Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Lexington Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Special Graded)

Sale of Monday, July 27, 2026

1,009 head sold ·Official USDA report

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $358.50/cwt ≈ $2,739/hd at 764 lb · 180 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $428.25/cwt -0.42 vs last sale · ≈ $2,886/hd at 674 lb · 141 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $330.19/cwt ≈ $2,789/hd at 845 lb · 126 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,009 809 0
Feeder cattle 1,009 809 0

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 fancy 450 12 500.00 $500.00 $2,250
521 value added 521 26 478.00 $478.00 $2,490
538 538 8 434.00 $434.00 $2,335 -60.23
550 550 1 440.00 $440.00 $2,420
601–622 value added 604 66 429.00–446.00 $443.48 $2,679
674 value added 674 141 428.25 $428.25 $2,886
728 value added 728 6 366.00 $366.00 $2,664
735 735 10 340.00 $340.00 $2,499 -48.71
764 value added 764 180 358.50 $358.50 $2,739
835–842 841 8 311.00–315.00 $314.50 $2,645
845 value added 845 118 331.25 $331.25 $2,799
861 861 9 308.00 $308.00 $2,652 -46.48
939 value added 939 74 304.50 $304.50 $2,859
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 353.00 $353.00 $2,153
660–676 674 9 332.00–353.00 $350.72 $2,364
758–773 763 6 320.00–321.00 $320.66 $2,447
940 940 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,491
950 950 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,612

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,631 -53.77
452–470 457 4 402.50–429.00 $422.18 $1,929
527 527 11 387.00 $387.00 $2,039 -48.49
578 578 4 365.00 $365.00 $2,110 -34.87
589 value added 589 74 389.00 $389.00 $2,291
635 635 2 360.00 $360.00 $2,286
659 659 5 355.00 $355.00 $2,339 -29.25
668 value added 668 104 375.50 $375.50 $2,508
747 747 6 319.00 $319.00 $2,383
751 value added 751 74 345.00 $345.00 $2,591
785 785 3 311.00 $311.00 $2,441 -44.14
805–833 831 38 321.00–329.00 $327.82 $2,724 -19.18
910 910 1 323.00 $323.00 $2,939 +8.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,750
635 635 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,000
685 685 1 311.00 $311.00 $2,130

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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.