Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 30, 2024

966 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 $230.57/cwt +4.73 vs last sale · ≈ $2,131/hd at 924 lb · 229 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $201.39/cwt -7.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,773/hd at 880 lb · 62 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $304.60/cwt -0.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,717/hd at 564 lb · 56 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 966 1,265 778
Feeder cattle 913 1,129 645
Slaughter cattle 46 117 83
Replacement cattle 7 19 50

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned thin-fleshed packages suitable for grass. Pasture conditions very good with excellent weather the last couple weeks. Yearling steers sold 2.00 higher in a limited comparison. Yearling heifers limited comparison. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower in a light test.

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
315 value added 315 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,063 +10.00
355–380 368 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,141 —
350–395 value added 375 6 327.50–352.50 $338.00 $1,268 -4.50
415 415 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,245 -8.00
413–445 value added 434 17 321.00–367.00 $345.36 $1,499 +13.32
455 455 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,365 +6.70
450–492 value added 466 14 305.00–337.00 $327.27 $1,525 +3.62
505–525 515 2 283.00–285.00 $283.98 $1,462 +1.98
500–540 value added 517 43 292.00–329.75 $313.84 $1,623 +12.17
550–586 value added 562 51 289.50–318.00 $306.64 $1,723 -0.51
570–587 581 5 280.00–288.00 $283.78 $1,649 +5.30
602–642 value added 629 33 273.00–300.00 $287.10 $1,806 -1.69
650–688 value added 672 17 280.00–288.00 $286.43 $1,925 -0.18
675 675 1 259.00 $259.00 $1,748 -4.48
730 730 3 245.00–246.00 $245.67 $1,793 —
734 value added 734 5 252.00 $252.00 $1,850 -17.00
760–795 783 11 233.00–245.00 $235.92 $1,847 -2.08
848 848 18 234.50 $234.50 $1,989 +0.07
865 865 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,938 -6.40
900–922 fancy 918 117 232.50–233.00 $232.74 $2,137 +6.90
928–933 931 112 227.25–229.40 $228.30 $2,125 —
986 fancy 986 51 224.00 $224.00 $2,209 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,018 -18.50
525 525 1 271.00 $271.00 $1,423 —
555–575 562 3 273.00–275.00 $274.32 $1,542 —
610 610 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,342 -26.06
825 825 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,749 +2.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,020 —
661 value added 661 4 268.00 $268.00 $1,771 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 220.00 $220.00 $902 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 318 3 287.50–292.00 $289.13 $919 —
330 value added 330 3 302.00 $302.00 $997 —
363–371 value added 366 9 315.00–329.00 $319.73 $1,170 —
380 380 2 291.00–297.50 $294.25 $1,118 +10.86
410 410 4 270.00–275.00 $271.25 $1,112 —
400–446 value added 424 18 281.00–318.00 $298.82 $1,267 +7.31
450–495 value added 473 22 283.00–311.00 $292.12 $1,382 +6.78
460–490 475 2 268.00–274.00 $271.09 $1,288 +11.09
505–542 value added 520 31 271.00–285.00 $279.41 $1,453 +6.75
500–530 522 5 263.00–270.00 $265.55 $1,386 +6.78
550–590 568 9 254.00–266.00 $264.16 $1,500 +8.41
550–595 value added 576 16 269.00–290.00 $284.92 $1,641 +21.14
603–617 611 7 240.00–242.00 $241.15 $1,473 -25.12
600–645 value added 625 19 250.00–261.00 $254.20 $1,589 -2.45
656–680 value added 664 18 250.00–265.00 $256.15 $1,701 -1.35
675–678 677 5 232.00–235.00 $233.20 $1,579 -31.80
707 value added 707 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,661 +0.13
725–735 728 5 210.00–214.00 $210.81 $1,535 -11.99
771 value added 771 10 223.00 $223.00 $1,719 -6.38
800 800 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,560 —
856–886 876 10 181.00–197.00 $186.50 $1,634 +6.50
881 value added 881 52 204.25 $204.25 $1,799 -19.75
987 987 2 193.00 $193.00 $1,905 +12.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313 313 3 255.00 $255.00 $798 -5.00
400–446 430 9 231.00–255.00 $242.91 $1,045 -12.24
455–495 476 4 240.00–259.00 $250.35 $1,192 +10.37
510–545 523 7 230.00–246.00 $239.11 $1,251 —
551–580 561 5 228.00–250.00 $235.16 $1,319 -14.84
613 613 4 190.00 $190.00 $1,165 -41.00
660 660 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,254 -15.67
705–747 732 8 179.00–195.00 $190.53 $1,395 +8.52
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527 527 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,054 ±0.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 value added 365 3 327.50 $327.50 $1,195 —
405–415 value added 410 3 297.00–337.50 $310.67 $1,274 —
465–490 477 4 281.00–287.50 $284.58 $1,357 -16.52
500–545 519 5 256.00–278.00 $266.68 $1,384 -2.41
500–540 value added 519 8 280.00–307.00 $294.35 $1,528 -2.69
550 value added 550 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,568 —
610–635 value added 623 2 255.00–267.00 $260.88 $1,625 —
665 665 1 249.00 $249.00 $1,656 +6.04
725–740 735 4 225.00–228.00 $226.25 $1,663 -9.75
740 value added 740 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,732 —
770 770 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,732 —
825 825 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,708 —
860–885 873 2 194.00–205.00 $199.42 $1,741 +22.50
925 925 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,720 +26.44
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 2 277.50 $277.50 $1,041 -0.94
475 475 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,188 +10.00
605–620 613 2 219.00–240.00 $229.63 $1,408 —
655–670 663 2 220.00–225.00 $222.47 $1,475 —
950 950 1 177.00 $177.00 $1,682 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–425 407 5 235.00–240.00 $237.47 $967 —
485 485 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,140 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1230 1175 80-85% 2 110.00–112.00 $110.95 $1,304 -9.51
1045–1290 1198 80-85% 4 114.00–119.00 $115.78 $1,387 —
1110–1585 1356 80-85% 10 121.00–133.00 $127.03 $1,723 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–1575 1504 75-80% 4 114.00–120.00 $117.16 $1,762 —
1315–1665 1522 75-80% 6 122.00–127.00 $124.28 $1,892 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1110 1028 85-90% 2 116.00–117.00 $116.46 $1,197 —
910–1325 1087 85-90% 5 107.00–112.00 $109.89 $1,195 -10.39

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–2030 1516 5 133.00–149.00 $143.30 $2,172 —
1815–1950 1883 2 154.00–163.00 $158.66 $2,988 -5.34

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1415 1415 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,775.00 $1,775.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
905 905 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
820 820 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00

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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
1630 1630 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 2 181.00 $181.00 $1,186 —
735 735 2 171.00 $171.00 $1,257 +33.50

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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.