Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 26, 2024

686 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $281.71/cwt +12.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,451/hd at 515 lb · 80 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $228.25/cwt -2.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,091/hd at 916 lb · 70 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $249.19/cwt +6.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,544/hd at 619 lb · 49 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 686 1,140 1,020
Feeder cattle 618 1,090 958
Slaughter cattle 50 48 62
Replacement cattle 18 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower with decline on fleshy bawling calves and short-weaned calves; over 600 lbs sold steady to 4.00 higher with advance on 700-800 lb yearlings. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower on fleshy bawlers and short-weaned offerings. Hard thin-fleshed long-weaned calf packages remain well received with very good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 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
381–387 value added 383 5 315.00–321.00 $317.42 $1,216 -11.34
382–392 387 4 313.00–315.00 $314.01 $1,215 -3.49
400–447 value added 424 4 327.50–340.00 $334.10 $1,417 -26.55
425 425 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,211 —
462–475 value added 467 14 303.00–325.00 $311.44 $1,454 -11.51
490 490 1 297.50 $297.50 $1,458 -9.48
505 505 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,414 —
505–545 value added 526 19 309.00–325.00 $317.48 $1,670 +1.11
550–595 value added 561 17 291.00–305.00 $299.87 $1,682 -6.08
562–595 581 11 279.00–287.50 $282.90 $1,644 +14.59
600–635 value added 612 18 269.00–290.00 $285.07 $1,745 -6.43
650–697 value added 661 12 257.50–280.00 $275.47 $1,821 -5.55
710 710 1 237.00 $237.00 $1,683 +4.00
700–745 value added 735 10 240.00–249.00 $245.92 $1,808 +3.74
750–787 value added 770 27 243.00–249.00 $247.29 $1,904 —
850–880 861 7 220.00–230.00 $225.67 $1,943 —
914 fancy 914 55 230.50 $230.50 $2,107 -1.18
923 value added 923 15 220.00 $220.00 $2,031 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 277.50 $277.50 $805 —
325 325 1 300.00 $300.00 $975 —
380 380 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,064 —
475 475 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,294 -12.50
510–530 520 2 240.00–261.00 $250.70 $1,304 —
935 935 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,748 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 292.00 $292.00 $1,358 —
565 565 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,554 —
790 790 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,817 -3.05
800 800 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,720 -5.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 200.00 $200.00 $610 —
370 370 1 225.00 $225.00 $832 -25.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340–345 343 2 280.00–285.00 $282.52 $969 -5.36
375–395 382 8 280.00–312.50 $289.99 $1,108 +1.77
410 410 2 250.00–262.50 $256.25 $1,051 -1.75
400–443 value added 427 8 280.00–287.50 $284.34 $1,214 +6.59
433–435 fancy 434 4 302.50–305.00 $303.13 $1,316 —
452 fancy 452 6 305.00 $305.00 $1,379 —
460–492 value added 476 29 261.00–288.00 $272.32 $1,296 -5.12
480 480 2 249.00–260.00 $254.50 $1,222 -5.50
512 512 2 244.00 $244.00 $1,249 -6.41
505–546 value added 515 78 260.00–290.25 $282.68 $1,456 +8.07
560 560 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,372 -15.09
565–576 value added 574 8 249.00–255.00 $252.50 $1,449 -16.66
601–635 value added 619 44 240.00–254.00 $251.42 $1,556 -1.37
610–637 623 5 227.00–234.00 $229.60 $1,430 +3.95
683 value added 683 11 243.00 $243.00 $1,660 -7.60
685 685 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,562 —
700 700 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,323 -20.00
728–734 value added 731 10 222.00–225.00 $223.49 $1,634 —
818 value added 818 5 222.00 $222.00 $1,816 —
853 value added 853 15 220.50 $220.50 $1,881 —
1145 1145 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,729 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 250.00 $250.00 $525 —
250–270 260 2 230.00–245.00 $237.21 $617 -7.79
345 345 1 255.00 $255.00 $880 —
350–385 372 3 242.00–269.00 $254.05 $945 -6.95
448 448 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,120 —
470–480 475 2 241.00–245.00 $243.02 $1,154 +8.33
530–540 535 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,230 +17.95
557 557 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,342 +15.53
625–630 627 3 214.00–217.50 $215.17 $1,349 +22.29
650 650 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,105 -30.51
785 785 1 157.50 $157.50 $1,236 -32.50
820 820 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,312 -10.00
870 870 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,218 -27.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 368 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,012 —
415 415 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,000 —
460 460 1 243.00 $243.00 $1,118 —
662 662 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,390 —
720 720 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,361 —
955 955 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,413 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 200.00 $200.00 $670 —
360 360 1 215.00 $215.00 $774 —
432 432 2 213.00 $213.00 $920 +23.00
550 550 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,106 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 310.00 $310.00 $976 ±0.00
360–390 375 4 310.00–325.00 $316.88 $1,188 —
405 value added 405 2 311.00–315.00 $313.00 $1,268 —
425–440 435 3 285.00–297.50 $290.06 $1,262 —
462–467 value added 465 4 310.00–317.50 $313.73 $1,459 -9.27
470–490 480 2 280.00–295.00 $287.34 $1,379 -7.66
510 510 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,326 —
502–537 value added 524 18 295.00–312.50 $299.63 $1,570 +20.32
550 550 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,609 —
600–625 value added 608 5 259.00–292.50 $278.45 $1,693 +32.97
650–697 value added 678 9 240.00–283.00 $260.80 $1,768 +15.55
690 690 1 238.00 $238.00 $1,642 —
760 760 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,596 -13.95
813 813 3 186.00 $186.00 $1,512 —
850 850 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,742 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 272.50 $272.50 $695 —
440–445 443 2 270.00–285.00 $277.54 $1,230 —
495 495 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,188 ±0.00
560 560 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,378 +15.98
630 630 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,386 —
770–795 783 2 201.00–209.00 $205.06 $1,606 +5.06
890 890 1 177.00 $177.00 $1,575 ±0.00
950 950 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,387 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 2 291.00 $291.00 $946 —
385 385 2 308.00 $308.00 $1,186 —
740 740 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,613 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 80-85% 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,160 —
1100–1405 1253 80-85% 2 109.00–119.00 $114.61 $1,436 —
1025–1590 1268 80-85% 12 121.00–141.00 $128.78 $1,633 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–900 888 85-90% 2 105.00–107.00 $105.99 $941 —
850–935 893 85-90% 2 78.00–79.00 $78.52 $701 —
950–1235 1086 85-90% 7 111.00–121.00 $115.10 $1,250 —
1015–1160 1088 85-90% 2 87.00–101.00 $94.47 $1,028 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325 1325 75-80% 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,418 —
1050–1670 1354 75-80% 12 120.00–137.00 $130.64 $1,769 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410–2240 1725 3 132.00–147.00 $142.31 $2,455 —
1575–1945 1768 4 153.00–154.00 $153.28 $2,710 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1045 1045 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00
1220–1230 1225 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,475.00–1,575.00 $1,525.20

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1440–1490 1457 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 2,075.00–2,200.00 $2,157.38 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
755 755 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835 835 2 108.00 $108.00 $902 —

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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.