Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 15, 2024

1,009 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 steers $257.23/cwt +7.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,756/hd at 683 lb · 181 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $254.81/cwt -2.83 vs last sale · ≈ $1,852/hd at 727 lb · 98 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $253.24/cwt +6.87 vs last sale · ≈ $2,056/hd at 812 lb · 84 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,009 928 1,779
Feeder cattle 874 871 1,692
Slaughter cattle 125 53 74
Replacement cattle 10 4 13

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold steady with good demand for weaned offerings. Very good demand for yearling loads in a limited comparison. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for good quality weaned and open packages. Yearling heifers limited comparison. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher 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
318 318 3 303.00 $303.00 $964 —
335 value added 335 1 321.00 $321.00 $1,075 -7.24
409–410 value added 409 6 315.00–330.00 $327.49 $1,339 +6.14
413 413 3 287.50 $287.50 $1,187 —
470–490 485 4 268.00–272.00 $268.97 $1,305 -3.39
517 517 4 271.00 $271.00 $1,401 +6.87
512–520 value added 519 13 277.50–282.00 $281.32 $1,460 -3.81
585 585 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,506 -11.99
573–591 value added 587 21 266.00–278.00 $275.21 $1,615 -5.79
572–595 591 19 259.00–264.00 $262.55 $1,552 -6.94
625 value added 625 6 252.00 $252.00 $1,575 -8.34
671 value added 671 47 276.25 $276.25 $1,854 +12.84
685–689 687 134 248.75–252.50 $250.56 $1,721 +9.54
721–735 value added 727 98 252.75–257.75 $254.81 $1,852 -2.83
762 762 63 241.25 $241.25 $1,838 —
806–829 value added 812 84 246.75–255.75 $253.24 $2,056 —
1095 1095 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,080 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,100 —
455–477 470 3 230.00–240.00 $236.77 $1,113 —
531–545 535 4 222.50–251.00 $229.76 $1,229 —
600 600 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,410 —
675 675 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,492 -5.90
700 700 3 227.00–228.00 $227.67 $1,594 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 2 205.00 $205.00 $840 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–390 369 7 240.00–245.00 $240.76 $888 —
400–440 value added 413 6 260.00–280.00 $272.90 $1,127 +1.33
440 440 2 242.50–245.00 $243.75 $1,072 +2.84
470 470 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,152 +15.00
495 value added 495 6 249.00 $249.00 $1,233 -9.06
512–540 521 8 235.00–242.50 $238.46 $1,242 +6.45
500–546 value added 538 6 247.50–248.00 $247.84 $1,333 +0.99
551–567 557 7 235.00–241.00 $237.77 $1,324 +8.09
550–585 value added 559 6 245.00–252.50 $246.79 $1,380 —
600–610 603 3 225.00–230.00 $226.69 $1,367 +8.69
621 value added 621 44 254.00 $254.00 $1,577 —
650–662 value added 657 11 238.00–239.00 $238.55 $1,567 —
660–665 663 2 225.00–227.50 $226.25 $1,500 +4.07
710–732 725 3 195.00–201.00 $199.04 $1,443 —
766–769 value added 768 50 226.00–228.50 $227.05 $1,744 —
778 778 3 189.00 $189.00 $1,470 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
426 426 10 220.00 $220.00 $937 -10.00
470 470 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,081 +10.00
510–520 515 2 217.50–230.00 $223.69 $1,152 +5.27
651–680 660 5 212.50–217.50 $214.99 $1,419 +14.67
725 725 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,160 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945 945 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,550 —
955 955 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,614 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 207.50 $207.50 $612 —
390 390 1 210.00 $210.00 $819 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,044 ±0.00
375 value added 375 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,209 —
430 430 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,226 +12.35
455 fancy 455 2 297.50 $297.50 $1,354 —
502–542 527 6 240.00–250.00 $245.75 $1,295 —
550–595 568 13 240.00–255.00 $246.06 $1,398 +3.43
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
407 407 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,018 +7.50
478–480 479 6 215.00–237.50 $225.02 $1,078 —
500 500 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,100 -14.95
650–695 673 2 195.00–200.00 $197.42 $1,329 —
730 730 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,321 —
755 755 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,548 —
800–830 815 2 150.00–155.00 $152.55 $1,243 +12.55
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 270.00 $270.00 $932 —
515 515 3 247.50 $247.50 $1,275 —
700 700 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,365 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 200.00 $200.00 $640 —
435 435 2 207.50 $207.50 $903 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1370 1184 80-85% 26 119.00–127.00 $124.56 $1,475 —
1150–1330 1248 80-85% 3 111.00–118.00 $114.90 $1,434 —
980–1585 1262 80-85% 18 129.00–141.00 $132.33 $1,670 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
870–1050 951 85-90% 5 93.00–103.00 $99.87 $950 -6.72
765–1210 983 85-90% 6 106.00–111.00 $108.10 $1,063 +1.51
925–1210 1081 85-90% 14 115.00–134.00 $123.09 $1,331 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1560 1380 75-80% 10 120.00–125.00 $123.69 $1,707 —
1235–1765 1542 75-80% 6 129.00–136.00 $131.65 $2,030 —
1795 1795 75-80% 1 117.00 $117.00 $2,100 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1680 1478 6 150.00–159.00 $155.22 $2,294 —
1495 1495 1 144.00 $144.00 $2,153 —
1640–1970 1827 6 162.00–169.00 $166.01 $3,033 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
905–1060 977 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 120.00–130.00 $124.83 $1,220

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1010–1165 1083 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,250.00–1,550.00 $1,384.58
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1095–1120 1108 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,675.00–2,150.00 $1,909.82

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00

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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
1350 1350 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1195 1195 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,031 —

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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.