Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, August 20, 2024

964 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $224.91/cwt +9.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,654/hd at 735 lb · 109 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $249.74/cwt +4.76 vs last sale · ≈ $1,634/hd at 654 lb · 97 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $257.84/cwt -6.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,909/hd at 740 lb · 77 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 964 1,068 182
Feeder cattle 890 1,016 158
Slaughter cattle 74 46 24
Replacement cattle — 6 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers under 600 lbs sold mostly 5.00 lower with moderate demand. Yearling steers sold 4.00 to 6.00 lower with moderate demand. Yearling heifers sold steady to 5.00 lower in a limited comparison. Plain, fleshy and new crop calves calves facing discounts. The downturn in the CME feeder cattle futures softened demand today. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower 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
260 260 1 285.00 $285.00 $741 —
365–378 375 5 270.00–292.50 $288.12 $1,080 —
442 442 4 291.00 $291.00 $1,286 +6.00
460 460 3 287.50 $287.50 $1,322 -5.45
473–495 value added 477 5 293.00–311.00 $307.27 $1,466 —
505–545 value added 520 20 285.00–311.00 $297.59 $1,547 -14.82
525 525 1 277.00 $277.00 $1,454 -3.00
555–565 value added 558 9 281.00 $281.00 $1,568 -13.32
572 572 2 269.00 $269.00 $1,539 -11.99
615 value added 615 4 256.00 $256.00 $1,574 -30.44
648 648 10 244.00 $244.00 $1,581 -8.00
663 value added 663 9 269.00 $269.00 $1,783 —
675 675 4 240.00–242.00 $240.50 $1,623 -7.88
700–737 725 3 230.00–232.50 $230.80 $1,673 —
730–742 value added 741 74 248.00–260.25 $258.94 $1,919 -5.75
754 value added 754 73 253.00 $253.00 $1,908 —
813 813 7 237.50 $237.50 $1,931 -7.28
854 854 63 236.00 $236.00 $2,015 —
904 904 59 232.75 $232.75 $2,104 -3.77
966 966 31 221.75 $221.75 $2,142 -5.75
1077 1077 30 200.00 $200.00 $2,154 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 288.00 $288.00 $936 +16.00
387 387 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,045 —
420 420 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,012 -34.00
525–539 537 6 232.00–242.00 $233.63 $1,255 —
675–680 678 2 220.00–223.00 $221.51 $1,502 —
700–706 703 7 220.00–224.00 $221.72 $1,559 —
835 835 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,712 —
850–851 851 4 210.00 $210.00 $1,787 -2.00
1000 1000 17 194.50 $194.50 $1,945 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 2 230.00–231.00 $230.50 $887 —
472–485 476 3 205.00–210.00 $206.70 $984 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,262 -5.00
705 705 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,614 -6.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280 1280 1 186.00 $186.00 $2,381 —
1490–1785 1638 2 160.00–163.00 $161.64 $2,648 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272 272 2 262.50 $262.50 $714 —
330–340 338 4 240.00–265.00 $258.89 $875 -23.61
385–394 393 7 237.50–255.00 $252.55 $993 +2.55
402 402 2 248.00 $248.00 $997 -2.00
407–443 value added 415 13 264.00 $264.00 $1,096 -5.00
471 471 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,145 -11.00
455–481 value added 477 8 255.00–263.00 $259.63 $1,238 -7.64
501–543 value added 523 13 247.00–259.00 $254.28 $1,330 +1.18
527 527 2 223.00 $223.00 $1,175 -23.00
555–585 value added 568 6 249.00–256.00 $252.78 $1,436 +0.91
570–580 575 4 230.00–242.00 $236.05 $1,357 -5.95
600 600 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,296 -12.80
620 value added 620 11 240.00 $240.00 $1,488 —
654 value added 654 78 257.90 $257.90 $1,687 —
650–690 655 19 210.00–220.00 $216.23 $1,416 -9.68
700–712 708 13 226.00–229.00 $228.09 $1,615 +12.64
720–735 733 25 202.50–213.00 $210.91 $1,546 -4.54
741 value added 741 71 229.25 $229.25 $1,699 —
895 895 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,763 —
1085 1085 1 192.00 $192.00 $2,083 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 223.00 $223.00 $702 —
387 387 2 195.00 $195.00 $755 —
470–485 475 3 220.00–225.00 $221.70 $1,053 —
505–545 518 4 210.00–220.00 $212.49 $1,101 -21.51
565 565 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,130 —
615–640 629 6 185.00–215.00 $199.32 $1,254 —
655–685 663 4 197.00–210.00 $205.80 $1,364 -9.85
842 842 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,431 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,305 —
800 800 3 191.00 $191.00 $1,528 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–475 470 2 200.00–205.00 $202.47 $952 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
291 291 3 302.50 $302.50 $880 +10.00
350–392 372 7 260.00–287.50 $272.06 $1,012 —
400–440 425 3 250.00–280.00 $261.96 $1,113 -21.44
465 465 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,279 -4.92
531–547 538 7 247.50–279.00 $263.35 $1,417 —
565–585 571 7 246.00–260.00 $254.86 $1,455 -8.77
640 640 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,440 -9.88
655–690 667 3 223.00–230.00 $225.42 $1,504 —
700–730 711 7 210.00–215.00 $212.27 $1,509 -2.73
810 810 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,466 —
905 905 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,548 —
1055 1055 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,635 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 242.50 $242.50 $630 —
320 320 1 242.50 $242.50 $776 +1.50
415–440 430 3 222.50–247.50 $237.36 $1,021 -32.76
455–475 465 2 227.50–237.50 $232.39 $1,081 -22.61
535 535 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,244 —
570 570 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,197 -26.99
635–645 640 2 212.50 $212.50 $1,360 -15.50
740 740 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,369 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412 412 2 240.00 $240.00 $989 —
615 615 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,353 —
660 660 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,393 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,045 —
570 570 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,240 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1330 1238 75-80% 3 135.00–136.00 $135.30 $1,675 —
1040–1805 1487 75-80% 13 137.00–145.00 $140.84 $2,094 —
1205–1765 1490 75-80% 10 145.00–155.00 $149.55 $2,228 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1285 1139 80-85% 9 125.00–135.00 $130.85 $1,490 —
985–1305 1179 80-85% 8 136.00–144.00 $140.54 $1,657 —
1220–1460 1379 80-85% 8 147.00–167.00 $154.47 $2,130 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1265 1087 85-90% 5 128.00–135.00 $131.18 $1,426 —
1115 1115 85-90% 2 96.00–104.00 $100.00 $1,115 —
965–1360 1159 85-90% 7 112.00–124.00 $120.06 $1,391 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1825 1361 4 153.00–165.00 $159.96 $2,177 —
1585 1585 1 148.00 $148.00 $2,346 -16.67
1580–1885 1733 2 186.00–192.00 $188.74 $3,271 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825 825 1 137.50 $137.50 $1,134 —

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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.