Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Albany, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 6, 2026

331 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $470.64/cwt +6.20 vs last sale · ≈ $2,480/hd at 527 lb · 20 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $483.59/cwt +1.49 vs last sale · ≈ $2,065/hd at 427 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $471.20/cwt +6.90 vs last sale · ≈ $2,204/hd at 468 lb · 15 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 331 359 344
Feeder cattle 255 297 292
Slaughter cattle 56 53 47
Replacement cattle 20 9 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower. 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
295 295 2 605.00–625.00 $615.00 $1,814 —
310–315 312 3 595.00–610.00 $605.03 $1,888 —
350–355 353 2 582.50–590.00 $586.28 $2,070 +35.86
417–435 value added 423 3 540.00–547.50 $544.93 $2,305 —
410–447 433 7 515.00–532.50 $523.18 $2,265 +0.68
450–496 479 8 502.50–515.00 $506.73 $2,427 -19.59
510 value added 510 1 527.50 $527.50 $2,690 —
500–540 522 3 480.00–492.50 $485.79 $2,536 +4.27
560 value added 560 2 477.50–480.00 $478.75 $2,681 -16.25
565–590 577 5 447.50–465.00 $452.57 $2,611 -11.26
602–612 608 5 422.50–427.50 $423.50 $2,575 —
610 value added 610 2 460.00 $460.00 $2,806 +15.89
698 698 3 401.00 $401.00 $2,799 —
745 745 1 377.50 $377.50 $2,812 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–383 381 4 540.00–547.50 $541.85 $2,064 +39.35
400–405 403 2 485.00–500.00 $492.45 $1,985 —
450 450 1 492.50 $492.50 $2,216 —
670 670 1 392.50 $392.50 $2,630 +25.00
720 720 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,484 -10.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 462.50 $462.50 $2,128 —
730 730 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,592 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 565.00 $565.00 $1,271 —
270 270 1 580.00 $580.00 $1,566 —
300–320 310 2 565.00–590.00 $577.10 $1,789 +37.10
360–385 373 2 537.50 $537.50 $2,005 +25.00
402–445 426 14 470.00–487.50 $480.63 $2,047 +18.17
440 value added 440 1 525.00 $525.00 $2,310 +37.01
450 value added 450 1 500.00 $500.00 $2,250 —
450–480 469 14 460.00–480.00 $469.14 $2,200 +4.84
510–546 530 10 420.00–437.50 $427.60 $2,266 +9.22
565–596 572 13 412.50–435.00 $428.45 $2,451 +46.59
610 value added 610 1 425.00 $425.00 $2,592 —
620–631 627 5 395.00–405.00 $401.04 $2,515 +25.45
650–655 653 2 375.00–380.00 $377.51 $2,465 +0.01
712 712 2 325.00 $325.00 $2,314 -12.50
750–795 758 9 330.00–345.00 $339.13 $2,571 —
800 value added 800 2 357.50 $357.50 $2,860 —
1095 1095 1 280.00 $280.00 $3,066 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 535.00 $535.00 $1,364 —
340 340 1 530.00 $530.00 $1,802 —
355–365 360 4 500.00–517.50 $506.89 $1,825 —
430–440 433 3 442.50–455.00 $446.63 $1,934 +1.63
580 580 3 400.00 $400.00 $2,320 +27.50
655 655 2 362.50 $362.50 $2,374 —
795 795 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,385 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,608 —
365–370 368 2 475.00–487.50 $481.21 $1,771 —
500 500 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,900 —
675 675 1 332.50 $332.50 $2,244 —
710 710 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,775 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 467.50 $467.50 $1,964 —
535 535 1 387.50 $387.50 $2,073 +10.00
632 632 2 352.50 $352.50 $2,228 +20.00

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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 1 650.00 $650.00 $1,788 +80.00
310 310 1 590.00 $590.00 $1,829 —
355–375 365 3 570.00–607.50 $585.58 $2,137 +36.79
405–440 420 5 510.00–537.50 $521.53 $2,190 +22.80
465–490 478 6 495.00–507.50 $501.60 $2,398 -3.52
500–549 527 20 465.00–480.00 $470.64 $2,480 +6.20
555–587 570 7 445.00–460.00 $450.01 $2,565 -3.44
605–630 624 8 410.00–427.50 $422.57 $2,637 +30.07
690 690 1 372.50 $372.50 $2,570 —
730 730 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,555 -26.32
775 775 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,402 -40.00
835 835 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,756 —
850–870 860 2 302.50–310.00 $306.21 $2,633 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,836 —
380–390 385 2 545.00–550.00 $547.47 $2,108 +28.70
440 440 2 475.00–500.00 $487.50 $2,145 +32.50
510 510 1 430.00 $430.00 $2,193 +5.00
660 660 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,409 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 502.50 $502.50 $2,110 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 437.50 $437.50 $2,188 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1355 1264 80-85% 7 181.00–195.00 $185.50 $2,345 +12.55
1130–1510 1280 80-85% 11 169.00–179.00 $173.49 $2,221 +11.49
1415 1415 80-85% 1 156.00 $156.00 $2,207 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–1055 895 85-90% 3 110.00–120.00 $116.65 $1,044 —
1000–1370 1096 85-90% 7 150.00–158.00 $155.03 $1,699 —
1045–1240 1134 85-90% 4 160.00–166.00 $164.07 $1,861 -1.10
1015–1295 1155 85-90% 2 134.00–142.00 $137.52 $1,588 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–1585 1455 75-80% 3 179.00–180.00 $179.64 $2,614 —
1475 1475 75-80% 1 161.00 $161.00 $2,375 —
1570–1640 1605 75-80% 2 169.00–170.00 $169.49 $2,720 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1605 1494 4 181.00–204.00 $198.26 $2,962 —
1945–2125 2030 3 222.00–235.00 $227.27 $4,614 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
670 thin fleshed 670 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00
985 985 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00
1060–1425 1213 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 8 1,800.00–3,175.00 $2,436.84
1045–1725 1318 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,650.00–2,700.00 $2,279.08

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
820 thin fleshed 820 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,100.00 $3,100.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1110 thin fleshed 1110 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,525.00 $3,525.00 —

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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.