Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 16, 2025

445 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $371.30/cwt +16.33 vs last sale · ≈ $1,964/hd at 529 lb · 40 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $351.41/cwt +22.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,649/hd at 469 lb · 27 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $326.99/cwt -1.38 vs last sale · ≈ $1,756/hd at 537 lb · 25 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 445 613 733
Feeder cattle 390 570 680
Slaughter cattle 50 31 45
Replacement cattle 5 12 8

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with some instances of sharply higher. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher.

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
280 280 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,330 +77.50
307–320 311 3 427.50–435.00 $430.07 $1,338 +5.40
367–375 370 3 430.00–435.00 $433.31 $1,603 +11.64
370–375 fancy 373 2 450.00–460.00 $454.97 $1,697 —
402 value added 402 5 447.50 $447.50 $1,799 —
410–425 412 9 412.50–435.00 $430.02 $1,772 +15.48
452–480 473 8 390.00–407.50 $401.73 $1,900 —
500–521 value added 511 17 380.00–397.50 $388.94 $1,987 +30.06
515–545 542 23 351.00–375.00 $358.26 $1,942 +26.77
555–560 558 3 362.50–365.00 $363.33 $2,027 +36.43
615–637 626 5 310.00–320.00 $318.03 $1,991 -16.11
650 650 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,080 —
750–770 760 2 282.50–295.00 $288.83 $2,195 +16.72
876–890 880 4 260.00–265.00 $263.74 $2,321 —
905 905 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,217 —
1045 1045 1 227.50 $227.50 $2,377 -11.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 2 395.00 $395.00 $1,758 +12.50
452–490 471 6 370.00–387.50 $381.04 $1,795 +10.38
520–545 528 3 332.50–340.00 $335.08 $1,769 —
550–580 571 4 322.50–340.00 $332.52 $1,899 —
690–695 693 3 285.00–297.50 $289.15 $2,004 —
760 760 3 275.00 $275.00 $2,090 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,916 +75.00
535 535 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,846 +25.00
670 670 1 297.50 $297.50 $1,993 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,400 +10.00
565 565 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,695 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 400.00 $400.00 $940 —
351–375 362 9 362.50–370.00 $365.38 $1,323 +32.21
367 fancy 367 4 380.00 $380.00 $1,395 —
420–430 value added 424 14 352.50–362.50 $356.64 $1,512 +3.64
415–430 426 4 337.50–340.00 $338.76 $1,443 +16.34
451–482 value added 461 14 355.00–367.50 $359.16 $1,656 —
465–492 478 13 335.00–350.00 $343.06 $1,640 +14.55
520–547 537 25 315.00–337.50 $326.99 $1,756 +10.47
560–593 578 16 317.50–335.00 $323.95 $1,872 +17.81
607–620 614 4 297.50–300.00 $298.76 $1,834 +11.49
623 value added 623 6 323.00 $323.00 $2,012 +18.55
685 685 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,884 +2.54
723–735 727 6 255.00–265.00 $258.37 $1,878 +5.57
755–795 782 3 247.50–252.50 $250.89 $1,962 +23.89
822–847 835 4 232.50–247.50 $240.11 $2,005 —
1050 1050 1 207.50 $207.50 $2,179 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 350.00 $350.00 $822 —
315 315 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,079 +32.58
355–370 366 4 320.00–327.50 $325.00 $1,190 +20.00
425 425 2 312.50–317.50 $315.00 $1,339 —
475–495 485 3 322.50–325.00 $324.15 $1,572 +17.47
520–545 535 3 300.00–307.50 $304.11 $1,627 +26.68
550–585 569 4 297.50–307.50 $301.19 $1,714 +14.30
622 622 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,648 —
677 677 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,794 —
730 730 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,807 +15.85
770 770 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,867 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475–490 485 4 280.00–305.00 $296.30 $1,437 —
615–620 618 2 240.00–255.00 $247.47 $1,529 —
690 690 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,708 +2.50
720 720 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,512 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,138 —
495 495 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,485 —
530 530 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,564 -2.50
555 555 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,665 +0.02
660 660 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,848 —
860 860 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,892 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,146 —
320–340 331 5 400.00–425.00 $417.11 $1,381 +14.61
350–391 377 11 400.00–427.50 $418.79 $1,579 +11.88
405–415 410 3 405.00–417.50 $410.04 $1,681 +29.09
450–475 461 5 375.00–387.50 $381.51 $1,759 —
505–530 520 4 330.00–345.00 $335.53 $1,745 -0.05
550–555 554 4 330.00–355.00 $348.79 $1,932 +41.73
600–645 621 4 300.00–320.00 $307.47 $1,909 +19.97
705–720 713 2 262.50–275.00 $268.82 $1,917 +0.57
975 975 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,926 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,444 -7.39
410–422 420 6 390.00–392.50 $390.41 $1,640 +20.41
480–492 488 3 360.00–365.00 $361.64 $1,765 +9.14
515–530 523 2 317.50–322.50 $320.04 $1,674 +0.04
550–582 569 4 307.50–320.00 $311.14 $1,770 +21.23
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–445 433 2 365.00–377.50 $371.07 $1,607 +31.07
552 552 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,573 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,677 —
580 580 1 277.50 $277.50 $1,610 —
660 660 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,749 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–995 920 85-90% 3 90.00–96.00 $93.34 $859 —
940 940 85-90% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,025 —
930–1380 1092 85-90% 3 114.00–120.00 $117.38 $1,282 —
970–1350 1161 85-90% 7 126.00–133.00 $128.94 $1,497 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1465 1326 80-85% 6 133.00–145.00 $138.74 $1,840 —
1245–1990 1541 80-85% 7 152.00–171.00 $157.76 $2,431 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530–1810 1670 75-80% 2 152.00–154.00 $153.08 $2,556 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1810 1635 4 164.00–170.00 $168.00 $2,747 -6.00
2030–2095 2063 2 174.00–184.00 $178.92 $3,691 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
840 840 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,890.00 $1,890.00
930 930 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,025.00 $2,025.00
950 950 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00
1290 1290 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,175.00 $2,175.00

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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.