Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 25, 2025

755 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $265.62/cwt -4.55 vs last sale · ≈ $2,498/hd at 940 lb · 60 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $382.37/cwt +28.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,976/hd at 517 lb · 58 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $363.02/cwt +2.34 vs last sale · ≈ $2,087/hd at 575 lb · 54 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 755 1,160 686
Feeder cattle 706 1,075 618
Slaughter cattle 47 67 50
Replacement cattle 2 18 18

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with some weaned thin-fleshed 400-600 lb packages suitable for grass sharply higher with very good demand. Yearling steers 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers under 550 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with some weaned thin-fleshed calves sharply higher with very good demand. Over 550 lb heifers sold steady in a limited comparison. Yearling heifers lightly tested. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady with 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
230 230 1 300.00 $300.00 $690 —
232 fancy 232 2 420.00 $420.00 $974 —
300–325 317 3 385.00–405.00 $398.68 $1,264 —
330–345 fancy 338 2 420.00–425.00 $422.56 $1,428 —
375–385 380 2 375.00–382.50 $378.70 $1,439 -17.68
380–390 value added 384 7 402.50–437.50 $422.64 $1,623 —
400–447 value added 415 19 391.00–437.00 $400.50 $1,662 +5.64
415–437 427 4 377.00–385.00 $382.03 $1,631 +42.03
420–429 fancy 428 7 407.00–420.00 $418.18 $1,790 +25.68
458–490 value added 469 8 360.00–397.50 $383.61 $1,799 +0.28
455–480 470 3 355.00 $355.00 $1,668 +25.50
510 510 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,696 —
500–540 value added 517 57 345.00–393.00 $383.24 $1,981 +29.23
556–570 565 9 331.00–332.50 $331.95 $1,876 +11.96
550–595 value added 577 45 357.50–373.00 $369.24 $2,131 +7.69
642 642 4 302.50 $302.50 $1,942 +12.50
600–647 value added 643 39 327.50–341.00 $330.75 $2,127 +8.19
660–695 value added 678 16 320.00–323.00 $322.16 $2,184 +5.81
700–730 value added 714 16 280.00–310.00 $296.02 $2,114 +1.66
715 715 1 271.00 $271.00 $1,938 —
775–796 value added 792 5 277.00–280.00 $279.41 $2,213 +7.29
825–833 832 10 258.00–275.00 $273.31 $2,274 +29.31
859 859 12 270.00 $270.00 $2,319 +9.14
940 fancy 940 56 266.75 $266.75 $2,507 -3.42
940–948 946 4 249.00–250.00 $249.75 $2,363 —
952 fancy 952 53 259.25 $259.25 $2,468 —
985 985 1 236.00 $236.00 $2,325 —
1008 1008 9 226.00 $226.00 $2,278 —
1085 1085 1 191.00 $191.00 $2,072 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,075 +60.00
465–492 485 8 347.00–357.50 $350.42 $1,700 +35.44
560 560 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,540 -32.50
600 600 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,620 +7.50
720 720 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,908 +23.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 280.00 $280.00 $966 +7.50
517–540 525 3 232.50–242.50 $239.07 $1,255 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 2 352.00 $352.00 $1,602 —
625 625 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,719 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 fancy 275 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,052 —
320–330 fancy 325 2 380.00–390.00 $384.92 $1,251 —
330 330 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,056 —
355–382 372 4 331.00–340.00 $336.86 $1,253 —
350–398 value added 382 17 345.00–412.50 $388.84 $1,485 +32.91
405–446 value added 425 22 350.00–411.00 $380.01 $1,615 +13.58
450–480 460 3 322.50–332.50 $325.76 $1,498 +17.38
453–485 value added 470 20 337.50–392.50 $364.55 $1,713 +39.23
500–540 523 3 295.00–305.00 $299.87 $1,568 -3.59
500–548 value added 534 26 311.00–340.00 $326.11 $1,741 —
550–586 value added 573 23 307.50–317.00 $313.56 $1,797 -7.53
570–580 575 2 265.00–297.00 $280.86 $1,615 -16.64
603–637 value added 623 15 280.00–312.50 $300.28 $1,871 -4.63
661 value added 661 18 298.00 $298.00 $1,970 -8.65
665–690 678 2 265.00–271.00 $267.94 $1,817 -45.69
700 value added 700 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,802 +6.50
700–742 718 7 245.00–248.00 $247.02 $1,774 -43.59
756–782 value added 766 5 250.00–253.00 $251.78 $1,929 —
770 770 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,848 -64.00
800 800 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,920 -10.00
801 value added 801 12 249.00 $249.00 $1,994 —
880 880 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,068 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225–237 233 3 270.00–305.00 $281.27 $655 -43.73
295 295 2 285.00–300.00 $292.50 $863 —
455 455 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,365 +40.00
600–645 624 4 230.00–245.00 $238.71 $1,490 -1.29
730 730 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,679 -7.50
875 875 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,662 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 200.00 $200.00 $710 —
410 410 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,015 —
510–515 513 3 210.00–237.50 $219.11 $1,124 —
580 580 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,378 —
655 655 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,326 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–380 370 2 357.50–410.00 $384.46 $1,423 +14.46
400–415 405 3 337.50–395.00 $370.95 $1,502 —
435 value added 435 2 388.00 $388.00 $1,688 —
450–482 value added 465 6 370.00–407.50 $389.33 $1,810 +21.09
460–475 468 2 367.50–370.00 $368.73 $1,726 —
520–542 531 4 302.50–310.00 $306.17 $1,626 -23.85
520–543 value added 535 5 325.00–347.50 $341.65 $1,828 —
550–565 value added 562 5 320.00–332.50 $330.05 $1,855 —
605–623 619 4 265.00–280.00 $276.33 $1,710 -3.67
655 value added 655 2 315.00–325.00 $320.00 $2,096 +13.00
715 715 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,895 —
780–790 785 3 239.00–255.00 $248.02 $1,947 —
820 820 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,722 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 280.00 $280.00 $560 —
290 290 1 325.00 $325.00 $942 —
380 380 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,026 —
465 465 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,488 —
500 500 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,438 +4.50
580 580 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,595 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,090 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1290 1168 80-85% 2 127.00–133.00 $129.69 $1,515 —
1020–1355 1176 80-85% 4 143.00–150.00 $147.55 $1,735 —
1050–1420 1231 80-85% 5 135.00–141.00 $139.12 $1,713 +0.52
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365 1365 75-80% 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,679 —
1375–1490 1433 75-80% 2 146.00–150.00 $147.92 $2,120 —
1290–1775 1470 75-80% 7 135.00–145.00 $140.62 $2,067 -7.56
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705–1080 893 85-90% 2 95.00–110.00 $100.92 $901 —
880–935 908 85-90% 2 118.00–124.00 $121.09 $1,099 —
885–1060 978 85-90% 5 127.00–130.00 $128.96 $1,261 +24.99

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–2325 1676 9 155.00–171.00 $163.65 $2,743 —
1565–2045 1839 6 173.00–187.00 $177.56 $3,265 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1325 1325 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,975.00 $1,975.00

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270 1270 85-90% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,651 —

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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.