Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, July 28, 2025

1,279 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $362.24/cwt +28.76 vs last sale · ≈ $2,698/hd at 745 lb · 187 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $334.55/cwt +25.05 vs last sale · ≈ $2,827/hd at 845 lb · 159 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $387.90/cwt +16.35 vs last sale · ≈ $2,586/hd at 667 lb · 116 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,279 770 1,844
Feeder cattle 1,224 680 1,719
Slaughter cattle 54 86 102
Replacement cattle 1 4 23

Compared to last Monday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering. Good quality feeder steers 700 lbs and under were 5.00 to 10.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply, while the yearling steers were 3.00 to 6.00 higher with good demand. Feeder heifers 650 lbs and under were unevenly steady with a good supply and the yearling heifers appeared stronger and with good demand. Buyers were active today and willing to pay premiums for weaned packages and groups, while discounting plainer or off colored cattle severely and increasing the spread between the highs and lows in a weight class. Slaughter cows were 3.00 to 5.00 higher with good demand and slaughter bulls appeared steady with a light test.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
238 value added 238 5 509.00 $509.00 $1,211
305–315 310 3 397.50–429.00 $408.66 $1,267 -15.89
310–320 value added 312 11 450.00–512.00 $498.04 $1,554
373 value added 373 9 499.00 $499.00 $1,861
425–437 433 3 377.00–400.00 $384.53 $1,665 -36.88
448 value added 448 4 459.00 $459.00 $2,056
480 480 1 331.00 $331.00 $1,589 -62.99
523–526 value added 524 15 402.50–412.00 $407.55 $2,136 +20.49
540 540 3 364.00 $364.00 $1,966 +4.91
589 value added 589 8 383.00 $383.00 $2,256 +5.39
600–635 value added 619 38 369.00–395.00 $386.19 $2,391 +18.27
625 625 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,125 -12.44
664–672 value added 666 104 381.50–394.00 $390.48 $2,601 +15.18
660–677 672 12 357.00–370.00 $365.52 $2,456 +29.59
705 705 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,186 -11.66
738–745 value added 745 186 350.00–363.00 $362.52 $2,701 +8.62
753 753 4 327.00 $327.00 $2,462 +7.45
761 value added 761 10 360.00 $360.00 $2,740
838–845 value added 845 159 317.00–335.00 $334.55 $2,827
860 value added 860 7 309.00 $309.00 $2,657
958 value added 958 43 313.00 $313.00 $2,999
1000–1040 1020 2 240.00–249.00 $244.41 $2,493
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
321 321 3 450.00 $450.00 $1,444 +62.50
440 440 2 386.00 $386.00 $1,698 +8.50
515–545 525 3 330.00–355.00 $338.65 $1,778 +11.65
585 585 1 317.00 $317.00 $1,854 -13.00
660–695 678 8 311.00–320.00 $318.46 $2,159 -1.11
755–777 770 3 240.00–270.00 $249.81 $1,924
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 355.00 $355.00 $799
415 415 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,370
610 610 1 273.00 $273.00 $1,665
665 665 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,603
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300 1300 1 195.00 $195.00 $2,535

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
231 value added 231 6 461.00 $461.00 $1,065
307 value added 307 9 423.00 $423.00 $1,299
375 375 3 367.50–368.00 $367.67 $1,379 -6.50
403 value added 403 13 391.00 $391.00 $1,576
405–435 415 5 355.00–360.00 $358.75 $1,489 -12.85
450–470 460 3 350.00–362.50 $354.98 $1,633 -2.11
500–515 505 3 307.50–310.00 $308.35 $1,557 -28.20
522–524 value added 523 28 349.50–360.00 $356.99 $1,867
567 value added 567 8 339.00 $339.00 $1,922 -5.49
565–575 570 4 320.00–321.00 $320.50 $1,827 -6.00
600–616 value added 607 90 350.00–359.00 $354.94 $2,154
616–635 621 4 312.00–312.50 $312.13 $1,938 -18.03
630 630 1 291.00 $291.00 $1,833 -39.16
650–660 654 7 270.00–285.00 $275.84 $1,804 -39.32
671 value added 671 92 345.00 $345.00 $2,315
735–745 value added 735 88 307.00–331.50 $330.94 $2,432
715–748 739 7 257.00–294.00 $267.23 $1,975 -25.07
750–793 785 8 289.00–300.00 $296.93 $2,331 -5.58
835 835 1 279.00 $279.00 $2,330
849 value added 849 39 303.00 $303.00 $2,572
873–875 874 5 259.00–279.00 $267.01 $2,334
900 900 4 255.00 $255.00 $2,295
940 value added 940 7 273.00 $273.00 $2,566
980 980 1 243.00 $243.00 $2,381
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 360.00 $360.00 $882
335 335 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,189 -5.57
408–430 415 6 330.00–345.00 $337.50 $1,401 -10.48
475–495 483 5 310.00–330.00 $321.80 $1,554 -17.27
510–530 515 5 291.00–303.00 $297.36 $1,531 -16.17
552–565 557 4 267.50–287.50 $277.23 $1,544 -37.62
610–645 634 6 267.50–282.50 $277.61 $1,760 +7.61
750–792 778 3 237.00–265.00 $246.00 $1,914
900 900 1 237.50 $237.50 $2,138
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,050
635 635 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,286 -45.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
287 fancy 287 2 440.00 $440.00 $1,263 -10.00
397 fancy 397 2 427.50 $427.50 $1,697
405–415 410 4 372.50–380.00 $376.20 $1,542 -13.17
450–485 468 2 361.00–369.00 $364.85 $1,707 -14.16
514 514 8 340.00 $340.00 $1,748 -24.00
555–570 563 2 310.00–311.00 $310.49 $1,748 -34.55
610 610 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,769 -20.06
692 692 2 281.00 $281.00 $1,945 -23.93
720 720 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,742 +2.00
835–843 840 5 237.00–239.00 $237.80 $1,998 +0.30
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 372.50 $372.50 $1,266 -0.37
395 395 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,550
405–447 439 5 342.50–365.00 $346.66 $1,522 -24.34
485 485 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,600
510–545 522 5 300.00–320.00 $311.94 $1,628 -9.06
595 595 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,696
605 605 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,664 -25.00
685 685 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,832
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 300.00 $300.00 $975
395 395 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,215
405 405 1 331.00 $331.00 $1,341
470 470 1 205.00 $205.00 $964
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 262.50 $262.50 $814
555 555 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,276

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1480 1264 80-85% 6 151.00–165.00 $161.46 $2,041 -8.13
1180–1505 1271 80-85% 10 170.00–182.00 $174.44 $2,217 +4.85
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1640 1463 75-80% 15 166.00–183.00 $174.00 $2,546 +14.84
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–965 895 85-90% 2 121.00–127.00 $124.23 $1,112 -2.97
980–1400 1190 85-90% 5 156.00–169.00 $162.94 $1,939 +1.99

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–2115 1730 4 213.00–221.00 $217.75 $3,767
YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1400 1370 2 179.00–183.00 $180.96 $2,479

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
890 890 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,824

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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.