Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 3, 2025

391 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 $320.00/cwt -5.33 vs last sale · ≈ $2,854/hd at 892 lb · 60 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $345.43/cwt +31.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,997/hd at 578 lb · 21 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $361.43/cwt -3.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,680/hd at 465 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 391 724 563
Feeder cattle 329 678 411
Slaughter cattle 50 38 126
Replacement cattle 12 8 26

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: No trend due to being closed last week for the thanksgiving holiday, however a higher undertone was noted 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
265 fancy 265 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,272 —
275 275 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,196 —
345 345 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,587 —
385 385 1 467.50 $467.50 $1,800 +60.00
405 value added 405 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,924 +10.00
440 440 1 412.50 $412.50 $1,815 -6.81
465 value added 465 3 452.50 $452.50 $2,104 —
458–491 473 11 397.50–417.50 $406.94 $1,925 +3.67
520–528 value added 525 12 432.50 $432.50 $2,271 +52.53
525–545 540 4 385.00–395.00 $387.43 $2,092 +44.72
560–565 563 2 367.50–387.50 $377.54 $2,126 +24.71
570–593 value added 578 9 395.00–398.00 $396.97 $2,294 —
630 630 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,205 +24.98
635–640 value added 637 10 372.50–382.50 $378.48 $2,411 +27.09
667–696 683 14 344.00–357.50 $349.04 $2,384 +22.15
740 740 2 325.00 $325.00 $2,405 —
742 value added 742 2 342.50 $342.50 $2,541 +3.16
755–798 value added 785 8 330.00–340.00 $332.44 $2,610 -1.28
815–845 value added 830 2 320.00–322.50 $321.23 $2,666 -7.77
892 value added 892 60 320.00 $320.00 $2,854 -5.65
935 935 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,712 —
948 value added 948 4 308.00 $308.00 $2,920 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481 481 3 385.00 $385.00 $1,852 +2.50
580 580 1 347.50 $347.50 $2,016 +25.00
605 605 2 332.50 $332.50 $2,012 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680 680 1 332.50 $332.50 $2,261 +22.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
322 322 2 425.00 $425.00 $1,368 +27.67
350–390 377 3 395.00–402.50 $399.14 $1,505 +10.78
405–435 418 6 350.00–365.00 $359.59 $1,503 -3.90
420–440 value added 433 3 375.00–377.50 $375.81 $1,627 -1.70
460 value added 460 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,725 +2.50
453–497 465 15 350.00–365.00 $360.53 $1,676 +2.69
520–530 527 3 337.50–342.50 $340.02 $1,792 +14.54
528–532 value added 531 11 370.00–375.00 $371.36 $1,972 —
550–597 value added 575 13 347.50–357.50 $351.69 $2,022 —
550–592 583 8 330.00–342.50 $335.26 $1,955 +21.04
600–605 value added 603 4 347.50 $347.50 $2,095 +25.00
615–628 625 5 322.50–330.00 $328.52 $2,053 +26.83
655 655 3 317.50 $317.50 $2,080 —
700 700 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,890 +1.28
760 760 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,995 -12.50
797 value added 797 8 311.00 $311.00 $2,479 +11.00
860 860 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,451 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–390 385 3 367.50–372.50 $369.19 $1,421 +14.19
515 515 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,687 +23.23
585 585 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,711 -10.77
620 620 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,736 -1.63
655–680 668 2 280.00–297.50 $288.59 $1,928 —
765–790 778 2 240.00–250.00 $244.92 $1,905 -5.08
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,344 —
680 680 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,819 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,553 +5.00
595 595 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,547 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,348 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–345 328 2 425.00–430.00 $427.63 $1,403 +14.60
370–385 378 2 390.00–422.50 $406.57 $1,537 -5.61
425 fancy 425 4 420.00 $420.00 $1,785 —
420–445 433 2 395.00–402.50 $398.64 $1,726 -3.80
450–485 464 9 377.50–390.00 $384.38 $1,784 +1.85
505–540 530 4 350.00–365.00 $361.18 $1,914 +21.71
555–575 566 4 345.00–365.00 $351.21 $1,988 +24.25
642 642 2 337.50 $337.50 $2,167 +21.67
655–685 673 3 295.00–327.50 $309.78 $2,085 —
700 700 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,065 -5.00
750–780 768 3 265.00–280.00 $274.96 $2,112 -10.04
805 805 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,932 —
1005 1005 1 212.50 $212.50 $2,136 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,232 —
365 365 2 350.00–352.50 $351.25 $1,282 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 360.00 $360.00 $900 —
595 595 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,740 -11.74
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765 765 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,989 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,232 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1435 1281 80-85% 8 153.00–162.00 $156.33 $2,003 +2.80
1120–1435 1287 80-85% 9 141.00–151.00 $146.07 $1,880 -7.46
1305 1305 80-85% 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,710 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–1030 880 85-90% 3 102.00–105.00 $103.83 $914 —
900–1175 1033 85-90% 6 130.00–140.00 $135.10 $1,396 —
1100–1125 1113 85-90% 2 120.00–122.50 $121.26 $1,350 -5.43
1180 1180 85-90% 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,711 +3.93
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1395–1515 1448 75-80% 3 153.00–160.00 $155.44 $2,251 —
1365–1745 1474 75-80% 4 162.00–181.00 $168.56 $2,485 +11.80

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320 1320 1 185.00 $185.00 $2,442 —
1435–1670 1553 2 168.00–175.00 $171.24 $2,659 —
1600–2070 1830 5 195.00–209.00 $204.29 $3,739 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000–1085 1043 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,000.00–2,400.00 $2,191.85
1065 1065 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00
1220 1220 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,875.00–3,000.00 $2,937.50

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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
1270 1270 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —
1310 1310 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,650.00 $2,650.00 —
1345 1345 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 4,000.00 $4,000.00 —

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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.