Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 19, 2024

1,140 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 $242.32/cwt -8.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,484/hd at 613 lb · 127 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $280.75/cwt +12.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,914/hd at 682 lb · 114 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $230.41/cwt +11.41 vs last sale · ≈ $2,111/hd at 916 lb · 90 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,140 1,117 784
Feeder cattle 1,090 1,048 678
Slaughter cattle 48 63 100
Replacement cattle 2 6 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher on weaned 400-600 lb packages with very good demand; others steady on similar quality. Yearling steers and heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 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
275 fancy 275 2 360.00 $360.00 $990 —
295 295 1 302.00 $302.00 $891 —
335 value added 335 1 351.00 $351.00 $1,176 -13.98
365 365 2 317.50 $317.50 $1,159 +7.50
350–373 value added 369 8 320.00–342.50 $328.76 $1,213 -26.96
417–433 value added 426 25 313.00–377.00 $360.65 $1,536 -5.81
450–474 value added 461 21 312.50–338.00 $322.95 $1,489 -16.19
460–465 462 5 302.50–310.00 $306.98 $1,418 +37.98
500–532 value added 521 49 290.00–326.00 $316.37 $1,648 -9.00
548 548 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,452 —
567–585 578 6 261.00–274.00 $268.31 $1,551 -1.69
554–590 value added 579 60 276.00–317.00 $305.95 $1,771 +10.76
600–649 value added 633 37 260.00–308.00 $291.50 $1,845 -5.23
650 650 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,625 —
655–688 value added 682 113 275.00–295.00 $281.02 $1,917 +10.63
720 720 1 233.00 $233.00 $1,678 —
721–738 value added 728 28 238.00–246.00 $242.18 $1,763 -18.35
769 fancy 769 64 269.50 $269.50 $2,072 —
810 value added 810 62 253.75 $253.75 $2,055 +6.05
840–847 846 13 221.00–243.00 $238.39 $2,017 +13.43
902–918 fancy 913 81 230.00–232.50 $231.68 $2,115 +12.68
945 945 9 219.00 $219.00 $2,070 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–430 420 2 280.00–297.50 $288.96 $1,214 —
476 476 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,357 —
575 575 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,438 -2.50
622 value added 622 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,431 —
620–640 629 4 237.50–245.00 $240.66 $1,514 —
685 685 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,507 —
700 700 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,505 -11.81
750 750 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,650 ±0.00
880 880 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,760 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 3 286.00 $286.00 $1,459 —
630 630 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,512 —
722 722 2 223.00 $223.00 $1,610 —
750–790 770 2 231.00–235.00 $233.05 $1,794 —
800 800 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,760 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 250.00 $250.00 $950 —
420 420 1 200.00 $200.00 $840 —
510 510 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,173 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 300.00 $300.00 $660 —
280 value added 280 1 320.00 $320.00 $896 —
305–315 310 6 277.50–290.00 $287.88 $892 +8.41
321 value added 321 4 300.00 $300.00 $963 -21.02
355–397 value added 371 17 300.00–310.00 $303.80 $1,127 -4.53
375–390 380 3 280.00–292.50 $288.22 $1,095 -4.66
405 thin fleshed 405 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,296 —
430 430 1 258.00 $258.00 $1,109 -7.00
420–445 value added 434 15 267.50–282.00 $277.75 $1,205 -11.95
450 450 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,170 +20.00
460–482 value added 467 35 264.00–292.00 $277.44 $1,296 +12.30
502–537 value added 514 25 268.00–283.00 $274.61 $1,411 -17.15
500–529 521 7 250.00–253.00 $250.41 $1,305 +6.29
550–587 575 3 256.00–262.00 $260.09 $1,496 +20.89
550–590 value added 585 16 262.00–280.00 $269.16 $1,575 +6.49
600–640 value added 611 78 240.00–261.50 $252.79 $1,545 +1.57
600–633 615 49 219.00–238.00 $225.65 $1,388 -1.35
684 fancy 684 11 253.00 $253.00 $1,731 —
663–692 value added 690 71 239.00–251.50 $250.60 $1,729 -0.87
730 730 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,526 -1.00
835 835 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,762 -14.50
905 905 3 191.00 $191.00 $1,729 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 245.00 $245.00 $625 —
375 375 1 261.00 $261.00 $979 —
470–490 480 2 232.00–237.50 $234.69 $1,127 +9.16
510–515 511 5 205.00–240.00 $212.05 $1,084 —
550–595 580 4 210.00–232.00 $225.47 $1,308 -1.53
600–630 612 5 180.00–210.00 $192.88 $1,180 -21.12
660–672 667 6 185.00–211.00 $200.51 $1,337 —
771 771 3 190.00 $190.00 $1,465 +8.49
820 820 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,394 —
875 875 1 167.00 $167.00 $1,461 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615–625 620 2 211.00–217.00 $213.98 $1,327 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 190.00 $190.00 $836 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,054 —
460 value added 460 1 323.00 $323.00 $1,486 -24.53
480 480 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,416 +11.66
500–546 value added 523 7 275.00–290.00 $279.31 $1,461 -26.77
577–590 value added 581 3 277.00–277.50 $277.17 $1,610 -2.83
615–620 value added 618 2 240.00–251.00 $245.48 $1,517 -3.64
620 620 1 232.00 $232.00 $1,438 —
653–662 value added 658 7 241.00–251.00 $245.25 $1,614 —
755–780 768 2 221.00–227.00 $223.95 $1,720 +18.95
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,128 —
510 510 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,173 —
580–585 583 2 225.00–235.00 $230.02 $1,341 —
675 675 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,350 —
760 760 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,520 —
885 885 1 177.00 $177.00 $1,566 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,050 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1650 1448 75-80% 2 109.00–116.00 $112.99 $1,636 —
1230–1725 1533 75-80% 12 123.00–135.00 $128.63 $1,972 +11.08
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 85-90% 1 93.00 $93.00 $865 —
795–1160 991 85-90% 4 112.00–119.00 $114.79 $1,138 +6.79
920–1045 1003 85-90% 3 103.00–110.00 $106.65 $1,070 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 80-85% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,416 +0.96
1020–1715 1224 80-85% 7 118.00–133.00 $127.16 $1,556 +11.12

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455–2280 1837 10 144.00–156.00 $149.84 $2,753 —

↑ Back to top

Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462 462 2 185.00 $185.00 $855 —

↑ Back to top

Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 185.00 $185.00 $980 —

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1130 1130 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,225.00 $2,225.00 —

↑ 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.