Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 21, 2025

762 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $257.82/cwt +4.98 vs last sale · ≈ $1,849/hd at 717 lb · 86 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $289.37/cwt -3.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,972/hd at 681 lb · 82 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $274.10/cwt +7.64 vs last sale · ≈ $2,266/hd at 827 lb · 65 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 762 1,218 1,780
Feeder cattle 720 1,161 1,694
Slaughter cattle 39 50 86
Replacement cattle 3 7 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and bulls 400-600 lb sold sharply higher with very good demand; over 600 lbs sold steady on similar quality. Feeder heifers 300-500 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand; 500-600 lbs sold steady on similar quality; softer undertone on 600-700 lb heifers. Market active with good demand on weaned packages and yearlings. Slaughter cows sold steady with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher 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
252 252 4 370.00 $370.00 $932 —
410 410 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,496 —
402–446 value added 426 6 377.00–400.00 $387.18 $1,649 +9.84
450 value added 450 5 397.50 $397.50 $1,789 +39.63
450 450 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,530 —
533 value added 533 4 322.50 $322.50 $1,719 -7.87
545 545 1 317.00 $317.00 $1,728 +25.00
555–595 value added 577 61 327.50–338.50 $331.05 $1,910 +18.30
600 600 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,620 -15.31
630–645 value added 636 5 262.50–289.00 $278.25 $1,770 -28.32
653–686 value added 681 80 279.00–300.25 $289.98 $1,975 -8.99
695 695 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,842 -12.42
715–743 value added 733 27 262.50–275.00 $268.86 $1,971 -13.72
750–783 value added 759 19 267.50–273.00 $269.19 $2,043 -9.03
785 785 1 251.00 $251.00 $1,970 +6.00
800 800 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,920 -8.53
828 fancy 828 62 275.75 $275.75 $2,283 +1.00
880 880 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,936 —
903 903 3 240.00 $240.00 $2,167 +9.00
954 fancy 954 58 257.60 $257.60 $2,458 —
1125 1125 1 204.00 $204.00 $2,295 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,392 +10.46
520–545 533 2 257.50–302.00 $280.27 $1,494 —
557–572 565 4 285.00–300.00 $292.40 $1,652 +31.40
600 600 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,470 -21.78
677 677 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,625 +4.00
775 775 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,736 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1535 1535 3 192.00 $192.00 $2,947 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880 880 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,068 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,013 —

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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 1 300.00 $300.00 $840 —
290 value added 290 1 332.50 $332.50 $964 —
315 value added 315 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,008 -8.39
360 360 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,116 —
395 value added 395 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,304 +14.15
400–440 value added 413 3 302.50–328.00 $318.95 $1,317 +10.45
450–455 453 2 270.00–295.00 $282.43 $1,279 +9.97
450–477 value added 461 10 312.50–337.50 $327.15 $1,508 +20.05
500–535 509 4 272.50–274.00 $273.61 $1,393 -8.83
510–535 value added 520 25 285.00–305.00 $296.99 $1,544 +1.82
555–560 557 3 260.00–264.00 $261.34 $1,456 -16.31
560–596 value added 583 50 267.50–284.00 $275.32 $1,605 -35.11
605–631 value added 611 14 252.50–262.50 $260.29 $1,590 -22.72
656–685 663 4 242.00–243.00 $242.26 $1,606 -6.70
671–682 value added 678 42 244.00–255.00 $251.17 $1,703 -20.83
715–725 717 8 220.00–229.00 $226.86 $1,627 -3.14
717 value added 717 78 261.00 $261.00 $1,871 +7.69
800–825 value added 806 4 215.00–224.00 $221.70 $1,787 -21.21
815 815 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,671 -11.00
922 value added 922 4 219.00 $219.00 $2,019 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 272.50 $272.50 $818 —
360 360 1 270.00 $270.00 $972 —
462–470 465 3 232.50–265.00 $254.04 $1,181 -10.96
585 585 3 252.50 $252.50 $1,477 -16.50
617 617 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,419 —
730 730 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,533 —
755–795 775 2 202.50–210.00 $206.15 $1,598 -13.85
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,024 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,003 —
325 325 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,138 —
380 380 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,368 —
455 fancy 455 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,706 —
490 490 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,421 —
510–518 value added 516 4 330.00–340.00 $332.47 $1,716 —
525 525 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,470 —
553–568 564 10 313.00 $313.00 $1,765 —
610 value added 610 2 289.00 $289.00 $1,763 —
673 value added 673 10 269.00 $269.00 $1,810 —
720 720 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,746 -2.50
735 value added 735 5 260.00 $260.00 $1,911 —
1090 1090 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,831 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
625 625 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,484 —
925 925 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,758 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 291.00 $291.00 $1,673 —
650 650 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,495 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 222.50 $222.50 $445 —
425 425 1 200.00 $200.00 $850 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860 860 85-90% 1 90.00 $90.00 $774 —
840–965 903 85-90% 2 102.00–106.00 $104.14 $940 —
1010–1040 1023 85-90% 3 115.00–117.00 $115.66 $1,183 —
1080–1240 1154 85-90% 4 119.00–126.00 $122.87 $1,418 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 80-85% 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,459 —
1175–1500 1329 80-85% 6 135.00–138.00 $136.29 $1,811 —
1480 1480 80-85% 1 143.00 $143.00 $2,116 ±0.00
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–1575 1468 75-80% 5 134.00–138.00 $135.24 $1,985 —
1575 1575 75-80% 1 139.00 $139.00 $2,189 -8.42

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055 1055 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,488 —
1150–1665 1402 8 152.00–168.00 $157.72 $2,211 —
1695–2170 1884 4 169.00–181.00 $173.77 $3,274 +4.38

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
935–1245 1087 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 140.00–167.00 $149.27 $1,623

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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.