 $769 —
370–395 value added 384 9 230.00–240.00 $232.70 $894 +12.72
405–445 value added 416 25 239.00–257.00 $253.95 $1,056 +27.02
428 428 3 217.50 $217.50 $931 +25.00
450–495 value added 467 18 230.00–254.50 $247.21 $1,154 +16.01
495 495 2 216.00 $216.00 $1,069 —
502–546 value added 526 59 212.50–244.00 $237.08 $1,247 +12.65
515–542 539 11 197.00–210.00 $198.86 $1,072 —
560–595 value added 568 14 210.00–224.00 $216.29 $1,229 -6.15
595 595 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,238 -1.24
602–642 value added 616 35 218.00–233.00 $228.16 $1,405 +22.06
615–639 637 11 195.00–210.00 $196.32 $1,251 -1.83
650–660 value added 651 10 217.00–222.00 $221.49 $1,442 +8.49
677–678 678 5 187.50–200.00 $195.00 $1,322 +7.73
705 705 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,163 -7.76
705–711 709 5 180.00–183.00 $181.19 $1,285 +8.43
712 value added 712 16 212.50 $212.50 $1,513 +2.09
752–768 757 10 182.00–189.00 $186.87 $1,415 +7.87
752–798 772 12 149.00–156.00 $152.10 $1,174 -26.90
782 value added 782 73 201.50 $201.50 $1,576 -4.91
800–801 801 5 171.00–174.00 $172.80 $1,384 -2.20
825 825 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,394 -6.00
930 930 1 156.00 $156.00 $1,451 -27.45
950–965 955 3 150.00–165.00 $159.95 $1,528 —
1000 1000 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,390 -35.84
1135 1135 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,634 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 190.00 $190.00 $494 —
305 305 1 180.00 $180.00 $549 +10.00
475–485 480 3 187.00–205.00 $197.73 $949 +4.51
505 505 4 184.00 $184.00 $929 —
620–645 630 6 161.00–175.00 $171.94 $1,083 —
665–671 670 5 162.50–174.00 $171.72 $1,151 —
765–795 779 5 139.00–145.00 $141.81 $1,105 -14.43
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 203.00 $203.00 $863 —
505–515 510 2 185.00–202.00 $193.42 $986 —
650 650 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,105 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 192.50 $192.50 $510 —
380 value added 380 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,197 —
405–425 value added 413 3 280.00–302.50 $292.61 $1,208 —
400–436 421 7 255.00–272.50 $266.38 $1,121 +9.74
456 value added 456 3 284.00 $284.00 $1,295 —
520–537 value added 531 8 240.00–268.00 $257.71 $1,368 —
587 value added 587 6 246.00 $246.00 $1,444 —
600–632 623 5 199.00–210.00 $204.97 $1,277 +7.96
662–675 668 12 200.00–210.00 $203.85 $1,362 +2.63
705–735 720 3 165.00–189.00 $175.28 $1,262 -26.72
760–766 765 4 191.00–196.00 $194.76 $1,490 —
800 800 1 157.50 $157.50 $1,260 —
860 860 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,221 -33.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 247.50 $247.50 $780 —
580–585 581 4 205.00–209.00 $206.01 $1,197 -17.32
865 865 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,202 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,012 —
690 690 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,414 +15.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,035 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1720 1429 75-80% 12 105.00–111.00 $108.66 $1,553 -1.70
1245–1680 1434 75-80% 7 97.00–103.00 $100.05 $1,435 -10.31
1420–1860 1610 75-80% 6 112.00–123.00 $117.02 $1,884 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1400 1272 80-85% 9 106.00–111.00 $108.60 $1,381 —
1205–1595 1350 80-85% 8 111.00–119.00 $114.33 $1,543 -1.93
1530 1530 80-85% 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,392 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–965 893 85-90% 2 64.00–76.00 $70.49 $629 —
970–1150 1075 85-90% 8 88.00–94.00 $90.93 $977 +7.18
1250–1270 1260 85-90% 2 101.00–108.00 $104.53 $1,317 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–2345 2044 4 127.00–130.00 $128.03 $2,617 —
2355–2490 2423 2 116.00–118.00 $116.97 $2,834 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1170–1455 1339 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,125.00–1,525.00 $1,380.39
1460 1460 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00

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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.