Cattle Market Pulse

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

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 10, 2024

2,369 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $249.68/cwt +2.68 vs last sale · ≈ $1,925/hd at 771 lb · 302 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $252.32/cwt +9.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,463/hd at 580 lb · 293 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $233.73/cwt -3.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,968/hd at 842 lb · 219 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,369 1,145 1,948
Feeder cattle 2,285 1,024 1,843
Slaughter cattle 78 116 83
Replacement cattle 6 5 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady for weaned packages with good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Yearling steers sold steady to 3.00 lower with moderate to good demand. Yearling heifers sold steady with good demand. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 4.00 lower with moderate 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
290 290 1 292.50 $292.50 $848 —
330 330 12 270.00 $270.00 $891 —
362–393 384 15 270.00–290.00 $286.14 $1,099 —
436 value added 436 3 294.00 $294.00 $1,282 —
445 445 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,168 -13.50
452–478 472 9 254.00–259.00 $255.06 $1,204 -7.60
470–492 value added 483 7 282.50–290.00 $286.87 $1,386 —
500 500 4 250.00–257.00 $253.50 $1,268 -12.66
502–533 value added 507 52 269.00–303.00 $297.12 $1,506 +1.98
557–580 value added 570 21 268.00–277.50 $271.24 $1,546 -12.51
555–592 572 22 255.00–258.00 $256.22 $1,466 -13.51
603 603 4 245.00 $245.00 $1,477 —
603–640 value added 615 11 254.00–270.00 $257.39 $1,583 -8.16
669 669 21 240.00 $240.00 $1,606 —
651–681 value added 676 91 249.00–267.75 $265.37 $1,794 -12.57
713–746 722 11 236.00–244.00 $241.75 $1,745 -1.25
756–771 762 36 234.00–238.50 $236.30 $1,801 -10.70
750–784 value added 772 266 246.75–253.75 $251.49 $1,942 —
828–848 842 219 224.00–239.25 $233.73 $1,968 -3.20
861–897 868 71 219.00–226.25 $224.58 $1,949 —
913–929 fancy 923 171 226.75–230.75 $228.43 $2,108 —
957 fancy 957 57 226.75 $226.75 $2,170 —
962 962 52 223.00 $223.00 $2,145 —
1025 1025 1 184.00 $184.00 $1,886 —
1090 1090 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,984 —
1135 1135 1 188.00 $188.00 $2,134 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 2 260.00 $260.00 $936 —
442–447 446 7 240.00 $240.00 $1,070 ±0.00
465–485 470 4 230.00–237.50 $235.57 $1,107 -4.43
655–670 660 3 220.00–237.50 $231.58 $1,528 -0.94
720 720 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,584 -8.52
762 762 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,684 —
885 885 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,858 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
571 571 7 256.00 $256.00 $1,462 +32.00
1135 1135 1 188.00 $188.00 $2,134 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 235.00 $235.00 $670 -21.38
325 325 1 250.00 $250.00 $812 +0.48
352–375 364 4 232.50–237.50 $234.92 $855 —
378 value added 378 3 282.50 $282.50 $1,068 —
415–448 443 10 235.00–245.00 $240.76 $1,067 -2.34
435–445 value added 443 15 250.00–270.00 $266.07 $1,179 +16.20
450–491 value added 478 18 250.00–261.00 $257.05 $1,229 +8.53
461–495 485 26 232.50–246.00 $240.57 $1,167 +0.57
505–536 value added 524 59 242.50–267.00 $257.11 $1,347 +8.89
518–546 534 7 237.00–245.00 $240.33 $1,283 +1.52
564–598 value added 579 273 245.00–259.00 $253.10 $1,465 +8.07
582–592 584 9 236.00–238.00 $237.55 $1,387 +3.99
598 598 11 245.00 $245.00 $1,465 +11.44
600 600 5 236.00 $236.00 $1,416 +7.00
600–615 value added 611 91 242.50–251.50 $250.64 $1,531 +1.76
660–664 value added 663 103 240.00–247.50 $245.91 $1,630 +5.63
690 690 1 226.00 $226.00 $1,559 +3.40
704–721 710 24 210.00–213.00 $211.73 $1,503 +21.73
720–725 723 2 195.00–207.50 $201.27 $1,455 +11.27
726 value added 726 67 228.00 $228.00 $1,655 -7.77
762 value added 762 40 224.00 $224.00 $1,707 —
769 769 6 216.00 $216.00 $1,661 +18.00
782 782 7 194.00 $194.00 $1,517 -4.00
807 807 2 192.00 $192.00 $1,549 —
822–840 831 10 205.00–216.00 $210.44 $1,749 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
277–285 280 6 227.50–232.49 $230.79 $646 —
420–435 428 2 210.00–225.00 $217.63 $931 -1.40
465–470 467 6 210.00–233.00 $223.68 $1,045 -1.91
504 504 15 210.00 $210.00 $1,058 -11.56
550–575 560 3 210.00–230.00 $220.12 $1,233 +29.12
612–643 631 5 222.00–223.00 $222.61 $1,405 +6.53
700 700 1 167.50 $167.50 $1,172 —
765–785 775 2 167.50–175.00 $171.30 $1,328 +8.80
815 815 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,304 -13.77
940 940 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,551 —
980 980 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,666 +5.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–530 515 2 192.50–200.00 $196.36 $1,011 -13.64

