Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 15, 2025

1,090 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $309.58/cwt +42.08 vs last sale · ≈ $2,218/hd at 716 lb · 112 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $272.13/cwt ≈ $2,501/hd at 919 lb · 107 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $294.99/cwt ≈ $1,945/hd at 660 lb · 104 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,090 206 1,001
Feeder cattle 1,005 175 939
Slaughter cattle 81 24 62
Replacement cattle 4 7 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers and heifers under 600 lbs traded noticeably higher in a limited comparison with last week's lite test. Yearlings limited comparison. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with good demand. 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
312–345 323 3 370.00–400.00 $380.68 $1,230 —
342 fancy 342 7 426.00 $426.00 $1,457 —
385 385 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,559 —
400–435 value added 418 3 400.00–421.00 $408.95 $1,709 +23.95
430 fancy 430 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,828 —
400–447 437 10 370.00–391.00 $385.65 $1,685 +15.65
450–490 value added 479 11 385.00–400.00 $394.42 $1,889 +6.09
455–493 479 8 360.00–381.00 $368.69 $1,766 —
506 506 4 330.00 $330.00 $1,670 —
503–548 value added 526 26 355.00–379.00 $366.35 $1,927 -8.65
561–587 value added 573 45 337.00–363.00 $351.28 $2,013 +17.53
560–596 581 12 325.00–335.00 $331.79 $1,928 -13.21
606–646 value added 625 38 318.00–348.00 $333.75 $2,086 +15.03
635 635 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,810 -20.00
665 665 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,895 —
658–686 667 27 287.00–314.00 $303.58 $2,025 —
665–687 value added 675 14 319.00–330.00 $323.41 $2,183 —
702–721 value added 715 105 287.00–319.00 $312.51 $2,234 —
735–740 739 7 265.00–269.00 $265.57 $1,963 —
765 765 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,027 —
755–782 value added 767 9 285.00–288.00 $286.64 $2,199 -3.09
810 810 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,952 —
811 fancy 811 14 275.25 $275.25 $2,232 —
801–835 820 11 256.00–265.00 $261.17 $2,142 —
863–880 867 5 248.00–263.00 $250.99 $2,176 —
911–926 fancy 919 106 270.50–274.25 $272.36 $2,503 —
920 920 1 247.50 $247.50 $2,277 —
998 998 7 238.00 $238.00 $2,375 —
1010 1010 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,272 —
1112 1112 2 200.00 $200.00 $2,224 +35.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,473 —
425 425 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,456 +18.50
595 595 2 287.50–292.50 $290.00 $1,726 -15.00
615–635 628 3 260.00–295.00 $278.16 $1,747 —
880 880 2 227.50 $227.50 $2,002 —
930 930 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,046 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890 890 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,092 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–335 333 2 315.00–361.00 $337.83 $1,125 —
355 355 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,216 —
422–443 value added 437 9 333.00–357.00 $350.18 $1,530 —
471–485 474 6 307.50–321.00 $316.02 $1,498 —
457–492 value added 482 23 330.00–357.50 $349.32 $1,684 —
500–547 value added 518 18 315.00–330.00 $320.35 $1,659 +1.88
549 549 8 310.00 $310.00 $1,702 —
560–595 576 7 292.50–307.00 $301.34 $1,736 +5.81
575–588 value added 577 79 310.00–321.00 $318.58 $1,838 +13.25
602 602 2 267.50 $267.50 $1,610 —
600–649 value added 631 28 283.00–305.00 $291.80 $1,841 —
658–675 value added 659 102 287.00–296.50 $295.66 $1,948 —
685 685 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,788 —
700–715 709 4 250.00–260.00 $256.23 $1,817 —
714–738 value added 715 76 264.00–276.00 $275.51 $1,970 —
760–772 value added 770 79 257.00–268.60 $267.01 $2,056 —
810–822 818 3 211.00–225.00 $220.38 $1,803 —
855–860 858 2 207.50–227.00 $217.28 $1,864 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–330 322 3 292.50–300.00 $297.44 $958 —
365–375 370 2 280.00–292.50 $286.33 $1,059 -23.67
580 580 2 285.00–287.50 $286.25 $1,660 —
665–695 673 4 247.00–247.50 $247.13 $1,663 -2.87
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 285.00 $285.00 $955 —
570 570 1 289.00 $289.00 $1,647 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015 1015 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,827 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,097 —
375 375 1 351.00 $351.00 $1,316 —
403 403 3 391.00 $391.00 $1,576 —
535 535 2 352.50 $352.50 $1,886 —
578 578 3 317.00 $317.00 $1,832 +2.67
600–640 622 5 297.50–317.50 $305.73 $1,902 +5.73
663 663 4 290.00 $290.00 $1,923 —
717–745 726 4 275.00–285.00 $281.02 $2,040 +14.34
790 790 1 257.50 $257.50 $2,034 +9.93
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
537 537 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,504 —
890 890 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,424 —
1025 1025 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,640 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1845 1420 75-80% 15 140.00–146.00 $143.64 $2,040 —
1155–1795 1523 75-80% 11 147.00–161.00 $151.72 $2,311 +2.15
1420–1710 1565 75-80% 2 130.00–138.00 $133.63 $2,091 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1440 1243 80-85% 10 140.00–146.00 $142.82 $1,775 —
1155–1700 1390 80-85% 3 149.00–165.00 $157.46 $2,189 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990 990 85-90% 1 99.00 $99.00 $980 —
915–1250 1083 85-90% 2 107.00–111.00 $108.69 $1,177 —
1035–1165 1100 85-90% 2 120.00–134.00 $127.41 $1,402 —
1000–1295 1170 85-90% 5 135.00–160.00 $149.23 $1,746 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1245 1198 2 142.00–149.00 $145.64 $1,745 —
1130–1725 1477 7 153.00–169.00 $162.86 $2,405 -8.38
1505–2170 1832 6 169.00–185.00 $176.51 $3,234 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
905–1255 1028 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 159.00–189.00 $170.35 $1,751
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
880 880 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 143.00–149.00 $146.00 $1,285

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1115 1115 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00 —
1410 fancy 1410 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,575.00 $3,575.00 —

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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.