Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 10, 2024

1,403 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $252.50/cwt +5.35 vs last sale · ≈ $2,226/hd at 882 lb · 138 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $255.12/cwt -7.93 vs last sale · ≈ $2,017/hd at 791 lb · 134 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $256.50/cwt +15.73 vs last sale · ≈ $2,107/hd at 821 lb · 129 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,403 1,369 1,495
Feeder cattle 1,344 1,333 1,315
Slaughter cattle 54 36 152
Replacement cattle 5 — 28

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers under 600 lbs traded sharply higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Yearling steers sold steady to 3.00 higher with good demand. Yearling heifers very good demand in a limited comparison. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower with moderate demand. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 lower 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
200 200 1 335.00 $335.00 $670 —
310–345 value added 325 3 331.00–372.50 $354.64 $1,153 —
370–382 value added 378 3 327.50–342.50 $337.61 $1,276 —
400–442 value added 424 11 320.00–367.00 $340.94 $1,446 +13.89
475–485 478 3 293.00–300.00 $295.37 $1,412 —
465–493 value added 480 13 311.00–345.00 $330.96 $1,589 +22.67
515–535 value added 519 24 322.50–347.50 $341.52 $1,772 +27.00
520–545 533 2 280.00–289.00 $284.61 $1,517 +14.61
555–596 value added 574 24 297.50–337.50 $316.16 $1,815 +36.16
550–592 580 9 275.00–292.50 $284.73 $1,651 +5.73
600–625 613 2 252.50–257.50 $255.05 $1,563 -2.10
600–640 value added 630 30 262.50–299.00 $287.28 $1,810 -8.64
661–693 value added 677 23 260.00–287.50 $267.42 $1,810 -9.88
682–692 687 4 242.50–253.00 $247.79 $1,702 -3.82
730–747 736 6 240.00–247.50 $245.02 $1,803 —
700–747 value added 739 113 247.50–266.00 $260.07 $1,922 +0.79
750–790 771 7 238.00–241.00 $239.98 $1,850 -3.01
789 thin fleshed 789 61 259.60 $259.60 $2,048 —
750–796 value added 794 66 246.00–253.00 $252.58 $2,005 -6.92
800–818 817 71 237.50–255.75 $254.46 $2,079 +11.30
827 fancy 827 58 259.00 $259.00 $2,142 —
850–880 880 78 235.00–249.85 $248.43 $2,186 +9.43
884 thin fleshed 884 60 257.80 $257.80 $2,279 —
927 fancy 927 13 248.00 $248.00 $2,299 -2.37
940 940 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,256 +14.73
968 fancy 968 44 247.50 $247.50 $2,396 —
1008 fancy 1008 8 239.50 $239.50 $2,414 —
1066 fancy 1066 4 238.00 $238.00 $2,537 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550–577 568 6 260.00–272.50 $269.48 $1,531 —
635 635 2 230.00–233.00 $231.50 $1,470 +0.50
650–670 660 2 233.00–239.00 $235.95 $1,557 -3.05
715–745 736 4 201.00–222.50 $216.65 $1,595 -13.84
770 770 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,725 —
817–835 823 3 195.00–197.00 $196.32 $1,616 -25.68
885 885 2 210.00–220.00 $215.00 $1,903 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580–585 583 2 262.50–263.00 $262.75 $1,532 -2.25
835 835 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,920 +4.63
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 240.00 $240.00 $708 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 282.50 $282.50 $791 +2.50
315 value added 315 1 292.50 $292.50 $921 —
320–337 331 3 265.00 $265.00 $877 —
385–395 392 5 257.50–273.00 $264.21 $1,036 -8.20
400–447 424 4 265.00–267.50 $266.18 $1,129 +15.38
405–438 value added 426 5 284.00–295.00 $287.06 $1,223 +2.99
450–460 value added 451 7 282.50–305.00 $290.74 $1,311 +22.36
455–495 479 8 252.00–267.50 $260.98 $1,250 +13.47
510–547 525 5 240.00–247.50 $244.37 $1,283 -1.90
500–547 value added 526 26 258.00–280.00 $271.88 $1,430 +15.32
560–575 570 7 240.00–247.50 $242.49 $1,382 -2.03
552–585 value added 575 40 254.00–270.00 $266.11 $1,530 +8.05
615–645 626 7 233.00–237.00 $235.03 $1,471 -36.97
602–647 value added 629 19 239.00–252.50 $245.66 $1,545 -9.34
652 value added 652 2 249.00 $249.00 $1,623 +2.78
671–677 674 8 232.50–237.50 $234.69 $1,582 +0.29
700–715 706 7 210.00–217.50 $213.21 $1,505 -30.31
719 fancy 719 72 256.40 $256.40 $1,844 —
725–744 value added 733 13 220.00–230.00 $227.10 $1,665 -2.78
767 value added 767 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,687 -10.00
807–830 820 7 200.00–217.50 $205.99 $1,689 +0.99
882–891 889 10 207.00–207.50 $207.10 $1,841 —
945 945 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,833 —
