Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 8, 2026

696 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $488.09/cwt -12.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,290/hd at 469 lb · 45 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $441.18/cwt -7.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,765/hd at 627 lb · 44 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $354.16/cwt ≈ $2,902/hd at 819 lb · 44 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 696 674 613
Feeder cattle 613 611 570
Slaughter cattle 63 29 31
Replacement cattle 20 34 12

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady. Several new crop bawling calves in todays sale. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Slaughter 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
265–295 280 2 600.00–660.00 $628.39 $1,759 -6.61
325 325 1 565.00 $565.00 $1,836 -65.00
376 fancy 376 5 625.00 $625.00 $2,350 ±0.00
380–385 383 2 555.00–597.50 $576.11 $2,207 +16.11
400–445 418 6 552.50–577.50 $564.39 $2,359 +8.20
432 value added 432 2 587.50 $587.50 $2,538 -8.70
455–485 469 19 515.00–535.00 $523.06 $2,453 -20.02
503–515 507 5 492.50–515.00 $508.98 $2,581 +19.16
511–516 value added 513 9 532.50–540.00 $535.85 $2,749 +8.38
550 value added 550 2 495.00–500.00 $497.50 $2,736 -9.51
565–590 578 11 452.50–477.50 $462.63 $2,674 -19.00
605–639 value added 626 10 450.00–457.50 $455.08 $2,849 +1.80
605–643 627 34 422.00–447.50 $437.09 $2,741 +33.25
650 value added 650 3 432.50 $432.50 $2,811 +2.50
670–691 680 28 392.50–418.00 $413.01 $2,808 +19.32
700–740 720 2 377.50–385.00 $381.15 $2,744 +16.17
750–775 758 12 350.00–361.00 $356.22 $2,700 —
750–788 value added 781 11 375.00 $375.00 $2,929 -14.50
800–815 810 3 340.00–342.50 $341.68 $2,768 —
818–836 value added 820 41 350.00–362.50 $355.07 $2,912 —
885 885 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,965 —
915 915 2 330.00 $330.00 $3,020 +10.00
960–995 978 4 312.50–317.50 $314.96 $3,080 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–415 410 3 527.50–532.50 $530.87 $2,177 +27.07
580–582 581 3 447.50 $447.50 $2,600 -5.63
690 690 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,794 —
865 865 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,638 -7.50
920 920 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,668 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 417.50 $417.50 $2,275 —
645 645 1 382.50 $382.50 $2,467 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–240 224 4 570.00–585.00 $579.83 $1,299 —
325–335 330 2 540.00–555.00 $547.61 $1,807 +45.09
352–395 364 4 492.50–520.00 $511.25 $1,861 -9.37
408 value added 408 3 512.50 $512.50 $2,091 -12.69
400–445 422 9 480.00–505.00 $492.37 $2,078 -0.84
450–495 466 38 470.00–500.00 $482.00 $2,246 -3.22
450–492 value added 486 7 512.50–522.50 $521.18 $2,533 +3.01
516–535 value added 520 10 447.50–455.00 $449.77 $2,339 -10.83
510–543 538 29 423.00–437.50 $426.40 $2,294 -9.25
550–593 value added 561 20 427.50–430.00 $429.22 $2,408 -10.78
575–595 586 7 402.50–407.50 $405.01 $2,373 -10.73
600–620 value added 610 2 402.50–407.50 $404.96 $2,470 +24.37
610–640 617 6 352.50–372.50 $358.83 $2,214 -8.67
661 value added 661 4 385.00 $385.00 $2,545 +5.27
655–688 670 15 360.00–377.50 $367.30 $2,461 +7.30
705–725 716 4 330.00–340.00 $335.68 $2,403 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–340 323 2 510.00–515.00 $512.36 $1,655 —
385–395 388 4 470.00–485.00 $479.41 $1,860 +2.44
485 485 3 455.00–460.00 $458.33 $2,223 -6.67
516 516 3 420.00 $420.00 $2,167 +15.00
575–577 576 3 395.00 $395.00 $2,275 —
620 620 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,108 +3.82
660 660 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,244 +12.44
715 715 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,145 +10.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 487.50 $487.50 $1,828 —
444 444 5 467.50 $467.50 $2,076 —
462 462 2 457.50 $457.50 $2,114 —
535 535 1 407.50 $407.50 $2,180 —
620 620 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,108 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,206 —
305 305 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,403 —
380 380 1 467.50 $467.50 $1,776 +17.50
470–490 480 2 420.00–435.00 $427.66 $2,053 +5.12
530–545 540 3 387.50–392.50 $390.00 $2,106 —
590 590 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,858 -37.50
600 600 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,755 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540–545 543 2 340.00–360.00 $349.95 $1,900 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 645.00 $645.00 $1,419 +50.00
287–290 289 4 555.00–595.00 $575.10 $1,662 —
320 320 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,824 -67.05
355–395 371 4 550.00–580.00 $560.46 $2,079 +0.41
420–435 428 16 550.00–577.50 $558.96 $2,392 +8.69
450–482 471 11 535.00–540.00 $536.34 $2,526 +13.05
500–531 524 12 470.00–500.00 $485.94 $2,546 +3.47
565–595 576 8 437.50–450.00 $444.36 $2,560 -13.11
612–640 621 5 400.00–425.00 $415.90 $2,583 +23.44
690 690 2 365.00–367.50 $366.25 $2,527 -21.25
720–740 733 3 357.50–362.50 $359.14 $2,632 +6.64
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,768 —
380–385 383 2 510.00–525.00 $517.45 $1,982 —
425–430 426 5 520.00–540.00 $529.52 $2,256 +18.82
455–485 475 7 500.00–517.50 $507.34 $2,410 +2.86
500 500 4 432.50 $432.50 $2,162 -27.46
755 755 2 330.00 $330.00 $2,492 +37.61
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 480.00 $480.00 $2,040 —
465–493 487 5 490.00–497.50 $491.43 $2,393 +13.93
505–515 510 2 420.00–437.50 $428.84 $2,187 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,920 —
535–537 536 3 440.00–445.00 $441.66 $2,367 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1270 1131 80-85% 11 173.00–182.00 $178.13 $2,015 —
1155–1330 1243 80-85% 2 160.00–162.00 $161.07 $2,002 —
1090–1385 1252 80-85% 13 184.00–205.00 $191.15 $2,393 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775–970 873 85-90% 2 123.00–127.00 $125.22 $1,093 —
905–935 923 85-90% 4 143.00–150.00 $146.47 $1,352 —
925–1145 1018 85-90% 3 134.00–140.00 $137.54 $1,400 —
940–1230 1078 85-90% 9 163.00–171.00 $166.13 $1,791 +1.78
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1375 1358 75-80% 2 160.00–169.00 $164.56 $2,235 —
1310–1625 1489 75-80% 4 182.00–193.00 $188.54 $2,807 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1645–1845 1744 4 208.00–215.00 $211.20 $3,683 +1.59
1655–2060 1858 2 221.00–226.00 $223.77 $4,158 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
965 965 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00
1030 1030 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
1140 1140 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,550.00 $3,550.00
1165–1240 1203 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,975.00–3,175.00 $3,071.88
1280 1280 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,375.00 $2,375.00
1125–1510 1315 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,500.00–3,100.00 $2,628.33
1645 1645 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,325.00 $3,325.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
935–960 948 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,675.00–2,700.00 $2,687.34

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
755 thin fleshed 755 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1135 1135 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 4,400.00 $4,400.00 —

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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.