Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 21, 2025

340 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $287.80/cwt +6.87 vs last sale · ≈ $2,561/hd at 890 lb · 60 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $386.19/cwt +0.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,398/hd at 362 lb · 16 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $393.03/cwt -0.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,879/hd at 478 lb · 15 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 340 628 425
Feeder cattle 250 545 355
Slaughter cattle 74 81 53
Replacement cattle 16 2 17

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady on a light test. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 10.00 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
300–340 320 2 422.50–435.00 $428.36 $1,371 +16.26
340 fancy 340 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,530 +6.30
350 fancy 350 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,610 ±0.00
367–375 370 9 422.50–445.00 $441.09 $1,632 +10.52
401–430 408 11 405.00–430.00 $425.54 $1,736 +7.67
476–479 478 15 386.00–412.50 $393.03 $1,879 -0.07
510–535 530 5 370.00–372.50 $370.48 $1,964 -12.82
635 635 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,096 +3.14
660–698 688 8 312.50–342.50 $333.99 $2,298 —
705–715 710 2 322.50–330.00 $326.22 $2,316 +11.14
890 value added 890 60 287.80 $287.80 $2,561 +6.41
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–485 480 3 372.50–382.50 $375.76 $1,804 +7.43
550–560 555 2 355.00–362.50 $358.72 $1,991 +22.97
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390–395 393 2 360.00–362.50 $361.24 $1,420 —
480 480 1 367.50 $367.50 $1,764 —
575–580 578 2 320.00–330.00 $325.02 $1,879 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715 715 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,091 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 347.50 $347.50 $1,407 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
292 292 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,080 -28.36
300 300 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,148 -2.34
352–395 362 16 375.00–390.00 $386.19 $1,398 +4.03
405–420 413 12 360.00–377.50 $370.02 $1,528 +2.54
457 457 5 367.50 $367.50 $1,679 +10.11
507–520 value added 514 4 357.50–360.00 $358.73 $1,844 +6.73
500–518 515 6 330.00–347.50 $342.56 $1,764 +0.36
565 565 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,864 -2.16
600–610 603 3 292.50–317.50 $306.59 $1,849 +7.47
605 value added 605 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,951 -3.87
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 342.50 $342.50 $822 —
280 280 1 350.00 $350.00 $980 -10.00
300–345 328 3 360.00–365.00 $361.75 $1,187 -0.75
385 385 3 352.50 $352.50 $1,357 -5.00
455–495 480 4 330.00–337.50 $334.38 $1,605 -8.07
515 515 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,596 -10.95
555 555 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,693 -9.96
645 645 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,806 -2.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,172 —
410 410 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,404 —
586 586 3 327.50 $327.50 $1,919 —
805 805 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,791 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–335 325 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,105 —
360–385 373 2 337.50–340.00 $338.71 $1,263 +3.71
400 400 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,240 —
555 555 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,554 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705 705 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,551 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–245 233 2 402.50 $402.50 $938 —
265–285 275 2 402.50–412.50 $407.32 $1,120 —
350 350 2 442.50 $442.50 $1,549 +23.99
405 405 2 427.50 $427.50 $1,731 +23.27
525–545 535 2 342.50–345.00 $343.77 $1,839 —
555 555 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,845 -6.67
610–635 619 5 317.50–327.50 $321.49 $1,990 +1.54
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,468 —
545 545 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,798 —
590 590 2 332.50 $332.50 $1,962 —
648 648 4 327.50 $327.50 $2,122 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 377.50 $377.50 $1,472 -6.22
425 425 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,636 +7.10
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 360.00 $360.00 $972 —
325 325 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,170 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1380 1242 80-85% 8 146.00–154.00 $150.84 $1,873 -15.66
1135–1480 1280 80-85% 18 160.00–173.00 $164.81 $2,110 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770–1080 958 85-90% 5 121.00–129.00 $126.07 $1,208 —
985–1060 1018 85-90% 4 146.00–157.00 $153.39 $1,562 +15.46
850–1215 1041 85-90% 11 133.00–145.00 $139.02 $1,447 +1.09
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1645 1519 75-80% 4 152.00–155.00 $153.44 $2,331 +0.60
1610 1610 75-80% 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,576 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–2235 1781 4 192.00–200.00 $196.24 $3,495 —
1770–2225 1966 7 204.00–226.00 $218.02 $4,286 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1035–1195 1095 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,700.00–1,975.00 $1,816.10
1110 1110 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00
1525–1685 1605 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,200.00–2,400.00 $2,304.98

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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
1077 1077 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 3,350.00 $3,350.00 —
1150 1150 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,825.00 $2,825.00 —
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,025.00 $3,025.00 —
1715 1715 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 3,175.00 $3,175.00 —

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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.