Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 24, 2024

1,672 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $237.61/cwt +7.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,627/hd at 685 lb · 155 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $227.27/cwt +12.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,748/hd at 769 lb · 139 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $245.59/cwt +10.74 vs last sale · ≈ $2,000/hd at 814 lb · 134 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,672 1,721 1,581
Feeder cattle 1,539 1,664 1,454
Slaughter cattle 128 57 123
Replacement cattle 5 — 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold 3.00 to 7.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady with moderate demand. Yearling steers sold 2.00 higher with good demand. Yearling heifers limited comparison. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower with moderate demand under heavy supply. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
297 297 8 295.00 $295.00 $876 —
352–390 369 8 270.00–301.00 $282.76 $1,043 —
410–435 value added 419 28 285.00–289.00 $288.43 $1,209 -14.92
415–440 428 2 260.00–270.00 $264.85 $1,134 —
455–465 462 3 270.00–274.00 $272.69 $1,260 +9.24
463–496 value added 490 17 287.00–290.00 $288.90 $1,416 +8.52
500–516 value added 513 20 287.00–299.00 $291.21 $1,494 +18.70
505–545 536 11 252.00–261.00 $257.45 $1,380 —
550–565 560 6 250.00–262.50 $256.41 $1,436 +4.61
550–595 value added 586 73 265.00–282.00 $277.80 $1,628 +1.96
603–636 620 6 230.00–239.00 $234.38 $1,453 +0.22
606–646 value added 629 54 242.50–275.00 $263.42 $1,657 +10.28
670–692 value added 687 24 250.00–252.50 $251.89 $1,730 —
726–735 727 7 230.00–236.00 $235.13 $1,709 —
725–742 value added 738 61 244.00–244.50 $244.37 $1,803 -1.14
753 value added 753 8 241.50 $241.50 $1,818 —
774–798 793 81 234.75–239.50 $235.72 $1,869 —
814 thin fleshed 814 131 246.00 $246.00 $2,002 —
825 825 3 227.50 $227.50 $1,877 -7.35
853–893 872 118 227.25–235.50 $231.49 $2,019 +1.77
1037 1037 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,970 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 237.00 $237.00 $889 -3.00
615–625 618 3 210.00–220.00 $213.37 $1,319 -9.17
667–685 677 6 200.00–224.00 $215.35 $1,458 —
700–725 707 5 210.00–220.00 $217.55 $1,538 +18.76
750 750 2 227.00 $227.00 $1,702 —
807–828 816 7 210.00–220.00 $215.65 $1,760 +8.65
853 853 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,877 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 2 202.50 $202.50 $1,043 —
567 567 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,191 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800 800 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,760 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 3 240.00 $240.00 $780 -17.27
343 value added 343 23 266.00 $266.00 $912 —
375–380 378 2 245.00–251.00 $248.02 $938 +4.28
420–440 427 3 242.50–243.00 $242.83 $1,037 +7.83
405–440 value added 433 40 245.00–270.00 $249.50 $1,080 —
482 482 2 234.00 $234.00 $1,128 -3.93
500–526 517 11 230.00–237.00 $233.50 $1,207 -5.50
556 value added 556 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,334 —
557–590 565 9 228.00–232.00 $230.03 $1,300 -7.52
625 value added 625 5 237.00 $237.00 $1,481 -25.50
617–630 627 9 215.00–218.00 $217.34 $1,363 -14.14
676 676 3 214.00 $214.00 $1,447 -10.92
684–686 value added 685 152 236.00–240.10 $238.08 $1,631 —
702–716 709 7 193.00–211.00 $201.79 $1,431 -9.21
754–786 value added 769 139 225.75–228.75 $227.27 $1,748 —
832 value added 832 5 209.00 $209.00 $1,739 -14.10
838 838 10 192.00 $192.00 $1,609 —
850–860 855 2 162.00–180.00 $170.95 $1,462 -35.05
897 value added 897 7 202.00 $202.00 $1,812 —
946 value added 946 32 207.75 $207.75 $1,965 —
1010 1010 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,596 —
1080 1080 1 162.50 $162.50 $1,755 —
1100 1100 3 122.00 $122.00 $1,342 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 4 220.00 $220.00 $711 —
376–395 383 8 220.00–235.00 $226.94 $869 +4.44
410–420 415 2 201.00–221.00 $210.88 $875 -10.38
458 458 11 225.00 $225.00 $1,030 -0.46
500–545 514 8 222.00–228.00 $225.59 $1,160 -4.41
560 560 2 227.50 $227.50 $1,274 +1.29
625–645 638 8 191.00–201.00 $194.44 $1,241 -20.14
685–695 690 4 187.00–211.00 $198.91 $1,372 -11.34
830 830 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,237 —
915 915 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,372 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–490 464 4 200.00–201.00 $200.74 $931 —
505–512 511 6 191.00–200.00 $192.48 $984 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1257 1197 4 154.00–165.00 $160.66 $1,923 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
660 660 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,274 —
780 780 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,521 —
905 905 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,710 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–342 333 3 260.00–262.50 $261.71 $871 —
385–395 389 5 277.50–295.00 $287.89 $1,120 —
400–430 414 8 241.00–262.50 $256.31 $1,061 -12.28
400–446 value added 437 5 275.00–291.00 $277.93 $1,215 -9.07
470–490 482 8 244.00–270.00 $258.41 $1,246 +5.55
535–540 538 2 243.00–245.00 $244.00 $1,313 +1.40
550–590 570 10 240.00–245.00 $241.26 $1,375 +5.50
657–670 664 4 207.00–210.00 $208.49 $1,384 -9.51
702–747 725 4 190.00–194.00 $192.06 $1,392 -16.94
790–795 793 2 179.00–190.00 $184.52 $1,463 -21.48
800–810 805 2 185.00–190.00 $187.52 $1,510 +22.52
935 935 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,590 -1.30
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
552–582 567 4 220.00–225.00 $222.43 $1,261 -1.33
970 970 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,387 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 227.50 $227.50 $660 —
520 520 2 202.50 $202.50 $1,053 -7.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910 910 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,374 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1460 1228 80-85% 14 118.00–122.00 $119.99 $1,473 +5.09
1040–1560 1284 80-85% 18 122.00–130.00 $124.67 $1,601 —
1055–1795 1314 80-85% 9 110.00–116.00 $113.59 $1,493 -21.04
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1840 1443 75-80% 19 122.00–129.00 $124.49 $1,796 —
1355–1895 1568 75-80% 7 117.00–122.00 $118.55 $1,859 —
1400–1815 1675 75-80% 3 110.00–112.00 $111.44 $1,867 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1145 1010 85-90% 4 97.00–102.50 $100.43 $1,014 —
945–1260 1070 85-90% 6 114.00–119.00 $115.95 $1,241 —
960–1370 1139 85-90% 14 104.00–114.00 $108.10 $1,231 -7.90

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1575 1325 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,855 —
1650–1730 1700 3 153.00–155.00 $153.67 $2,612 —
1555–2010 1762 3 160.00–167.00 $163.80 $2,886 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1390 1390 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,825.00 $1,825.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1040 1040 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00

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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
1590 1590 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845 thin fleshed 845 67 194.00 $194.00 $1,639 —
917 917 55 192.75 $192.75 $1,768 —

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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.