Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 17, 2025

282 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $317.79/cwt -10.53 vs last sale · ≈ $2,127/hd at 669 lb · 18 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $309.00/cwt +8.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,318/hd at 750 lb · 16 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $380.12/cwt +9.80 vs last sale · ≈ $1,995/hd at 525 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 282 640 791
Feeder cattle 256 599 737
Slaughter cattle 19 35 39
Replacement cattle 7 6 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 550lbs sold 10.00 to 15.00 higher with feeder steers over 550lbs steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 600lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with feeder heifers over 600lbs mostly steady. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady.

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
265 265 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,272 -10.00
335 fancy 335 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,809 —
416–435 value added 421 4 502.50–520.00 $507.02 $2,135 +2.02
425 425 1 467.50 $467.50 $1,987 -2.50
490 490 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,230 +17.69
510–535 525 4 422.50–430.00 $424.96 $2,231 +15.24
535 value added 535 2 452.50 $452.50 $2,421 ±0.00
560 value added 560 5 432.50 $432.50 $2,422 +20.09
570–583 580 4 380.00–387.50 $385.66 $2,237 +3.21
610–643 636 8 370.00–397.50 $379.94 $2,416 +0.41
670–685 683 9 357.50–368.00 $366.86 $2,506 +9.84
708 value added 708 4 355.00 $355.00 $2,513 +3.31
710–725 718 2 342.50–347.50 $345.03 $2,477 +11.89
762–789 782 8 332.00–335.00 $332.73 $2,602 +1.83
820 820 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,604 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402 402 2 422.50 $422.50 $1,698 +2.50
470–495 483 2 415.00–420.00 $417.56 $2,017 +25.06
500 500 1 402.50 $402.50 $2,012 —
550 550 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,939 -12.50
615–645 633 3 357.50–367.50 $360.89 $2,284 +10.92
675–697 690 3 345.00–347.50 $345.82 $2,386 +18.34
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,810 —
635–645 638 4 310.00–330.00 $322.53 $2,058 +17.53
685 685 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,209 +14.91
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610–640 625 2 355.00–362.50 $358.84 $2,243 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–285 280 2 395.00–410.00 $402.63 $1,127 +5.13
315–330 323 2 415.00–430.00 $422.67 $1,365 +35.17
350–370 364 7 400.00–430.00 $418.63 $1,524 —
410–445 429 4 392.50–407.50 $402.62 $1,727 +12.49
450–485 462 10 385.00–397.50 $393.07 $1,816 +18.07
518 value added 518 9 386.00 $386.00 $1,999 +1.69
545 545 3 362.50 $362.50 $1,976 +11.76
550–555 553 2 350.00–352.50 $351.24 $1,942 —
627 627 2 332.50 $332.50 $2,085 +14.83
652 value added 652 6 332.50 $332.50 $2,168 -3.37
660–686 678 12 305.00–312.50 $310.43 $2,105 +10.43
715 715 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,127 —
750 value added 750 16 309.00 $309.00 $2,318 +6.50
820 820 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,214 -10.00
865 865 1 267.50 $267.50 $2,314 -7.50
1070 1070 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,461 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,482 +15.51
425 425 2 352.50 $352.50 $1,498 -7.50
477–480 478 3 355.00–362.50 $359.99 $1,721 +5.00
515–535 525 4 350.00–355.00 $351.90 $1,847 +15.04
570 570 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,881 +18.76
615 615 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,876 +4.16
725 725 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,994 +22.50
755–785 770 2 265.00–275.00 $269.90 $2,078 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,404 —
525–540 533 2 332.50 $332.50 $1,772 +50.01
560–595 583 3 300.00–315.00 $308.20 $1,797 +20.75
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 2 377.50 $377.50 $1,736 +22.50
525 525 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,811 +12.50
820 820 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,804 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,089 —
700 700 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,540 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715 715 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,573 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–220 212 3 450.00–470.00 $456.61 $968 —
250–255 253 2 450.00–465.00 $457.43 $1,157 -7.57
325–335 330 2 440.00–465.00 $452.31 $1,493 —
355–365 357 5 450.00–470.00 $461.53 $1,648 -13.47
400–420 408 4 420.00–435.00 $426.90 $1,742 +20.26
430 fancy 430 1 502.50 $502.50 $2,161 +57.50
465–470 468 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,966 +5.00
530–537 535 3 390.00–400.00 $396.70 $2,122 +36.70
575–585 583 4 350.00–352.50 $350.62 $2,044 -26.88
600–630 615 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,983 ±0.00
680–685 683 2 302.50–315.00 $308.73 $2,109 —
750 750 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,212 —
1010 1010 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,323 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,323 —
367–392 382 5 420.00–422.50 $420.51 $1,606 —
420 420 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,680 +21.65
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830 830 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,805 -52.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,700 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1480–1760 1618 75-80% 6 160.00–172.00 $165.30 $2,675 +0.83
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255 1255 80-85% 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,694 +3.00
1275–1300 1283 80-85% 3 153.00–164.00 $157.31 $2,018 +25.31
1350 1350 80-85% 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,984 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165 1165 85-90% 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,433 —
1175 1175 85-90% 1 136.00 $136.00 $1,598 —
1080–1300 1190 85-90% 2 140.00–141.00 $140.55 $1,673 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1850 1850 1 181.00 $181.00 $3,348 —
1995 1995 1 192.00 $192.00 $3,830 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1125 1125 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00
1235 1235 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,750.00 $2,750.00
1300–1345 1323 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,950.00–2,175.00 $2,064.41
1330 1330 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00

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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.