Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report, Lexington, KY

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 23, 2024

1,265 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $225.84/cwt +33.84 vs last sale · ≈ $2,127/hd at 942 lb · 125 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $265.67/cwt +15.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,545/hd at 582 lb · 118 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $294.91/cwt +2.33 vs last sale · ≈ $1,842/hd at 625 lb · 82 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,265 1,001 729
Feeder cattle 1,129 939 610
Slaughter cattle 117 62 119
Replacement cattle 19 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages; some 400-500 lb weaned heifer packages sharply higher. Yearling 600-800 lbs thin fleshed packages 5.00 higher; feeders over 800 lb sold steady. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 lower 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
325 325 1 319.00 $319.00 $1,037 —
335 value added 335 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,097 —
365 value added 365 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,250 —
425 425 1 308.00 $308.00 $1,309 +9.00
400–447 value added 429 25 311.00–345.00 $332.04 $1,424 +18.98
456–480 value added 468 20 309.00–333.00 $323.65 $1,515 +14.65
475–492 485 8 291.00–297.50 $293.30 $1,423 —
500–545 value added 535 27 294.00–313.00 $301.67 $1,614 -8.45
535 535 4 282.00 $282.00 $1,509 —
559–590 value added 574 44 292.00–312.50 $307.15 $1,763 -12.42
567–595 581 4 267.50–290.00 $278.48 $1,618 +3.60
600–632 thin fleshed 624 51 299.95–302.00 $300.34 $1,874 —
600–645 value added 625 28 274.00–298.00 $288.79 $1,805 -4.62
620–645 635 3 256.00–263.00 $259.71 $1,649 +0.71
663–678 671 6 262.00–265.00 $263.48 $1,768 —
662–690 value added 678 60 268.00–299.00 $286.61 $1,943 +1.00
690 thin fleshed 690 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,070 —
720 value added 720 3 269.00 $269.00 $1,937 +4.07
751–785 value added 763 42 251.00–269.00 $264.04 $2,015 +7.91
790 790 1 238.00 $238.00 $1,880 —
822–830 827 5 226.00–240.00 $234.43 $1,939 +7.08
860–890 865 41 219.00–231.00 $230.40 $1,993 +6.40
930–943 fancy 942 125 225.70–241.00 $225.84 $2,127 —
971–997 975 13 201.00–215.00 $203.20 $1,981 +13.20
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 240.00 $240.00 $864 -40.00
405 405 1 261.00 $261.00 $1,057 —
477–480 478 3 241.00–270.00 $260.29 $1,244 +0.29
600–627 618 3 242.00–248.00 $246.06 $1,521 +8.06
760 760 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,672 —
800 800 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,680 —
880 880 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,848 —
916 916 20 201.00 $201.00 $1,841 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 2 266.00 $266.00 $1,330 —
576 576 10 271.50 $271.50 $1,564 —
700 700 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,645 —
775 775 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,860 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145 1145 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,969 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352–395 374 7 276.00–286.00 $283.39 $1,060 +0.13
400–447 value added 434 9 267.50–301.00 $291.51 $1,265 +28.82
450–485 value added 463 13 275.00–299.00 $285.34 $1,321 +27.54
460–470 467 3 260.00 $260.00 $1,214 +15.22
507–528 value added 520 10 263.00–279.00 $272.66 $1,418 +17.44
515–537 530 4 256.00–261.00 $258.77 $1,371 +13.81
530 530 3 281.00 $281.00 $1,489 +36.04
550–564 557 16 279.00–281.00 $279.74 $1,558 +32.98
565–580 574 4 254.00–259.00 $255.75 $1,468 +8.99
562–589 value added 586 98 262.00–277.00 $263.78 $1,546 +10.78
606–607 607 11 266.00–267.00 $266.27 $1,616 +34.27
600–635 value added 623 7 240.00–264.00 $256.65 $1,599 +3.50
666 666 18 265.00 $265.00 $1,765 +40.00
669 value added 669 57 257.50 $257.50 $1,723 +9.92
702–705 704 5 221.00–224.00 $222.80 $1,569 +8.96
700–726 value added 709 58 232.00–240.00 $234.87 $1,665 +5.21
755 755 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,661 +15.01
