Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 17, 2024

1,721 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $257.34/cwt +7.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,560/hd at 606 lb · 261 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $231.05/cwt +6.47 vs last sale · ≈ $2,027/hd at 878 lb · 242 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $223.10/cwt +15.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,829/hd at 820 lb · 198 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,721 2,369 1,638
Feeder cattle 1,664 2,285 1,564
Slaughter cattle 57 78 74
Replacement cattle — 6 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and bull calves under 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold steady on similar quality with moderate demand. Yearling steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality with good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower with moderate 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
325 325 1 275.00 $275.00 $894 +5.00
425–429 value added 428 9 294.00–306.00 $303.35 $1,298 +9.35
462–480 466 5 257.50–265.00 $263.45 $1,228 +8.39
460–495 value added 487 7 272.50–282.50 $280.38 $1,365 -6.49
500–543 value added 522 6 261.00–285.00 $272.51 $1,423 -24.61
550–552 value added 551 3 272.50–277.50 $275.84 $1,520 +4.60
578–590 582 6 247.50–254.00 $251.80 $1,465 -4.42
600–636 value added 630 19 242.00–258.00 $253.14 $1,595 -4.25
607–645 632 6 230.00–239.00 $234.16 $1,480 -10.84
690 690 6 237.00 $237.00 $1,635 -3.00
711–727 value added 723 16 244.00–246.00 $245.51 $1,775 —
803–841 804 123 229.00–235.00 $234.85 $1,888 —
876 fancy 876 58 235.25 $235.25 $2,061 —
858–889 878 184 225.00–232.10 $229.72 $2,017 +5.14
939 939 52 225.20 $225.20 $2,115 —
953–961 957 109 216.00–224.10 $219.88 $2,104 -3.12
1005 1005 12 190.00 $190.00 $1,910 +6.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 240.00 $240.00 $912 -20.00
400 400 1 245.00 $245.00 $980 —
510–542 534 4 238.00–252.50 $247.39 $1,321 —
555–592 567 15 232.50–241.00 $238.04 $1,350 —
610–630 620 2 220.00–225.00 $222.54 $1,380 —
730–745 738 2 195.00–202.50 $198.79 $1,467 -21.21
827 827 2 207.00 $207.00 $1,712 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685 685 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,576 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 230.00 $230.00 $954 —
625 625 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,312 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285 1285 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,056 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 fancy 265 2 310.00 $310.00 $822 —
315–330 320 3 242.50–265.00 $257.27 $823 +7.27
365–370 368 2 242.50–245.00 $243.74 $897 +8.82
447 447 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,050 -5.76
463–490 474 5 235.00–240.00 $237.93 $1,128 -2.64
475–493 value added 483 18 243.00–249.00 $245.91 $1,188 -11.14
511–521 value added 515 7 243.00–247.50 $245.55 $1,265 -11.56
520–537 527 5 239.00 $239.00 $1,260 -1.33
555–571 567 4 230.00–240.00 $237.55 $1,347 ±0.00
602 value added 602 174 262.50 $262.50 $1,580 +11.86
611 thin fleshed 611 73 250.00 $250.00 $1,528 —
620–641 631 14 230.00–233.00 $231.48 $1,461 -4.52
661 thin fleshed 661 75 235.50 $235.50 $1,557 —
678–690 683 68 221.00–226.00 $224.92 $1,536 -1.08
713 713 3 211.00 $211.00 $1,504 -0.73
732 thin fleshed 732 62 226.00 $226.00 $1,654 —
700–749 value added 733 80 221.00–230.50 $227.61 $1,668 -0.39
755–775 765 2 212.00–218.00 $215.04 $1,645 -0.96
805–828 value added 820 198 221.10–224.10 $223.10 $1,829 —
873 873 4 206.00 $206.00 $1,798 —
910–915 913 2 150.00–160.00 $155.01 $1,415 —
930 930 11 180.00 $180.00 $1,674 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390–391 391 4 222.50 $222.50 $870 —
415–420 418 2 220.00–222.50 $221.26 $925 +3.63
465–495 485 5 220.00–232.50 $225.46 $1,093 +1.78
515 515 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,184 +20.00
565–590 581 4 222.50–232.00 $226.21 $1,314 +6.09
626–645 631 8 200.00–226.00 $214.58 $1,354 -8.03
671–675 672 4 210.00–211.00 $210.25 $1,413 —
785 785 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,507 +20.70
883 883 3 159.00 $159.00 $1,404 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
547 547 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,149 +13.64
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845 845 1 167.00 $167.00 $1,411 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080 1080 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,901 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 value added 305 1 315.00 $315.00 $961 —
387 value added 387 4 300.00 $300.00 $1,161 —
405–420 413 2 260.00–277.50 $268.59 $1,109 —
443 value added 443 3 287.00 $287.00 $1,271 +22.00
450–495 475 8 250.00–257.00 $252.86 $1,201 +12.86
460–493 value added 486 5 269.00–275.00 $270.13 $1,313 —
512–535 520 3 238.00–245.00 $242.60 $1,262 —
550–580 561 13 230.00–242.50 $235.76 $1,323 -7.12
600–632 621 6 225.00–230.00 $228.39 $1,418 +17.99
680 680 3 218.00 $218.00 $1,482 +6.16
720 720 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,505 -0.98
775 775 1 206.00 $206.00 $1,596 —
815 815 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,345 —
910–925 915 3 166.00–174.00 $171.30 $1,567 —
965 965 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,669 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,066 +17.50
465 465 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,104 +24.21
515–533 529 7 225.00–235.00 $230.01 $1,217 —
575–581 580 4 220.00–225.00 $223.76 $1,298 +9.98
660–690 680 3 180.00–200.00 $193.53 $1,316 +3.53
730 730 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,387 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 200.00 $200.00 $820 —
525 525 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,102 —
587 587 2 217.00 $217.00 $1,274 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,257 —
585–590 588 2 232.50–235.00 $233.74 $1,374 —
780 780 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,529 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1610 1308 75-80% 3 128.00–129.00 $128.28 $1,678 —
1085–1685 1386 75-80% 10 119.00–126.00 $122.97 $1,704 -3.92
1250–1625 1465 75-80% 8 104.00–116.00 $109.72 $1,607 -1.97
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 85-90% 1 97.00 $97.00 $902 —
1140 1140 85-90% 1 116.00 $116.00 $1,322 —
1090–1310 1160 85-90% 9 102.00–112.00 $107.73 $1,250 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1310 1206 80-85% 5 119.00–126.00 $122.37 $1,476 -5.64
1090–1345 1218 80-85% 2 114.00–116.00 $114.90 $1,399 -13.11
1015–1570 1309 80-85% 4 130.00–139.00 $134.63 $1,762 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1600–2135 1811 9 148.00–158.00 $153.12 $2,773 -22.53
1890 1890 1 160.00 $160.00 $3,024 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 2 190.00 $190.00 $855 —
555 555 1 180.00 $180.00 $999 —
635 635 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,016 —

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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.