Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) Market Report, Lexington, KY

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 21, 2026

1,118 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $380.95/cwt +19.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,944/hd at 510 lb · 117 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $461.90/cwt +29.81 vs last sale · ≈ $2,240/hd at 485 lb · 114 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $328.09/cwt +12.95 vs last sale · ≈ $2,334/hd at 712 lb · 85 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,118 942 1,538
Feeder cattle 1,061 874 1,327
Slaughter cattle 54 64 196
Replacement cattle 3 4 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday the feeder feeder market was spotty, but mostly stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers 300-600 lbs were 6.00 to 10.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and good demand, while the yearling steers appeared 2.00 to 4.00 higher with a lite test. Feeder heifers 200-450 lbs were sharply higher with strong demand, while 500-700 lbs heifers were unevenly steady with a good supply and good demand. Buyers were active today and willing to pay premiums for quality cattle and long weaned packages and groups. Slaughter cows and bulls were 5.00 to 10.00 lower with a good supply and limited 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
220 220 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,100 —
275 fancy 275 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,568 —
280 280 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,386 —
302–316 fancy 306 23 550.00–555.00 $553.43 $1,693 —
362–390 367 7 457.00–480.00 $471.76 $1,731 +22.65
355–384 fancy 382 31 495.00–515.00 $513.13 $1,960 +13.13
423–445 430 7 427.50–445.00 $438.79 $1,887 +10.35
440 fancy 440 26 467.00–475.00 $467.31 $2,056 —
455–460 457 8 410.00–423.00 $419.49 $1,917 -11.11
456–490 fancy 487 106 447.00–492.50 $465.10 $2,265 +15.10
500–520 value added 512 13 417.50–442.50 $423.85 $2,170 +18.43
507–541 530 14 392.50–412.50 $406.27 $2,153 +24.44
552–580 565 4 380.00–392.50 $384.68 $2,173 +5.14
554–582 value added 572 47 399.00–401.00 $399.68 $2,286 -2.76
603 value added 603 25 395.00 $395.00 $2,382 +18.89
605–638 632 15 339.00–364.00 $356.45 $2,253 +7.35
680 680 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,972 -51.86
670–695 684 4 310.00–330.00 $321.51 $2,199 -20.35
678–698 value added 695 46 344.75–352.00 $345.67 $2,402 -12.30
705–732 717 8 330.00–345.00 $339.53 $2,434 +8.53
797 797 2 338.00 $338.00 $2,694 +5.84
821–842 829 7 323.00–331.00 $326.60 $2,708 +3.42
871 871 3 325.00 $325.00 $2,831 +19.24
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,066 -35.00
300 300 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,350 —
385 385 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,617 +10.00
425–430 428 4 382.50–407.50 $397.51 $1,701 +3.61
455–485 470 2 371.00–387.00 $378.74 $1,780 -2.44
610–640 625 2 310.00–312.50 $311.28 $1,945 -9.95
712 712 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,243 +30.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,701 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
170 170 1 510.00 $510.00 $867 —
200–235 218 2 475.00–490.00 $481.90 $1,051 —
255 255 4 485.00–490.00 $488.75 $1,246 +38.75
285–295 fancy 289 4 520.00–540.00 $534.89 $1,546 +9.89
306–329 fancy 315 40 522.50–547.00 $537.39 $1,693 +3.55
320–331 328 4 470.00–495.00 $488.91 $1,604 +32.25
359–376 fancy 373 35 457.50–513.00 $505.53 $1,886 +39.30
350–387 375 8 420.00–447.50 $431.35 $1,618 +7.34
404–410 fancy 404 14 433.00–445.00 $433.87 $1,753 +14.50
440–442 442 15 390.00–417.00 $415.21 $1,835 +29.62
457–483 fancy 472 16 390.00–415.00 $406.16 $1,917 +5.06
450–498 484 30 355.00–381.00 $361.61 $1,750 -11.62
508 value added 508 100 387.00 $387.00 $1,966 +14.31
500–545 523 17 330.00–350.00 $345.37 $1,806 -8.12
555–595 587 59 322.50–350.00 $334.38 $1,963 -2.43