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276 276 4 285.00 $285.00 $787 —
326–342 331 6 260.00–302.50 $287.88 $953 +22.88
355–390 370 7 255.00–282.50 $271.71 $1,005 -4.08
405 fancy 405 8 300.00 $300.00 $1,215 —
440 value added 440 6 265.00 $265.00 $1,166 —
480 480 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,152 -23.05
555–576 561 11 240.00–244.00 $242.88 $1,363 -5.62
605–647 621 7 200.00–225.00 $210.40 $1,307 -21.60
652–685 663 17 202.00–220.00 $211.84 $1,404 —
700–710 705 2 207.50–212.50 $209.98 $1,480 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 3 220.00 $220.00 $649 —
340 340 3 232.50 $232.50 $790 +2.50
406 406 3 227.50 $227.50 $924 -10.72
475–485 482 3 210.00–220.00 $213.29 $1,028 -14.75
550–580 571 7 200.00–227.50 $213.78 $1,221 -13.95
620–645 637 3 182.50–195.00 $190.94 $1,216 -14.90
675 675 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,282 —
945 945 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,228 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,242 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 180.00 $180.00 $864 -40.00

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1735 1379 75-80% 16 123.00–130.00 $126.89 $1,750 —
1070–1590 1413 75-80% 7 132.00–136.00 $133.33 $1,884 +1.75
1345–1595 1459 75-80% 4 109.00–115.00 $111.69 $1,630 -28.93
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695–1320 962 85-90% 6 77.00–91.00 $85.73 $825 —
795–1235 978 85-90% 3 95.00–99.00 $97.61 $955 —
720–1240 1011 85-90% 6 115.00–126.00 $121.63 $1,230 —
920–1615 1222 85-90% 7 105.00–114.00 $109.37 $1,337 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1165 1160 80-85% 2 114.00–120.00 $116.99 $1,357 -15.59
1170–1230 1210 80-85% 4 127.00–129.00 $128.01 $1,549 +5.22
1230–1495 1366 80-85% 4 137.00–144.00 $140.23 $1,916 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070 1070 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,444 —
1270–1900 1597 5 159.00–165.00 $162.04 $2,588 —
1590–2160 1819 4 167.00–181.00 $175.65 $3,195 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1305 1305 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1035 1035 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,800.00–1,950.00 $1,875.00
1040 1040 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785 785 2 117.50 $117.50 $922 —

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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
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,925.00 $1,925.00 —

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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.