Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, July 30, 2024

1,179 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 $240.36/cwt -1.15 vs last sale · ≈ $2,255/hd at 938 lb · 248 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $256.36/cwt +6.51 vs last sale · ≈ $2,194/hd at 856 lb · 242 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $221.16/cwt -4.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,910/hd at 864 lb · 107 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,179 957 488
Feeder cattle 1,132 892 410
Slaughter cattle 43 65 78
Replacement cattle 4 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady with very good demand for weaned packages and yearlings. Slaughter cows and 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
350 350 1 357.50 $357.50 $1,251 +2.50
520 value added 520 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,456 -12.30
520–540 533 3 272.50 $272.50 $1,452 —
556–572 value added 562 5 281.00–293.00 $288.12 $1,619 +0.86
601–613 value added 609 10 290.00–295.00 $293.52 $1,788 -11.32
600–635 618 2 267.50 $267.50 $1,653 —
715–725 717 5 245.00–250.00 $246.01 $1,764 -4.99
706–749 value added 723 16 265.00–271.00 $266.67 $1,928 +4.01
765 765 1 251.00 $251.00 $1,920 +1.00
815 815 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,997 -4.00
833 value added 833 55 254.25 $254.25 $2,118 —
851 thin fleshed 851 119 261.00 $261.00 $2,221 —
851 value added 851 59 254.50 $254.50 $2,166 —
852–872 869 64 249.00–249.50 $249.43 $2,168 —
903 903 29 232.50 $232.50 $2,099 -0.50
937 937 2 214.00 $214.00 $2,005 -19.00
940–946 fancy 943 217 239.00–243.95 $241.65 $2,279 -2.35
955 955 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,101 -18.60
1000–1035 1018 2 190.00–205.00 $197.37 $2,009 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,560 +10.00
724 724 11 246.00 $246.00 $1,781 —
810 810 13 234.00 $234.00 $1,895 —
970 970 2 224.00 $224.00 $2,173 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 275.00 $275.00 $632 —
425 425 1 271.00 $271.00 $1,152 -1.00
480 480 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,296 +4.67
510–527 521 4 260.00–267.50 $264.29 $1,377 +1.60
560–582 569 5 254.00–268.00 $262.27 $1,492 +25.27
640 640 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,536 -14.00
700 700 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,540 -18.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 240.00 $240.00 $600 —
390 390 1 245.00 $245.00 $956 +2.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225 1225 1 181.00 $181.00 $2,217 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 2 295.00 $295.00 $796 —
433 433 3 268.00 $268.00 $1,160 +7.00
460 460 1 266.00 $266.00 $1,224 +9.32
512–525 value added 516 3 260.00–269.00 $265.95 $1,372 -2.05
558–570 value added 563 98 262.00–274.75 $273.98 $1,543 +11.22
563 563 3 254.00 $254.00 $1,430 —
600 600 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,476 —
612–635 value added 624 11 254.00–263.00 $258.64 $1,614 +6.45
662 value added 662 2 249.00 $249.00 $1,648 —
670–680 673 3 233.00 $233.00 $1,568 -5.45
727 727 12 222.00 $222.00 $1,614 +1.00
761–771 769 18 217.00–223.00 $221.68 $1,705 +5.68
783 value added 783 86 242.75 $242.75 $1,901 —
800–842 808 15 213.00–230.00 $216.64 $1,750 -15.17
851–857 856 76 223.00–226.00 $225.61 $1,931 —
882 882 31 210.25 $210.25 $1,854 —
923 923 9 194.00 $194.00 $1,791 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 230.00 $230.00 $552 —
315 315 1 250.00 $250.00 $788 —
450 450 4 244.00 $244.00 $1,098 —
503–547 524 6 230.00–248.00 $243.47 $1,276 —
563 563 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,323 -3.00
650–675 663 2 204.00–227.50 $215.53 $1,429 +1.53
717 717 2 195.00 $195.00 $1,398 -5.00
750 750 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,500 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 2 222.50 $222.50 $968 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765 765 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,561 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175 1175 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,786 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 4 280.00–287.50 $283.75 $851 —
475 475 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,188 —
545 545 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,294 +3.50
610 610 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,403 —
655–675 665 2 220.00–226.00 $223.05 $1,483 —
765–770 768 2 190.00–198.00 $193.99 $1,490 —
845 845 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,479 —
865 865 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,427 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367 367 2 327.50 $327.50 $1,202 +7.50
410–420 413 3 285.00–307.00 $292.45 $1,208 -6.73
535 535 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,364 -6.00
560 560 2 259.00 $259.00 $1,450 -5.76
700 700 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,568 +12.00
885 885 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,726 -20.00
905 905 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,575 -27.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 195.00 $195.00 $439 —
410–433 427 4 205.00–232.50 $225.90 $965 —
570 570 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,226 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1485 1338 75-80% 3 126.00–128.00 $126.69 $1,695 —
1375–1715 1510 75-80% 6 136.00–142.00 $138.74 $2,095 -1.75
1365–1770 1579 75-80% 10 129.00–134.00 $131.04 $2,069 +2.04
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1260 1194 80-85% 4 138.00–144.00 $140.23 $1,674 +13.87
1050–1545 1211 80-85% 4 133.00–135.00 $134.10 $1,624 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765 765 85-90% 1 93.00 $93.00 $711 —
985 985 85-90% 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,064 +1.92
990–1155 1067 85-90% 3 124.00–127.00 $125.30 $1,337 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1310 1242 3 136.00–143.00 $140.60 $1,746 —
1060–2015 1352 6 150.00–164.00 $160.17 $2,165 —
1180–1950 1632 3 168.00–183.00 $174.22 $2,843 —

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Bred Cows

Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
660 660 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1205 fancy 1205 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00

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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
1050 1050 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —

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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.