615–620 618 2 302.50–329.00 $315.70 $1,951 -10.62
655–658 657 7 314.00–317.00 $316.15 $2,077 +3.49
710 value added 710 75 332.50 $332.50 $2,361 —
707–731 723 10 290.00–301.00 $294.98 $2,133 -13.00
761 761 4 288.00 $288.00 $2,192 -7.00
885 885 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,478 +32.33
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
190 190 1 490.00 $490.00 $931 —
225 225 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,024 +40.00
315–345 335 3 390.00–402.50 $393.92 $1,320 -19.69
390 390 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,482 -15.00
400–440 431 5 365.00–375.00 $372.64 $1,606 +8.13
482–497 493 15 332.00–346.00 $342.76 $1,690 +2.76
535–540 538 3 319.00–325.00 $323.01 $1,738 -7.99
550–590 577 3 313.00–317.00 $314.27 $1,813 +8.73
600 600 2 305.00 $305.00 $1,830 —
680 680 2 287.50–296.00 $291.75 $1,984 +6.87
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,200 —
415 415 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,286 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 412.50 $412.50 $1,526 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
208 fancy 208 3 595.00 $595.00 $1,238 —
215 215 1 525.00 $525.00 $1,129 —
255 255 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,224 -85.00
260–290 fancy 275 2 520.00–555.00 $536.55 $1,476 -83.45
305–320 fancy 313 4 505.00–515.00 $510.00 $1,596 -55.00
342 342 2 487.50 $487.50 $1,667 +12.55
350–360 fancy 355 2 500.00 $500.00 $1,775 —
410–412 fancy 412 5 500.00 $500.00 $2,060 +37.59
420 420 2 430.00 $430.00 $1,806 -11.67
452–455 fancy 453 3 432.50–441.00 $438.15 $1,985 -4.14
488–495 490 6 402.00–403.00 $402.34 $1,971 +6.56
510 510 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,760 -36.92
508–540 fancy 520 7 382.50–407.50 $400.99 $2,085 +2.06
550–585 fancy 568 2 380.00–390.00 $384.85 $2,186 +8.10
560–595 573 4 338.00–367.50 $346.32 $1,984 +6.18
600–620 608 5 335.00–360.00 $344.43 $2,094 +4.50
650 650 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,048 -11.31
710 710 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,935 -41.03
790 790 2 248.00 $248.00 $1,959 -60.50
820 820 1 249.00 $249.00 $2,042 +5.98
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 442.50 $442.50 $1,195 —
310–347 335 3 430.00–435.00 $431.54 $1,446 -18.46
417–440 422 9 390.00–417.50 $398.30 $1,681 +0.21
482–490 485 3 351.00–365.00 $360.28 $1,747 -14.46
521 521 4 312.50 $312.50 $1,628 —
635 635 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,937 -0.50
725 725 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,831 -9.50
830 830 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,652 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,624 +110.00
535 535 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,525 -8.92

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1080 1016 85-90% 5 107.00–119.00 $113.49 $1,153 —
910–1330 1139 85-90% 8 123.00–140.00 $130.76 $1,489 -3.93
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095 1095 80-85% 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,314 —
1105–1400 1236 80-85% 7 129.00–143.00 $137.45 $1,699 -13.05
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1870 1505 75-80% 6 133.00–145.00 $140.78 $2,119 -16.45
1470–1665 1568 75-80% 2 148.00 $148.00 $2,321 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1595 1318 3 166.00–168.00 $167.13 $2,203 —
1110–2300 1716 8 180.00–198.00 $185.31 $3,180 -10.50

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1225 1225 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,727

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
880 880 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00 —

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030 1030 85-90% 1 80.00 $80.00 $824 —
1280–1320 1300 85-90% 2 106.00–113.00 $109.45 $1,423 —

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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.