956–970 958 6 199.00–207.50 $200.43 $1,920 —
988 988 7 188.00 $188.00 $1,857 —
1000 1000 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,725 —
1065 1065 1 197.50 $197.50 $2,103 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 230.00 $230.00 $460 —
310–325 316 4 235.00–260.00 $244.92 $774 -5.08
365 365 1 240.00 $240.00 $876 -6.65
435 435 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,088 +6.00
457–475 463 3 239.00–240.00 $239.66 $1,110 —
530–540 533 4 227.50–237.50 $233.11 $1,242 +3.11
585 585 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,375 +6.35
600–645 617 3 200.00–227.50 $216.28 $1,334 -1.00
665–680 673 4 207.50–225.00 $215.66 $1,451 +9.66
702–745 720 7 185.00–202.50 $198.30 $1,428 -11.44
760–785 773 2 191.00–210.00 $200.35 $1,549 —
800–847 824 4 169.00–185.00 $176.77 $1,457 -5.23
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–445 432 3 200.00–230.00 $214.56 $927 —
530 530 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,060 —
620 620 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,256 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,270 +12.00
715 715 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,430 -46.00
925 925 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,656 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145 1145 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,614 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–367 value added 367 5 345.00–357.00 $352.81 $1,295 +15.31
400–445 value added 413 6 317.50–357.50 $335.61 $1,386 +20.74
470–480 473 3 273.00–310.00 $286.74 $1,356 —
477–480 value added 478 5 317.50–340.00 $322.02 $1,539 +11.08
500–528 value added 522 8 292.50–327.50 $299.19 $1,562 +24.19
525–545 538 4 260.00–277.50 $266.66 $1,435 +10.66
575–585 580 2 257.50 $257.50 $1,494 +6.69
580–590 value added 585 2 283.00–292.50 $287.71 $1,683 +18.45
605 605 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,437 +7.50
605–645 value added 622 3 245.00–247.50 $245.86 $1,529 —
665–672 670 3 230.00–232.50 $231.67 $1,552 +2.67
685 value added 685 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,678 ±0.00
700–740 737 14 228.00–237.50 $236.86 $1,746 —
765–790 778 2 220.00–237.50 $228.61 $1,779 —
800–840 817 6 185.00–215.00 $206.13 $1,684 +22.13
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 307.50 $307.50 $984 +50.00
405 405 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,053 —
565–585 573 3 220.00–240.00 $230.03 $1,318 -14.49
610 610 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,281 -10.00
745 745 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,416 -12.84
775–790 783 4 210.00–212.50 $211.24 $1,654 +11.18
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 257.50 $257.50 $876 +7.50
520 520 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,144 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,448 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1365 1204 80-85% 4 122.00–125.00 $123.25 $1,484 -6.12
1165–1305 1241 80-85% 4 112.00–113.00 $112.50 $1,396 -16.87
1220–1405 1294 80-85% 6 116.00–119.00 $117.49 $1,520 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1675 1499 75-80% 10 119.00–124.00 $122.17 $1,831 —
1515 1515 75-80% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,773 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845 845 85-90% 1 89.00 $89.00 $752 —
835–1220 1025 85-90% 4 96.00–102.00 $98.26 $1,007 —
1050–1200 1125 85-90% 2 113.00–119.00 $116.20 $1,307 -1.50
1100–1230 1165 85-90% 2 103.00–106.00 $104.42 $1,216 +20.42

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1595–2255 1846 5 142.00–153.00 $147.99 $2,732 -2.57
1730–2160 1945 2 155.00–162.00 $158.89 $3,090 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1000–1270 1134 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 123.00–135.00 $129.65 $1,470

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920 920 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,775.00 $1,775.00

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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
1500–1525 1513 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 2,650.00 $2,650.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
603 thin fleshed 603 44 251.50 $251.50 $1,517 —
696 696 74 226.00 $226.00 $1,573 —

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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.