760–775 763 5 199.00–209.00 $201.23 $1,535 -3.76
756–794 value added 791 44 228.75–236.00 $229.38 $1,814 +5.43
845 845 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,606 —
855 855 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,539 -11.78
857 value added 857 2 224.00 $224.00 $1,920 —
932 value added 932 7 199.00 $199.00 $1,855 —
961 value added 961 13 196.50 $196.50 $1,888 —
995 995 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,801 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 260.00 $260.00 $858 +27.50
355–365 363 6 225.00–245.00 $229.29 $832 -14.38
415–440 428 2 250.00–260.00 $255.15 $1,092 +24.15
475–482 480 3 237.50–245.00 $239.98 $1,152 +2.59
590 590 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,475 +14.96
600 600 2 231.00 $231.00 $1,386 +22.58
650–665 658 2 191.00–220.00 $205.67 $1,353 —
740–745 743 2 180.00–184.00 $182.01 $1,352 —
760 760 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,216 -10.00
875–885 880 2 145.00–153.00 $149.02 $1,311 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720 720 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,447 —
796 value added 796 5 225.00 $225.00 $1,791 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1335 1180 4 133.00–165.00 $146.49 $1,729 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,020 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–485 462 3 299.00–305.00 $301.10 $1,391 +22.81
490 value added 490 2 309.00 $309.00 $1,514 +20.98
515–522 value added 517 6 287.00–305.00 $297.04 $1,536 +13.44
500–535 523 3 265.00–271.00 $269.09 $1,407 +2.38
585 585 1 262.00 $262.00 $1,533 -7.00
620–625 623 2 241.00–248.00 $244.49 $1,523 +5.51
655 value added 655 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,710 —
670–690 680 2 240.00–246.00 $242.96 $1,652 +2.37
744 744 5 236.00 $236.00 $1,756 +10.00
862–890 866 7 159.00–180.00 $176.92 $1,532 -20.08
925–945 935 2 154.00–165.00 $159.56 $1,492 —
955 955 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,767 —
1082 1082 2 145.00 $145.00 $1,569 —
1165 1165 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,748 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 5 287.00 $287.00 $936 —
365–372 370 3 261.00–287.00 $278.44 $1,030 +15.55
425 425 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,020 —
495 495 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,188 +8.00
530 530 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,272 +0.97
575–595 585 2 232.00–238.00 $235.05 $1,375 —
735 735 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,558 +12.00
990 990 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,436 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
782 782 2 212.00 $212.00 $1,658 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–1380 1373 75-80% 2 110.00 $110.00 $1,510 —
1185–1950 1427 75-80% 20 113.00–124.00 $119.80 $1,710 -2.48
1285–2075 1490 75-80% 34 124.00–137.00 $129.04 $1,923 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1420 1158 80-85% 9 114.00–125.00 $120.46 $1,395 —
850–1655 1271 80-85% 15 126.00–145.00 $135.12 $1,717 -1.27
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 85-90% 1 102.50 $102.50 $630 —
980 980 85-90% 1 88.00 $88.00 $862 -0.21
890–1185 1058 85-90% 5 108.00–113.00 $110.42 $1,168 —
820–1180 1067 85-90% 10 115.00–129.00 $120.28 $1,283 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1380–2055 1607 5 132.00–153.00 $148.09 $2,380 —
1610–2100 1852 5 158.00–179.00 $164.00 $3,037 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
850–1290 1070 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 116.00–129.00 $121.16 $1,296

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00
1065 1065 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
830 830 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 775.00 $775.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 1 142.50 $142.50 $905 —
700 700 1 137.50 $137.50 $962 —
801–810 803 4 127.00–145.00 $140.46 $1,128 —
925–940 933 2 117.00–145.00 $131.11 $1,223 —

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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.