Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 17, 2024

650 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $272.90/cwt +17.78 vs last sale · ≈ $2,116/hd at 775 lb · 206 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $251.44/cwt -5.07 vs last sale · ≈ $2,033/hd at 809 lb · 75 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $280.24/cwt +15.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,874/hd at 669 lb · 40 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 650 1,403 513
Feeder cattle 602 1,344 479
Slaughter cattle 44 54 29
Replacement cattle 4 5 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder and yearling steers sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher. There was good to very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Strongest demand noted for weaned and preconditioned feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower. 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
325 fancy 325 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,284 —
380 380 2 362.50 $362.50 $1,378 —
415 415 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,297 —
452–478 470 12 322.50–340.00 $336.09 $1,580 +40.72
510–525 513 12 315.00–322.50 $317.08 $1,627 +32.47
525–535 value added 530 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,802 -1.52
558 value added 558 11 329.00 $329.00 $1,836 +12.84
555–590 572 5 295.00–310.00 $301.38 $1,724 +16.65
604 value added 604 12 314.00 $314.00 $1,897 +26.72
617–628 624 10 295.00 $295.00 $1,841 +39.95
659–685 value added 662 18 290.00–291.00 $290.89 $1,926 +23.47
655–690 674 22 262.50–275.00 $271.52 $1,830 +23.73
705 value added 705 12 272.00 $272.00 $1,918 +11.93
735 735 4 238.00–256.00 $247.00 $1,815 +1.98
753 fancy 753 69 282.00 $282.00 $2,123 —
781 781 7 246.00 $246.00 $1,921 +6.02
784–790 value added 787 130 269.10–270.00 $269.52 $2,121 +16.94
806 value added 806 66 252.50 $252.50 $2,035 —
805–832 828 9 235.00–245.00 $243.63 $2,017 -10.83
900–905 903 3 220.00–224.00 $221.66 $2,002 —
985 985 1 224.00 $224.00 $2,206 —
1045 1045 1 204.00 $204.00 $2,132 —
1095 1095 1 199.00 $199.00 $2,179 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,468 -11.98
640 640 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,542 +9.50
715 715 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,580 +4.35
805 805 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,248 -41.32
935 935 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,917 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
597 597 2 290.00 $290.00 $1,731 —
640 640 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,648 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 315.00 $315.00 $772 —
260 260 1 295.00 $295.00 $767 +12.50
315 315 1 300.00 $300.00 $945 +35.00
382–395 386 3 305.00–312.50 $309.94 $1,196 +45.73
400–439 433 6 290.00–300.00 $291.54 $1,262 +25.36
470–490 481 11 295.00–302.50 $300.00 $1,443 +39.02
510–515 value added 513 6 280.00–282.50 $280.83 $1,441 +8.95
530–535 534 4 262.50–270.00 $268.14 $1,432 +23.77
551–580 562 12 270.00–272.50 $270.82 $1,522 +28.33
599 value added 599 9 277.50 $277.50 $1,662 +11.39
611 value added 611 8 285.00 $285.00 $1,741 +39.34
610–635 627 10 260.00–267.00 $264.93 $1,661 +29.90
677–694 684 15 237.50–247.00 $241.36 $1,651 +6.67
715–730 720 3 222.50–225.00 $224.16 $1,614 +10.95
827 827 2 208.00 $208.00 $1,720 +2.01
1255 1255 2 175.00 $175.00 $2,196 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 280.00 $280.00 $630 +50.00
390 390 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,092 +40.00
420 420 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,092 +10.00
465 465 5 260.00 $260.00 $1,209 +20.34
505 505 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,162 -3.11
555–595 576 5 220.00–230.00 $224.48 $1,293 -10.52
600 600 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,275 -3.78
650 650 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,430 +4.34
710 710 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,420 +1.70
825 825 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,402 -6.77
900 900 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,688 —
965 965 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,665 —
1030 1030 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,906 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 2 290.00 $290.00 $1,137 —
580 580 3 242.50–250.00 $247.50 $1,436 —
605–630 621 4 232.50–237.50 $235.02 $1,459 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090 1090 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,472 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,188 —
355–390 373 2 312.50–322.50 $317.27 $1,183 —
405–445 425 2 310.00–322.00 $315.72 $1,342 —
480 480 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,512 +28.26
510 fancy 510 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,645 —
527 527 4 305.00 $305.00 $1,607 +38.34
555–565 562 3 270.00–285.00 $274.94 $1,545 +17.44
630 630 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,480 -2.50
720 720 2 227.50 $227.50 $1,638 -9.36
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
522 522 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,357 —
710 710 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,402 +7.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,439 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1280 1173 80-85% 6 101.00–109.00 $104.07 $1,221 —
1230–1285 1258 80-85% 4 121.00–124.00 $122.50 $1,541 —
1190–1490 1341 80-85% 8 111.00–119.00 $115.35 $1,547 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485 1485 75-80% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,619 -13.17
1440–1605 1523 75-80% 2 122.00–123.00 $122.47 $1,865 +5.47
1515–1825 1588 75-80% 8 110.00–118.00 $115.40 $1,833 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915 915 85-90% 1 105.00 $105.00 $961 —
930–940 935 85-90% 2 89.00–92.00 $90.51 $846 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160 1160 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,485 —
1155–1600 1380 3 137.00–139.00 $138.44 $1,910 —
1700–1775 1748 3 151.00–155.00 $153.03 $2,675 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
935 935 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,318

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1435 1435 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 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
1375 1375 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00 —

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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.