Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, January 5, 2026

1,441 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 heifers $331.57/cwt +11.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,397/hd at 723 lb · 166 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $371.24/cwt +28.63 vs last sale · ≈ $2,817/hd at 759 lb · 81 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $359.68/cwt +17.59 vs last sale · ≈ $2,240/hd at 623 lb · 75 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,441 624 0
Feeder cattle 1,277 578 0
Slaughter cattle 149 44 0
Replacement cattle 15 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

No trends due to market being closed last week for the holidays, however the feeder market appeared stronger with a good supply and strong demand for weaned and value added calves. Slaughter cows and bulls appeared firm 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
180 180 1 490.00 $490.00 $882 —
245 fancy 245 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,470 —
305–340 314 4 500.00–512.00 $508.75 $1,597 —
355 value added 355 1 597.50 $597.50 $2,121 —
367–382 fancy 375 4 560.00–570.00 $565.10 $2,119 —
396–397 396 6 490.00–507.50 $501.66 $1,987 —
400 value added 400 3 490.00 $490.00 $1,960 —
415–440 423 6 420.00–445.00 $434.03 $1,836 +38.03
410–447 fancy 438 9 457.50–470.00 $460.02 $2,015 +2.02
450–456 value added 454 11 467.50–471.00 $470.05 $2,134 —
450–480 476 8 401.00–421.00 $418.64 $1,993 —
470–487 fancy 481 11 440.00–452.50 $445.52 $2,143 —
500–535 value added 525 11 425.00–450.00 $437.45 $2,297 +38.70
535–546 542 6 370.00–391.00 $384.51 $2,084 -5.24
557–591 value added 573 38 420.00–443.00 $436.86 $2,503 —
555–596 589 17 382.50–406.00 $386.41 $2,276 +5.54
607–619 fancy 616 7 430.00 $430.00 $2,649 —
601–646 617 14 359.00–384.00 $374.51 $2,311 +10.51
623–632 value added 624 13 392.00–412.50 $395.19 $2,466 +13.19
657–665 value added 661 4 359.00–369.00 $363.97 $2,406 —
655–696 685 25 335.00–352.51 $342.26 $2,344 +3.40
730–745 739 5 326.00–342.50 $332.52 $2,457 +11.52
720–748 value added 745 16 356.00–360.00 $356.48 $2,656 —
754–775 value added 758 77 350.00–377.75 $373.52 $2,831 +29.66
765–795 776 4 320.00–338.00 $327.42 $2,541 +17.42
805–840 817 3 307.50–314.00 $311.77 $2,547 +6.77
844 value added 844 61 356.60 $356.60 $3,010 —
1045 1045 1 290.00 $290.00 $3,030 -5.57
1060 1060 1 283.00 $283.00 $3,000 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 377.00 $377.00 $1,753 +36.00
530 530 2 337.00 $337.00 $1,786 +36.00
645 645 2 341.00 $341.00 $2,199 —
975 975 2 271.00 $271.00 $2,642 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 320.00 $320.00 $960 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100 1100 1 268.00 $268.00 $2,948 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 fancy 290 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,392 —
290 290 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,160 —
310–345 323 7 410.00–430.00 $419.17 $1,354 +39.17
300–345 fancy 329 7 440.00–457.50 $446.08 $1,468 —
350–377 value added 368 8 452.50–475.00 $459.75 $1,692 —
355–392 fancy 374 8 427.50–445.00 $431.55 $1,614 +31.55
375–390 380 5 412.50–420.00 $416.97 $1,584 —
400–410 value added 405 2 440.00–450.00 $444.94 $1,802 —
405–443 434 12 393.00–405.00 $398.35 $1,729 +21.66
410–445 fancy 435 14 415.00–430.00 $422.75 $1,839 +13.14
450–490 fancy 469 49 407.00–423.00 $414.22 $1,943 —
460–495 478 15 380.00–400.00 $393.88 $1,883 +16.88
505–545 516 8 377.50–387.00 $381.13 $1,967 +21.13
510–542 value added 530 41 390.00–400.00 $393.56 $2,086 —
550–590 567 15 352.50–367.50 $360.37 $2,043 +2.77
553–597 value added 574 46 370.00–382.50 $372.80 $2,140 —
602–649 value added 619 52 354.00–375.00 $365.30 $2,261 +22.90
610–645 631 23 337.00–350.00 $346.96 $2,189 +13.46
650–685 662 18 322.50–347.50 $338.88 $2,243 +13.38
722 value added 722 150 333.50 $333.50 $2,408 —
729–743 733 16 305.00–320.00 $313.44 $2,298 -6.56
750–785 777 12 301.00–320.50 $318.69 $2,476 +5.71
831 831 5 319.00 $319.00 $2,651 —
912 value added 912 46 296.00 $296.00 $2,700 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,425 +45.00
