Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 21, 2026

1,166 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 $349.10/cwt +17.23 vs last sale · ≈ $3,027/hd at 867 lb · 132 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $361.89/cwt -14.54 vs last sale · ≈ $2,746/hd at 759 lb · 85 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $388.96/cwt -28.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,430/hd at 625 lb · 83 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,166 1,010 348
Feeder cattle 1,124 914 330
Slaughter cattle 40 88 12
Replacement cattle 2 8 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 4.00 to 6.00 lower. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 lower. Weaned, precondition feeders with favorable condition still bringing large premiums. Slaughter cows sold 6.00 to 8.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 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
260 fancy 260 1 610.00 $610.00 $1,586 —
290 290 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,406 —
305–335 320 2 500.00–510.00 $505.23 $1,617 -19.58
350–385 370 3 505.00–532.50 $521.30 $1,929 +7.61
415 fancy 415 1 542.50 $542.50 $2,251 —
400–445 423 20 485.00–507.50 $497.69 $2,105 -12.89
450–485 476 9 440.00–465.00 $456.90 $2,175 -35.62
481–482 value added 481 5 495.00–500.00 $497.00 $2,391 -24.53
506–532 526 19 485.00–492.50 $489.61 $2,575 +12.13
558–570 567 17 440.00–470.00 $447.84 $2,539 +29.02
610–621 value added 612 21 405.00–415.00 $412.37 $2,524 -13.41
600–647 629 62 336.00–395.00 $381.03 $2,397 -16.67
656–685 665 10 377.50–386.00 $381.52 $2,537 -3.66
720 720 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,448 -13.67
705–746 value added 739 57 355.25–373.00 $358.35 $2,648 -20.80
755–756 value added 756 76 350.00–366.00 $365.79 $2,765 -14.44
768–795 782 9 321.00–332.00 $329.00 $2,573 -27.25
810–825 823 9 325.00–328.00 $327.67 $2,697 —
846 value added 846 63 347.75 $347.75 $2,942 +1.43
867 value added 867 132 349.10 $349.10 $3,027 —
914 value added 914 58 330.50 $330.50 $3,021 —
905–940 915 4 300.00–320.00 $312.88 $2,863 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–440 418 3 475.00–477.50 $475.81 $1,989 +30.81
490 490 2 425.00 $425.00 $2,082 -47.50
505 505 2 450.00 $450.00 $2,272 +6.24
567–598 577 11 390.00–410.00 $396.53 $2,288 +4.16
672 672 2 342.50 $342.50 $2,302 -17.87
720 720 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,376 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–545 523 2 407.50–412.50 $410.11 $2,145 +20.17
565–593 586 4 380.00–383.00 $382.28 $2,240 —
610–625 618 2 365.00–367.50 $366.23 $2,263 +33.73
670 670 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,278 —
785 785 1 267.50 $267.50 $2,100 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 2 437.50 $437.50 $2,362 —
790 790 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,311 -42.50
810 810 2 300.00–317.00 $308.50 $2,499 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815 815 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,200 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,800 —

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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 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,069 -30.00
300–347 331 5 452.50–467.50 $459.86 $1,522 +19.86
365–397 387 10 437.50–457.50 $445.06 $1,722 +6.38
405–440 421 25 422.50–442.50 $428.32 $1,803 -3.68
466 value added 466 4 442.50 $442.50 $2,062 -5.02
450–495 481 34 405.00–420.00 $412.80 $1,986 +8.61
505–515 value added 512 27 392.50–400.00 $397.88 $2,037 +20.43
505–540 523 11 360.00–375.00 $368.44 $1,927 +13.82
555–558 value added 557 27 373.00–389.50 $385.85 $2,149 +3.85
552–597 589 46 350.00–370.00 $359.06 $2,115 +8.56
615–627 618 8 340.50–350.00 $342.91 $2,119 +14.81
621 value added 621 14 358.00 $358.00 $2,223 -9.21
650 650 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,096 -7.53
686–699 value added 692 81 331.50–339.00 $335.26 $2,320 -25.98
705 705 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,186 -0.70
760–785 766 11 297.50–313.00 $302.25 $2,315 +2.19
815 815 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,384 -22.47
863 863 12 279.00 $279.00 $2,408 —
942 942 2 260.00 $260.00 $2,449 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,470 —
395 395 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,679 +10.00
415–442 433 3 410.00–415.00 $413.40 $1,790 +16.08
450–495 473 10 382.50–395.00 $390.45 $1,847 +0.04
540 540 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,782 -11.53
560–575 567 3 332.50–342.50 $338.35 $1,918 +8.33
620–640 630 3 302.50–322.50 $313.23 $1,973 +8.25
665–695 681 9 297.50–312.50 $303.80 $2,069 -0.39
715 715 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,038 +3.15
825 825 1 247.50 $247.50 $2,042 -42.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,340 —
465–490 480 4 350.00–370.00 $364.52 $1,750 —
605–645 626 5 280.00–282.50 $280.50 $1,756 +0.50
660 660 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,848 ±0.00
740–745 743 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,858 -12.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,606 —
630 630 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,984 +21.38
735 735 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,132 +2.50
895 895 1 255.00 $255.00 $2,282 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 297.50 $297.50 $1,547 —
565–585 575 2 270.00–292.50 $281.05 $1,616 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 525.00 $525.00 $1,444 —
315–335 322 3 530.00–547.50 $541.42 $1,743 +46.42
355–390 379 4 462.50–467.50 $465.06 $1,763 +3.53
400–445 426 4 452.50–477.50 $463.35 $1,974 -29.96
455–470 464 8 455.00–470.00 $456.84 $2,120 -6.52
500–543 523 13 400.00–422.50 $412.59 $2,158 -8.75
570 570 2 377.50–392.50 $385.00 $2,194 +14.06
600–625 617 3 355.00–365.00 $361.76 $2,232 +5.76
685 685 2 352.50 $352.50 $2,415 +0.18
700–745 724 5 297.50–305.00 $299.46 $2,168 -21.80
765 765 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,142 -7.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 452.50 $452.50 $1,290 —
370 370 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,610 -8.79
420 420 1 412.50 $412.50 $1,732 —
475–483 480 6 410.00–432.50 $428.75 $2,058 +8.75
500–525 517 3 390.00–392.50 $391.69 $2,025 +19.19
575 575 1 352.50 $352.50 $2,027 +1.67
611–635 617 4 332.50–338.00 $336.58 $2,077 —
660–690 676 4 310.00–330.00 $317.99 $2,150 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,596 —
570 570 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,080 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,140 —
420 420 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,344 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,605 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,978 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1455 1281 80-85% 6 165.00–178.00 $170.94 $2,190 +32.46
1170–1590 1323 80-85% 4 153.00–163.00 $159.50 $2,110 +10.70
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880 880 85-90% 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,153 —
980–1130 1063 85-90% 3 148.00–154.00 $150.55 $1,600 +38.81
890–1290 1090 85-90% 2 117.50–120.00 $118.98 $1,297 -5.76
1155 1155 85-90% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,155 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1875 1555 75-80% 4 164.00–185.00 $172.97 $2,690 +33.65
1605 1605 75-80% 1 151.00 $151.00 $2,424 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1415–1800 1547 3 160.00–170.00 $164.49 $2,545 —
1415–1915 1738 6 177.00–187.00 $181.60 $3,156 —
1710–2215 1897 3 195.00–203.00 $199.82 $3,791 —

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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
1320 1320 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00 -1,075.00
1745 1745 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,325.00 $3,325.00 —

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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.