Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 20, 2025

651 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 $353.50/cwt +23.50 vs last sale · ≈ $3,086/hd at 873 lb · 119 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $347.91/cwt +14.91 vs last sale · ≈ $3,142/hd at 903 lb · 61 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $377.12/cwt -8.90 vs last sale · ≈ $2,530/hd at 671 lb · 42 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 651 592 1,088
Feeder cattle 615 531 1,001
Slaughter cattle 35 48 78
Replacement cattle 1 13 9

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 650lbs sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher with feeder steers over 650lbs mostly steady. Yearling steers sold 10.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 6.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold mostly steady. Good to very good demand for all feeder and 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
275 275 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,389 —
355 355 10 495.00–500.00 $499.50 $1,773 —
426 value added 426 13 487.50 $487.50 $2,077 —
450–465 458 2 452.50–465.00 $458.65 $2,101 +37.54
500–545 value added 514 8 427.50–435.00 $429.64 $2,208 +10.77
505–545 527 17 402.50–420.00 $413.21 $2,178 +15.15
552–565 value added 554 15 415.00–417.50 $416.50 $2,307 -1.41
550–598 578 12 387.50–405.00 $394.69 $2,281 +2.19
603–615 value added 607 22 392.50–397.50 $396.71 $2,408 +8.44
605–645 626 8 372.50–387.50 $380.97 $2,385 +3.47
666–675 670 10 360.00–375.00 $369.72 $2,477 -2.77
660–672 value added 671 32 379.00–382.50 $379.43 $2,546 -7.65
706–735 715 9 332.50–342.50 $337.54 $2,413 -6.46
770 770 1 347.50 $347.50 $2,676 —
840 840 1 332.50 $332.50 $2,793 -13.80
864–882 value added 873 119 352.00–355.00 $353.50 $3,086 —
903 value added 903 60 348.50 $348.50 $3,147 +15.50
915 915 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,859 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 2 420.00–430.00 $425.00 $1,955 —
505 505 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,970 +29.57
615–631 628 7 352.50–362.50 $353.90 $2,222 +2.89
695 695 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,432 +4.87
780 780 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,516 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,413 —
520 520 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,872 —
600–620 610 2 322.50–337.50 $329.88 $2,012 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,159 +2.50
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,496 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,840 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,034 —
250–285 268 2 405.00–425.00 $415.65 $1,114 —
358 fancy 358 3 437.50 $437.50 $1,566 +23.15
360–380 365 4 402.50–405.00 $403.15 $1,471 +3.13
405–445 415 8 392.50–407.50 $401.17 $1,665 +4.97
450–490 472 19 387.50–407.50 $392.56 $1,853 -4.63
503–535 516 10 360.00–372.50 $364.75 $1,882 +6.67
515–545 value added 535 3 380.00–382.50 $381.70 $2,042 +9.20
560–565 value added 563 4 375.00–380.00 $376.26 $2,118 +1.03
560–595 575 25 347.50–362.50 $352.41 $2,026 +2.48
611 value added 611 7 358.00 $358.00 $2,187 -6.11
600–630 619 21 335.00–347.50 $340.20 $2,106 +4.56
670–693 683 7 320.00–322.50 $320.35 $2,188 -12.63
700–730 711 4 307.50–320.00 $311.22 $2,213 —
792 792 2 310.00 $310.00 $2,455 —
827 827 2 317.50 $317.50 $2,626 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,064 —
390 390 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,492 +7.50
405 405 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,549 —
475–485 480 2 370.00–377.50 $373.71 $1,794 +10.70
510 510 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,645 -20.79
570–591 588 6 337.50–343.00 $342.11 $2,012 +6.28
615–632 626 3 327.50 $327.50 $2,050 +35.00
665–695 678 4 300.00–305.00 $301.23 $2,042 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,368 —
415 415 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,432 +17.50
592 592 2 302.50 $302.50 $1,791 -6.35
605–630 618 3 300.00–307.50 $302.51 $1,870 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,314 —
450 450 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,665 +23.29
570 570 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,838 —
940 940 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,538 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,770 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,306 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–373 371 5 500.00–505.00 $504.02 $1,870 +43.75
415–430 423 2 440.00–442.50 $441.23 $1,866 -5.28
455–480 463 3 420.00–425.00 $423.27 $1,960 +17.11
510–545 517 5 387.50–402.50 $390.99 $2,021 +15.10
520 fancy 520 1 425.00 $425.00 $2,210 —
560–575 570 4 375.00–385.00 $377.46 $2,152 +29.06
610–630 623 3 337.50–347.50 $344.24 $2,145 +1.74
657–695 670 3 327.50–337.50 $334.04 $2,238 —
710–712 711 3 312.50–322.50 $315.83 $2,246 +25.83
870 870 1 252.50 $252.50 $2,197 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440–445 443 2 420.00–425.00 $422.49 $1,872 +10.28
475–490 484 4 400.00–407.50 $403.15 $1,951 +16.04
515–545 531 5 375.00–382.50 $376.54 $1,999 +43.20
570–580 575 4 352.50–365.00 $361.28 $2,077 +37.52
625 625 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,953 ±0.00
655–680 665 3 302.50–317.50 $309.17 $2,056 +19.17
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,600 +40.00
475 475 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,710 +17.50
547 547 2 360.00 $360.00 $1,969 +55.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,235 —
450 450 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,912 +30.00

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1370 1214 80-85% 8 159.00–169.00 $163.19 $1,981 —
1140–1395 1284 80-85% 6 171.00–180.00 $174.85 $2,245 +7.92
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–955 905 85-90% 2 132.00–134.00 $132.94 $1,203 -7.21
880–1075 984 85-90% 4 150.00–155.00 $152.40 $1,500 —
1035–1190 1097 85-90% 3 144.00–147.00 $145.73 $1,599 -8.45
1130 1130 85-90% 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,831 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375 1375 75-80% 1 164.00 $164.00 $2,255 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370–2130 1715 4 193.00–209.00 $203.25 $3,486 —
1895 1895 1 210.00 $210.00 $3,980 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
935 935 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00

↑ Back to top

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.