Cattle Market Pulse

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

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, November 12, 2024

1,119 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $241.78/cwt +6.88 vs last sale · ≈ $2,205/hd at 912 lb · 233 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $229.69/cwt +35.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,926/hd at 838 lb · 135 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $254.60/cwt +31.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,969/hd at 774 lb · 111 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,119 641 1,423
Feeder cattle 1,013 599 1,221
Slaughter cattle 90 40 119
Replacement cattle 16 2 83

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher. There was good to very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Strongest demand noted for weaned preconditioned feeder and yearling packages. Slaughter cows and bulls sold mostly steady. There was good demand for slaughter classes.

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
371 371 5 327.50 $327.50 $1,215 +25.00
410 410 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,230 +30.00
490–495 494 7 280.00–295.00 $292.88 $1,447 —
501 value added 501 12 295.00 $295.00 $1,478 —
517 517 2 287.50 $287.50 $1,486 —
574 value added 574 12 290.00 $290.00 $1,665 +17.00
567–597 591 19 272.50–286.00 $284.27 $1,680 +20.04
615–621 value added 618 13 271.00–280.00 $275.13 $1,700 +2.63
606–643 621 14 251.00–260.00 $255.18 $1,585 +9.17
681 value added 681 11 269.00 $269.00 $1,832 +14.96
658–692 688 26 250.00–265.00 $261.18 $1,797 —
711–745 717 8 237.50–253.00 $250.03 $1,793 —
732 value added 732 19 255.50 $255.50 $1,870 +0.14
766 value added 766 71 260.75 $260.75 $1,997 —
750–793 787 40 232.00–245.00 $243.68 $1,918 +20.24
815–845 830 3 230.00–232.00 $230.65 $1,914 —
860–895 882 3 208.00–218.00 $212.72 $1,876 —
906–928 value added 911 219 235.25–246.00 $242.56 $2,210 +7.66
927 927 14 229.50 $229.50 $2,127 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 230.00 $230.00 $978 —
455–490 473 2 255.00–260.00 $257.41 $1,218 —
545 545 1 249.00 $249.00 $1,357 +6.50
560 560 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,344 —
610 610 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,479 +9.71
680–698 694 4 225.00–231.00 $229.53 $1,593 —
705 705 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,639 +32.50
755 755 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,661 —
820 820 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,353 —
925–940 933 3 155.00–196.00 $180.23 $1,682 -19.77
970 970 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,882 —
Small 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 237.50 $237.50 $748 —
542 542 4 212.50 $212.50 $1,152 —

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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 1 252.50 $252.50 $720 +6.50
330 330 2 250.00 $250.00 $825 -1.11
335 fancy 335 1 272.50 $272.50 $913 —
360–376 370 6 260.00–277.50 $270.69 $1,002 +28.22
375 fancy 375 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,059 —
403 fancy 403 3 262.50 $262.50 $1,058 —
400–420 410 2 242.50–254.00 $248.11 $1,017 +15.61
460–495 482 5 230.00–245.00 $235.37 $1,134 —
497 fancy 497 2 255.00 $255.00 $1,267 —
520 value added 520 6 254.00 $254.00 $1,321 —
518–532 524 13 242.50–251.00 $246.72 $1,293 +16.43
555–590 575 14 235.00–248.00 $241.07 $1,386 +20.12
576–598 value added 592 19 252.50–253.00 $252.58 $1,495 —
632–637 value added 633 9 247.00–250.00 $247.67 $1,568 -2.33
620–647 640 15 230.00–246.00 $241.83 $1,548 +19.25
655 655 2 247.50 $247.50 $1,621 —
696 value added 696 67 255.70 $255.70 $1,780 +19.70
722–740 731 4 212.00–217.50 $214.72 $1,570 +18.46
773 value added 773 64 245.00 $245.00 $1,894 —
802 802 2 203.00 $203.00 $1,628 +5.62
831–840 value added 839 133 225.50–230.75 $230.09 $1,930 —
905 905 3 191.00 $191.00 $1,729 -7.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 241.00 $241.00 $747 —
390 390 1 247.00 $247.00 $963 +19.50
425–430 428 3 230.00–235.00 $233.35 $999 +15.94
470 470 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,069 +10.72
550 550 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,210 +7.02
605–620 613 2 226.00–227.50 $226.74 $1,390 —
672 672 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,478 +40.00
710 710 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,402 +27.50
775 775 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,356 —
800 800 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,500 —
930 930 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,581 —
1025 1025 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,794 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1450 1318 2 135.00–144.00 $139.05 $1,833 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 292.50 $292.50 $951 -17.50
375 375 3 305.00–322.50 $316.67 $1,188 —
460 460 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,311 —
505–540 531 6 249.00–258.00 $252.88 $1,343 +20.43
567–585 572 4 240.00–255.00 $245.58 $1,405 +4.32
575 fancy 575 7 261.00 $261.00 $1,501 —
615–645 633 4 223.00–232.00 $228.11 $1,444 +1.67
670–685 678 2 212.50–217.50 $215.03 $1,458 +5.36
705 705 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,375 -10.21
761 761 4 198.00 $198.00 $1,507 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,111 +25.00
476–480 478 8 242.50–248.00 $245.93 $1,176 —
575 575 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,150 -22.50
630 630 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,292 —
670 670 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,273 —
707 707 2 177.50 $177.50 $1,255 +2.52
805 805 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,429 —
870 870 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,392 —
922 922 2 165.00 $165.00 $1,521 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1405 1248 80-85% 13 104.00–109.00 $107.90 $1,347 -7.79
1055–1445 1258 80-85% 28 110.00–118.00 $114.40 $1,439 —
1255–1300 1278 80-85% 2 125.00–127.00 $125.98 $1,610 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455–1640 1540 75-80% 3 105.00–108.00 $106.27 $1,637 —
1385–1850 1565 75-80% 20 111.00–119.00 $115.31 $1,805 —
1645–1870 1729 75-80% 5 120.00–122.00 $120.79 $2,088 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1045 948 85-90% 2 116.00–122.00 $118.69 $1,125 —
1025 1025 85-90% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,025 —
1040 1040 85-90% 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,092 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1590–1770 1659 4 142.00–149.00 $146.77 $2,435 +0.11
1815–2155 1985 2 154.00–159.00 $156.71 $3,111 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
997–1420 1209 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 1,400.00–2,275.00 $1,803.26
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
700 700 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00

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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
1300–1820 1478 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 2,200.00–2,375.00 $2,273.87 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 195.00 $195.00 $741 —

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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.