Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 5, 2024

804 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $265.75/cwt +32.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,611/hd at 606 lb · 89 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $295.27/cwt +43.27 vs last sale · ≈ $1,975/hd at 669 lb · 67 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $201.30/cwt ≈ $1,684/hd at 836 lb · 47 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 804 767 929
Feeder cattle 741 722 880
Slaughter cattle 62 44 48
Replacement cattle 1 1 1

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher; except 6-weight yearlings sharply higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady on similar quality with good demand; except yearling 6-weight packages sharply higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 higher with very 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
350 350 2 312.50 $312.50 $1,094 —
395 value added 395 1 341.00 $341.00 $1,347 +16.24
410 410 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,199 +15.00
415–440 value added 436 18 322.00–369.00 $334.65 $1,459 +8.39
455–487 value added 471 7 307.50–339.00 $322.67 $1,520 +29.53
470–471 471 4 283.00–290.00 $284.75 $1,341 +24.75
500–540 value added 514 8 285.00–312.00 $299.05 $1,537 +6.19
557–592 value added 582 21 268.00–302.00 $290.62 $1,691 +14.88
600–610 fancy 603 6 295.00–297.50 $295.84 $1,784 —
605–640 value added 625 20 250.00–277.50 $271.39 $1,696 +4.34
650–673 fancy 668 51 296.00–299.50 $298.77 $1,996 —
656–685 value added 672 16 256.00–290.00 $284.11 $1,909 +18.11
702–746 value added 720 28 246.00–252.50 $249.63 $1,797 +13.69
761–771 765 11 230.00–234.00 $232.53 $1,779 +7.53
755–782 value added 775 5 240.00–241.00 $240.40 $1,863 +9.57
805–815 808 23 230.00–235.00 $234.48 $1,895 +15.90
830 830 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,660 -18.58
850 850 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,870 —
862 value added 862 41 226.00 $226.00 $1,948 —
938 value added 938 24 220.50 $220.50 $2,068 —
1018 1018 4 214.00 $214.00 $2,179 +23.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 272.50 $272.50 $831 —
485 485 1 261.00 $261.00 $1,266 —
645 645 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,290 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 1 263.00 $263.00 $1,486 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205 1205 1 189.00 $189.00 $2,277 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–395 375 2 279.00–295.00 $286.57 $1,075 -15.16
410–440 425 2 250.00–257.00 $253.62 $1,078 —
410–445 value added 427 23 260.00–300.00 $272.87 $1,165 -16.64
437 fancy 437 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,398 —
460–493 value added 473 13 263.00–282.50 $272.80 $1,290 -13.17
455–491 481 14 249.00–258.00 $252.99 $1,217 —
510–545 529 4 230.00–247.00 $237.17 $1,255 —
522–547 value added 531 16 256.00–267.00 $261.00 $1,386 -3.15
550–590 567 3 230.00–242.00 $237.01 $1,344 -3.99
551–597 value added 574 39 248.00–276.00 $261.27 $1,500 -0.54
600–627 value added 606 87 243.00–267.50 $266.72 $1,616 +28.47
600–635 618 2 220.00–227.00 $223.60 $1,382 +15.77
650–685 666 4 200.00–210.00 $202.44 $1,348 -52.31
670–697 value added 691 32 225.50–253.00 $231.33 $1,598 -10.78
705–745 720 3 181.00–196.00 $190.17 $1,369 -5.95
750–797 value added 792 28 209.00–215.00 $209.61 $1,660 +0.91
800 800 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,512 —
835–842 value added 838 45 196.00–207.50 $201.85 $1,692 —
865 value added 865 3 196.00 $196.00 $1,695 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–325 318 4 237.50–261.00 $248.45 $790 -26.55
375 375 1 240.00 $240.00 $900 +10.00
417–420 418 3 230.00 $230.00 $961 -10.00
500–545 520 5 200.00–220.00 $210.29 $1,094 —
550–595 573 2 195.00–216.00 $205.91 $1,180 -9.09
610 610 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,159 —
680 680 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,156 ±0.00
715–720 718 2 145.00–167.50 $156.29 $1,122 -12.76
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 217.50 $217.50 $435 —
345 345 1 210.00 $210.00 $724 —
355 355 2 202.50 $202.50 $719 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 275.00 $275.00 $976 —
595 595 2 218.00–228.00 $223.00 $1,327 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 300.00 $300.00 $915 —
317 value added 317 2 327.00 $327.00 $1,037 —
390 390 3 310.00 $310.00 $1,209 —
400–435 value added 415 4 300.00–307.00 $302.45 $1,255 +8.57
430 430 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,161 —
458 458 3 292.50 $292.50 $1,340 +28.28
457–490 value added 470 4 302.00–307.50 $303.91 $1,428 +15.78
508–540 value added 519 11 274.00–299.00 $281.90 $1,463 +4.40
562–568 value added 566 5 277.00–279.00 $278.21 $1,575 +7.44
590 590 1 271.00 $271.00 $1,599 +25.00
612 value added 612 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,622 +33.01
660 value added 660 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,558 +3.00
665–697 681 5 217.00–220.00 $218.17 $1,486 +0.15
715 715 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,544 +5.30
760–762 761 4 211.00–214.00 $212.75 $1,619 +20.75
820 820 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,550 -5.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 332 3 250.00–260.00 $253.07 $840 —
385 385 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,001 -31.00
455 455 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,138 +2.50
500 500 1 251.00 $251.00 $1,255 —
555 555 1 249.00 $249.00 $1,382 ±0.00
665 665 1 213.00 $213.00 $1,416 —
860 860 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,393 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 210.00 $210.00 $494 —
395 395 1 240.00 $240.00 $948 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1685 1424 75-80% 22 117.00–135.00 $121.29 $1,727 +2.78
1205–1600 1446 75-80% 6 112.00–114.00 $113.18 $1,637 -5.33
1625 1625 75-80% 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,658 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1190 1140 80-85% 2 100.00–105.00 $102.61 $1,170 —
990–1330 1209 80-85% 7 117.00–136.00 $125.21 $1,514 —
1090–1425 1219 80-85% 7 108.00–114.00 $110.27 $1,344 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–850 835 85-90% 2 81.00–84.00 $82.47 $689 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1845 1590 6 130.00–150.00 $139.73 $2,222 —
2620 2620 1 124.00 $124.00 $3,249 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1040 1040 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00

↑ Back to top

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.