470–485 478 2 350.00–370.00 $359.84 $1,720 —
500–535 517 3 330.00–352.50 $342.65 $1,772 +18.79
550–585 565 3 331.00–340.00 $334.42 $1,889 +12.30
620–625 623 2 322.50–327.50 $324.99 $2,025 +35.00
660 660 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,996 +28.29
790 790 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,172 —
810–835 823 2 225.00–240.00 $232.39 $1,913 —
870–897 888 3 220.00–240.00 $233.47 $2,073 —
900 900 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,800 —
1051 1051 3 210.00 $210.00 $2,207 -22.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412–440 421 3 310.00–331.00 $323.69 $1,363 +48.69
505 505 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,414 —
595 595 1 301.00 $301.00 $1,791 —
702 702 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,650 —
776 776 4 224.00 $224.00 $1,738 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,086 —
270 fancy 270 1 590.00 $590.00 $1,593 —
312–320 315 3 490.00–497.50 $492.54 $1,552 —
355–380 363 3 432.50–460.00 $450.41 $1,635 +40.41
365–390 fancy 378 2 500.00–525.00 $512.09 $1,936 —
420 fancy 420 4 485.00 $485.00 $2,037 +39.00
407–445 421 7 420.00–440.00 $434.19 $1,828 +34.19
450 fancy 450 1 480.00 $480.00 $2,160 —
458–485 470 12 417.00–430.00 $423.80 $1,992 —
500–513 fancy 510 5 410.00–417.50 $416.03 $2,122 —
510–542 528 5 367.50–392.50 $380.49 $2,009 —
560–573 fancy 567 11 395.00–405.00 $400.12 $2,269 —
560–596 580 10 361.00–376.00 $372.66 $2,161 +19.66
602–623 fancy 616 6 358.00–359.00 $358.33 $2,207 —
602–642 626 13 325.00–349.00 $342.36 $2,143 —
654–665 fancy 660 10 351.00–355.00 $352.39 $2,326 —
650–692 680 12 329.00–341.00 $331.72 $2,256 +41.74
705–744 736 12 312.50–325.00 $318.57 $2,345 +55.57
787 787 2 311.00 $311.00 $2,448 +43.50
826 826 4 305.00 $305.00 $2,519 —
855 855 1 282.00 $282.00 $2,411 —
1000–1015 1005 3 213.00–220.00 $215.36 $2,164 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–340 333 2 395.00–410.00 $402.33 $1,340 —
420–445 430 5 387.50–410.00 $398.47 $1,713 —
460–497 486 5 365.00–397.50 $381.23 $1,853 +37.05
515–540 531 4 330.00–350.00 $341.24 $1,812 +33.75
577 577 2 327.50 $327.50 $1,890 —
680 680 2 290.00–310.00 $300.00 $2,040 —
820–825 823 2 242.50–270.00 $256.21 $2,109 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,040 —
410–445 428 2 331.00–352.50 $341.31 $1,461 —
485 485 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,540 +45.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,258 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1520 1520 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 3,900.00 $3,900.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665–1090 888 85-90% 9 109.00–124.00 $118.36 $1,051 -6.01
760–1370 995 85-90% 18 127.00–145.00 $136.26 $1,356 —
785–1400 1048 85-90% 15 150.00–165.00 $156.68 $1,642 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1795 1477 75-80% 24 157.00–169.00 $164.08 $2,423 -4.83
1560 1560 75-80% 1 151.00 $151.00 $2,356 —
1510–1850 1702 75-80% 5 172.00–177.00 $174.57 $2,971 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1230 1188 80-85% 2 148.00–153.00 $150.41 $1,787 —
1110–1435 1235 80-85% 13 172.00–178.00 $174.24 $2,152 —
1070–1465 1249 80-85% 12 157.00–169.00 $163.68 $2,044 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1525 1235 6 167.00–184.00 $178.18 $2,201 —
1440–2150 1742 7 193.00–202.00 $197.25 $3,436 —
1690–1940 1793 7 207.00–224.00 $213.62 $3,830 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1065 1065 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 191.00 $191.00 $2,034

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00
1165 1165 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,425.00 $2,425.00
1145–1345 1235 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,175.00–2,800.00 $2,497.32

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
970–1105 1017 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 3 2,200.00–2,525.00 $2,375.29 —
1175 1175 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00 —

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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.