Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 7, 2024

882 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $315.45/cwt +10.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,805/hd at 572 lb · 107 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $297.20/cwt +6.83 vs last sale · ≈ $1,432/hd at 482 lb · 73 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $318.61/cwt +6.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,673/hd at 525 lb · 58 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 882 966 648
Feeder cattle 801 913 528
Slaughter cattle 79 46 116
Replacement cattle 2 7 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers under 600 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Yearlings sold steady to 2.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
335 335 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,114 —
335 value added 335 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,340 +62.50
408–431 value added 418 18 337.00–365.00 $349.05 $1,459 +3.69
430 430 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,247 -10.00
451–484 value added 475 24 314.00–342.00 $325.12 $1,544 -2.15
502–535 value added 518 43 294.00–331.00 $324.56 $1,681 +10.72
515–535 525 2 285.00–286.00 $285.51 $1,499 +1.53
549 fancy 549 13 304.00 $304.00 $1,669 —
552–595 value added 572 105 293.00–324.00 $316.01 $1,808 +9.37
590 590 2 286.00 $286.00 $1,687 +2.22
600–637 value added 628 42 280.00–299.00 $293.35 $1,842 +6.25
636 thin fleshed 636 4 298.00 $298.00 $1,895 —
615–645 639 5 257.00–268.00 $264.07 $1,687 —
650–686 value added 664 21 273.00–289.00 $283.93 $1,885 -2.50
670 670 2 255.00 $255.00 $1,708 -4.00
705–720 value added 714 5 262.00–267.00 $265.03 $1,892 +13.03
738 738 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,793 -2.67
825 825 1 237.00 $237.00 $1,955 +2.50
873 value added 873 57 236.95 $236.95 $2,069 —
1075 1075 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,042 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 291.00 $291.00 $989 —
450–465 458 2 270.00–287.50 $278.89 $1,277 —
510–515 513 2 245.00–270.00 $257.44 $1,321 -13.56
625–628 627 4 248.00–262.00 $258.51 $1,621 +38.51
665 665 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,662 —
735 735 1 239.00 $239.00 $1,757 —
855 855 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,753 —
900 900 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,620 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765 765 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,855 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 250.00 $250.00 $850 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285–297 value added 291 4 309.00–317.50 $313.58 $913 —
315 315 1 302.50 $302.50 $953 +13.37
310–340 value added 320 4 305.00–312.50 $309.36 $990 +7.36
366–378 value added 374 8 315.00–317.50 $316.58 $1,184 -3.15
380 380 1 311.00 $311.00 $1,182 +16.75
400 400 1 273.00 $273.00 $1,092 +1.75
402–447 value added 420 37 282.00–320.00 $305.59 $1,283 +6.77
465 465 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,302 +8.91
450–497 value added 482 72 282.00–302.50 $297.44 $1,434 +5.32
500–535 516 7 261.00–263.00 $261.56 $1,350 -3.99
502–540 value added 524 21 269.00–287.00 $278.19 $1,458 -1.22
580–581 581 6 258.00–265.00 $261.50 $1,519 -2.66
550–596 value added 585 49 266.00–287.00 $276.35 $1,617 -8.57
615 615 1 244.00 $244.00 $1,501 +2.85
651 651 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,595 +11.80
651–665 value added 653 18 259.00–260.00 $259.83 $1,697 +3.68
700–702 value added 701 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,682 +5.00
757–795 value added 791 48 221.00–227.00 $221.40 $1,751 -1.60
845 845 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,673 —
890–898 896 5 197.00–205.00 $203.41 $1,823 +16.91
940 940 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,758 —
998 998 8 184.00 $184.00 $1,836 -9.00
1000–1035 1018 2 141.00–161.00 $150.83 $1,535 —
1115 1115 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,528 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–380 360 3 285.00–288.00 $286.87 $1,033 —
470–490 483 4 246.00–261.00 $255.19 $1,233 +4.84
510–535 525 5 240.00–255.00 $249.11 $1,308 +10.00
615–647 633 5 225.00–237.00 $231.69 $1,467 +41.69
650–675 667 10 205.00–230.00 $219.23 $1,462 +29.23
705–735 720 2 205.00–213.00 $209.08 $1,505 +18.55
780 780 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,498 —
825 825 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,468 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 232.50 $232.50 $872 —
405 405 1 215.00 $215.00 $871 —
560 560 1 227.00 $227.00 $1,271 —
640 640 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,261 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 360.00 $360.00 $882 —
300–310 fancy 305 2 342.50–360.00 $351.39 $1,072 —
400–442 value added 415 7 305.00–325.00 $315.44 $1,309 +4.77
430 430 1 284.00 $284.00 $1,221 —
485–495 490 2 300.00–302.50 $301.24 $1,476 +16.66
505 505 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,439 +18.32
500–547 value added 535 8 291.00–304.00 $294.04 $1,573 -0.31
553–595 value added 561 7 280.00–286.00 $284.22 $1,594 -0.78
603–620 value added 612 8 270.00–280.00 $274.33 $1,679 +13.45
625 625 1 266.00 $266.00 $1,662 —
657–685 669 7 249.00–259.00 $254.39 $1,702 +5.39
705–730 718 3 236.00–252.00 $242.73 $1,743 +16.48
767 767 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,726 ±0.00
835 835 2 216.00 $216.00 $1,804 +9.00
1040 1040 1 184.00 $184.00 $1,914 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–295 288 2 267.50–304.00 $286.23 $824 —
365 365 2 282.50 $282.50 $1,031 +5.00
405 405 2 272.50 $272.50 $1,104 —
455 455 4 270.00 $270.00 $1,228 +20.00
510 510 1 267.00 $267.00 $1,362 —
560 560 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,344 —
650 650 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,521 +11.53
717 717 2 217.00 $217.00 $1,556 —
770 770 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,648 —
890 890 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,558 —
935 935 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,309 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 250.00 $250.00 $988 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1395 1293 75-80% 3 114.00–117.00 $115.60 $1,495 —
1200–2010 1544 75-80% 22 124.00–142.00 $131.75 $2,034 +7.47
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1460 1236 80-85% 9 111.00–121.00 $117.39 $1,451 —
1035–1590 1310 80-85% 9 121.00–139.00 $131.38 $1,721 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890 890 85-90% 1 89.00 $89.00 $792 —
815–1260 993 85-90% 5 103.00–109.00 $106.94 $1,062 —
835–1190 1014 85-90% 4 117.00–123.00 $119.46 $1,211 +3.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1400 1273 2 135.00–136.00 $135.45 $1,724 —
1460–2045 1646 8 142.00–150.00 $147.99 $2,436 —
1430–2215 1775 10 151.00–165.00 $157.36 $2,793 —

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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
1235 1235 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 161.00 $161.00 $982 —

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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.