Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 20, 2025

584 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $371.15/cwt -17.85 vs last sale · ≈ $2,919/hd at 786 lb · 82 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $369.08/cwt +18.35 vs last sale · ≈ $3,068/hd at 831 lb · 65 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $377.86/cwt -10.42 vs last sale · ≈ $2,183/hd at 578 lb · 31 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 584 906 1,351
Feeder cattle 448 758 1,098
Slaughter cattle 128 142 240
Replacement cattle 8 6 13

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday the feeder market was mostly steady with a good quality offering. Light weight steers 450 lbs and under appeared sharply higher but with a light test, while the 500-700 lbs steers were steady to 2.00 higher with good demand. Yearling steers appeared lower but with limited comparisons. Feeder heifers were mostly 1.00 to 3.00 lower with a moderate supply and moderate demand. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady with a good supply and good demand.

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
330 330 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,568 —
360 fancy 360 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,782 —
405 405 1 462.50 $462.50 $1,873 +55.51
485 485 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,207 +43.57
510–530 value added 518 5 415.00–427.00 $423.81 $2,195 +3.79
505–540 527 8 385.00–402.50 $390.26 $2,057 +1.10
577–588 value added 579 15 408.00–415.00 $409.94 $2,374 +4.20
600–630 value added 614 7 380.00–400.00 $390.17 $2,396 +6.73
610–648 632 7 340.00–350.00 $346.79 $2,192 -10.73
658–685 668 5 359.00–368.00 $364.52 $2,435 -4.65
700–731 729 13 332.00–357.00 $355.15 $2,589 +14.15
760 760 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,748 —
752–795 771 14 330.00–347.50 $341.30 $2,631 —
790 value added 790 67 379.50 $379.50 $2,998 -9.50
831 value added 831 63 370.00 $370.00 $3,075 —
842 842 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,863 -10.73
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 3 379.00 $379.00 $1,308 +8.09
460 460 2 342.00 $342.00 $1,573 -48.00
500 500 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,612 -40.00
715 715 2 318.00 $318.00 $2,274 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
751–791 771 6 270.00–300.00 $285.39 $2,200 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 285.00 $285.00 $998 —
555 555 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,637 +37.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
145 fancy 145 1 510.00 $510.00 $740 —
185 185 1 410.00 $410.00 $758 +5.00
220 220 1 415.00 $415.00 $913 —
275–285 280 2 400.00–410.00 $405.09 $1,134 +20.09
395 395 1 371.00 $371.00 $1,465 -1.00
422–435 426 7 365.00–382.50 $373.93 $1,593 -1.69
462 462 2 345.00 $345.00 $1,594 -18.88
458–495 467 4 360.00–363.00 $360.79 $1,685 -3.09
473–492 fancy 483 8 383.00–387.50 $385.29 $1,861 -4.73
502–540 515 3 351.00–360.00 $354.15 $1,824 +1.07
571–595 577 7 346.00–365.00 $354.43 $2,045 -18.28
555–597 value added 578 24 374.00–393.00 $384.70 $2,224 -14.30
620–645 632 3 320.00–325.00 $321.64 $2,033 -13.74
700 700 1 279.00 $279.00 $1,953 -41.24
710–715 713 3 314.00–322.50 $316.82 $2,259 -3.42
847 847 2 281.00 $281.00 $2,380 —
985 985 1 251.00 $251.00 $2,472 -16.00
1000 1000 1 212.50 $212.50 $2,125 -32.50
1002–1027 1019 13 268.00 $268.00 $2,731 +23.00
1060 1060 1 277.00 $277.00 $2,936 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,122 -12.97
370–390 377 3 355.00–367.50 $359.31 $1,355 +8.31
504–505 504 6 325.00–330.00 $329.17 $1,659 —
587 587 4 332.50 $332.50 $1,952 +5.27
678 678 3 271.00 $271.00 $1,837 -40.61
715–730 723 2 250.00–280.00 $264.84 $1,915 -25.94
955–990 975 3 210.00–229.00 $219.30 $2,138 -0.70
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,185 -10.00
415 415 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,245 -10.00
520 520 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,560 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950 950 1 228.00 $228.00 $2,166 -17.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
175 175 1 422.50 $422.50 $739 —
310–330 322 3 380.00–410.00 $396.53 $1,277 +1.53
355–380 fancy 372 5 473.00–495.00 $478.63 $1,781 —
425–435 430 2 389.00–390.00 $389.49 $1,675 -14.15
440 fancy 440 1 447.50 $447.50 $1,969 —
450–485 fancy 462 4 410.00–423.00 $414.48 $1,915 —
465–488 483 7 385.00–395.00 $390.40 $1,886 -6.26
507–545 515 7 362.50–377.50 $368.11 $1,896 +12.25
520–530 fancy 525 2 380.00–389.00 $384.46 $2,018 +9.46
550–586 fancy 579 5 367.00–372.50 $368.05 $2,131 -1.95
570–595 586 8 344.00–352.50 $348.64 $2,043 +3.18
602–605 603 3 310.00–330.00 $323.31 $1,950 +3.31
607–626 fancy 617 6 358.00–362.50 $361.02 $2,227 —
650–675 662 8 331.00–337.00 $332.31 $2,200 +12.88
710 710 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,112 -18.07
845 845 3 223.00 $223.00 $1,884 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 360.00 $360.00 $882 -17.50
465–495 474 5 367.50–379.00 $374.02 $1,773 +6.94
640–645 643 2 279.00–300.00 $289.46 $1,861 -12.54
795 795 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,916 -46.58
895 895 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,522 -42.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 2 322.50 $322.50 $806 —
360 360 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,143 -22.50
555 555 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,637 +10.68

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1750 1467 75-80% 23 154.00–169.00 $165.73 $2,431 +0.93
1220–1865 1499 75-80% 20 170.00–183.00 $173.34 $2,598 +8.54
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125 1125 80-85% 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,138 —
1020–1260 1136 80-85% 5 170.00–183.00 $174.75 $1,985 —
1025–1485 1229 80-85% 20 156.00–169.00 $162.45 $1,997 -0.81
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815 815 85-90% 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,035 —
1025 1025 85-90% 1 177.00 $177.00 $1,814 —
900–1180 1084 85-90% 11 134.00–150.00 $143.36 $1,554 -21.94
900–1170 1088 85-90% 7 155.00–170.00 $163.52 $1,779 -21.48

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1470 1252 5 155.00–169.00 $163.55 $2,048 —
1395–2345 1668 6 181.00–192.00 $188.05 $3,137 +21.22
1605–1975 1825 3 198.00–207.00 $201.72 $3,681 -1.99
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1965–2170 2068 2 215.00–216.00 $215.52 $4,457 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1085–1385 1218 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,200.00–2,950.00 $2,463.24
1300–1340 1320 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,525.00–2,600.00 $2,561.93
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
790 790 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00
950 950 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00

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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.