Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 16, 2024

1,001 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 $252.56/cwt +5.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,603/hd at 635 lb · 143 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $292.58/cwt -4.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,870/hd at 639 lb · 83 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $318.24/cwt +16.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,821/hd at 572 lb · 67 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,001 759 906
Feeder cattle 939 621 835
Slaughter cattle 62 136 71
Replacement cattle — 2 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned preconditioned packages. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sold 5.00 lower with moderate demand. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
400 400 1 299.00 $299.00 $1,196 +9.00
430–448 value added 438 9 302.00–323.00 $313.06 $1,371 -1.34
495 value added 495 1 309.00 $309.00 $1,530 -10.70
502–540 value added 525 22 300.00–320.00 $310.12 $1,628 +3.91
556–594 value added 572 65 286.00–323.75 $319.57 $1,828 +16.24
560–595 578 2 271.00–279.00 $274.88 $1,589 +6.88
600 600 2 259.00 $259.00 $1,554 —
600–649 value added 640 81 260.00–306.00 $293.41 $1,878 +9.97
670–695 value added 678 19 273.00–289.00 $285.61 $1,936 +5.90
700–740 value added 714 22 255.00–268.50 $264.93 $1,892 +5.83
753–782 value added 768 23 250.00–258.50 $256.13 $1,967 +14.86
800–830 value added 829 60 235.00–242.00 $235.26 $1,950 —
830–835 833 3 218.00–232.00 $227.35 $1,894 -4.93
867 867 2 224.00 $224.00 $1,942 +2.00
940 940 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,805 -19.00
995 995 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,890 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 275.00 $275.00 $646 —
330 330 1 275.00 $275.00 $908 —
370 370 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,036 ±0.00
465–495 480 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,248 —
542 542 2 262.00 $262.00 $1,420 —
600 600 3 238.00 $238.00 $1,428 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840 840 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,873 —
850 850 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,878 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190 1190 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,142 —
1337 1337 2 148.00 $148.00 $1,979 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
334–345 value added 336 6 305.00–310.00 $309.14 $1,039 —
340 340 1 191.00 $191.00 $649 -94.00
380–382 381 6 277.50–287.50 $283.26 $1,079 +0.61
390–391 value added 390 11 290.00–295.00 $293.18 $1,143 -14.81
400–448 value added 435 13 260.00–282.00 $262.69 $1,143 -11.60
455–480 472 4 243.00–250.00 $244.78 $1,155 -11.24
465–485 value added 473 23 253.00–260.00 $257.80 $1,219 -20.17
507–517 512 4 241.00–249.00 $244.96 $1,254 -6.72
500–540 value added 521 8 251.00–258.00 $255.22 $1,330 -16.32
566 value added 566 19 253.00 $253.00 $1,432 -4.34
561–590 575 19 243.00–248.00 $246.76 $1,419 -5.53
600–637 620 4 232.00 $232.00 $1,438 -7.00
620–646 value added 635 139 241.00–255.50 $253.15 $1,608 +4.45
673 673 3 225.00 $225.00 $1,514 -9.00
662–682 value added 675 19 243.00–250.00 $247.58 $1,671 -2.24
705–740 717 3 204.00–219.00 $213.84 $1,533 -9.16
705–747 value added 722 59 221.00–231.10 $229.66 $1,658 —
767–770 769 4 200.00–210.00 $204.99 $1,576 -6.01
756–782 value added 776 22 222.00–224.50 $223.95 $1,738 —
800 value added 800 38 230.20–233.75 $231.98 $1,856 —
853–895 864 4 191.00–194.00 $191.78 $1,657 -1.22
910 910 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,684 -5.01
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 265.00 $265.00 $636 +17.50
285 285 1 235.00 $235.00 $670 —
305 305 1 232.50 $232.50 $709 —
375–395 387 3 222.50–260.00 $243.67 $943 —
405 405 4 230.00–232.00 $231.00 $936 -19.00
470–485 475 5 235.00–238.00 $237.39 $1,128 +1.82
500–540 522 8 220.00–238.00 $228.20 $1,191 —
550–585 565 13 230.00–237.50 $235.04 $1,328 —
620–645 633 3 202.00–219.00 $208.42 $1,319 -11.19
750 750 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,275 +10.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,322 +9.00
650 650 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,462 -3.00
860 860 2 199.00 $199.00 $1,711 —
972 972 5 185.00 $185.00 $1,798 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 212.50 $212.50 $606 —
430–435 433 2 210.00–215.00 $212.49 $920 —

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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 1 285.00 $285.00 $898 —
385 385 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,155 —
400–420 407 3 280.00–292.50 $284.30 $1,157 -5.33
400–435 value added 413 3 293.00–307.50 $299.15 $1,235 -3.85
452–490 463 5 270.00–285.00 $278.29 $1,288 -6.93
477–495 value added 486 4 287.00–289.00 $288.02 $1,400 -5.98
500–530 515 5 260.00–274.00 $266.71 $1,374 -11.80
520–530 value added 525 2 273.00–294.00 $283.60 $1,489 -1.40
567 567 2 269.00 $269.00 $1,525 -0.88
590 value added 590 2 281.00 $281.00 $1,658 +10.00
607 thin fleshed 607 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,639 —
615–645 630 2 238.00–240.00 $238.98 $1,506 —
600–640 value added 631 14 240.00–257.00 $246.92 $1,558 -24.08
657–675 663 3 232.00–245.00 $240.59 $1,595 +1.15
705 value added 705 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,622 —
747 747 2 226.00 $226.00 $1,688 -2.02
765 value added 765 3 231.00 $231.00 $1,767 —
870 870 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,714 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–290 283 2 270.00–285.00 $277.70 $786 —
360–378 371 7 245.00–280.00 $262.89 $975 —
467 467 2 232.00 $232.00 $1,083 —
525–530 528 2 233.00–245.00 $239.03 $1,262 -6.64
665–690 678 2 221.00–224.00 $222.47 $1,508 —
745 745 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,490 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,313 —
465 465 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,302 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 235.00 $235.00 $799 +2.50
450 450 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,058 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1530 1284 80-85% 20 127.00–150.00 $136.39 $1,751 +4.68
1335 1335 80-85% 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,655 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1650 1405 75-80% 11 128.00–155.00 $135.80 $1,908 +3.10
1100–1665 1414 75-80% 5 110.00–126.00 $122.28 $1,729 -10.42
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885 885 85-90% 1 110.00 $110.00 $974 —
850–1080 965 85-90% 3 87.00–90.00 $88.21 $851 -21.35
940–1075 1008 85-90% 2 115.00–122.00 $118.73 $1,197 -1.78

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330 1330 1 152.00 $152.00 $2,022 —
1600–2155 1959 5 155.00–170.00 $164.08 $3,214 —

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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.