Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, July 22, 2025

355 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 $316.69/cwt -0.01 vs last sale · ≈ $2,966/hd at 937 lb · 62 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $331.49/cwt +9.55 vs last sale · ≈ $2,847/hd at 859 lb · 61 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $373.50/cwt +24.33 vs last sale · ≈ $2,525/hd at 676 lb · 21 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 355 1,072 957
Feeder cattle 303 1,045 892
Slaughter cattle 48 24 65
Replacement cattle 4 3 0

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mostly stronger with a light test. Good quality feeder steers 650 lbs and under were 4.00 to 6.00 higher with a moderate supply and with good demand for weaned and harder conditioned calves. Yearling steers appeared stronger but with limited head to head comparisons. Feeder heifers 450 lbs and under were 6.00 to 8.00 higher with good demand, while heifers 500 lbs and over were 4.00 to 5.00 lower with moderate demand. Gains in the futures market are increasing buyers willingness to pay premiums, however current weather conditions are limiting cattle movement and increasing buyers selectiveness. Slaughter cows were steady to 2.00 higher with a moderate supply and slaughter bulls were steady with good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 thin fleshed 385 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,656
410–415 413 2 395.00–410.00 $402.45 $1,662 +4.95
505 value added 505 1 387.50 $387.50 $1,957 +8.90
550–590 value added 585 13 372.50–386.00 $384.20 $2,248
620 620 1 352.50 $352.50 $2,186
676 value added 676 21 373.50 $373.50 $2,525 +24.33
710 710 1 321.00 $321.00 $2,279 +30.00
765–775 value added 769 10 319.00–330.00 $323.43 $2,487 -2.82
851 851 1 313.00 $313.00 $2,664
859 value added 859 60 331.80 $331.80 $2,850
930 930 4 294.00 $294.00 $2,734 -21.64
937 value added 937 58 318.25 $318.25 $2,982
1160 1160 2 240.00 $240.00 $2,784
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,092
440 440 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,606
490 490 1 372.50 $372.50 $1,825
530 530 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,882
562 562 2 333.00 $333.00 $1,871
622 622 5 320.00 $320.00 $1,990
655–695 668 3 292.50–302.50 $299.03 $1,998
870 870 1 291.00 $291.00 $2,532
920 920 1 241.00 $241.00 $2,217
985 985 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,266
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,930
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,512 -41.28
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305 1305 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,871

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 395.00 $395.00 $908
355 355 3 365.00 $365.00 $1,296 +11.82
437 437 2 362.50 $362.50 $1,584 +10.06
450–485 468 2 350.00–362.50 $356.02 $1,666 +8.41
512 512 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,651
520–543 value added 538 5 332.00–345.00 $334.51 $1,800 -11.33
558 value added 558 3 340.00 $340.00 $1,897
570–593 584 5 300.00–310.00 $303.91 $1,775 -25.14
601 601 13 326.50 $326.50 $1,962
640 640 2 306.00 $306.00 $1,958
665 665 1 323.00 $323.00 $2,148 +20.51
655–690 673 2 285.00–287.50 $286.22 $1,926 -16.27
785–792 790 3 270.00–280.00 $273.31 $2,159
812 812 2 272.50 $272.50 $2,213
905 905 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,353
950 950 1 257.50 $257.50 $2,446
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,005
365 365 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,168
405 405 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,377
595 595 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,681
635 635 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,635
960 960 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,728
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 2 282.50 $282.50 $1,412
565 565 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,610
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,446
550–595 577 3 185.00–220.00 $207.96 $1,200 -102.04
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
457 457 2 337.50 $337.50 $1,542

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 thin fleshed 350 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,558
383 383 3 380.00 $380.00 $1,455
510 510 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,785 -5.00
550–567 561 3 355.00–367.50 $359.08 $2,014 +25.72
610–637 624 4 322.50–330.00 $326.17 $2,035
695 695 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,120 +16.09
710 710 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,059
890 890 2 235.00 $235.00 $2,092
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481 481 4 340.00 $340.00 $1,635
582 582 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,746
646 646 4 277.50 $277.50 $1,793
740 740 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,776
750 750 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,950

↑ Back to top

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1800 1581 75-80% 7 159.00–166.00 $164.44 $2,600
1320–1845 1635 75-80% 8 169.00–173.00 $170.91 $2,794
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–1115 1001 85-90% 5 136.00–147.00 $140.76 $1,409 -18.41
880–1330 1063 85-90% 3 105.00–110.00 $107.91 $1,147
1035–1380 1160 85-90% 5 151.00–165.00 $156.18 $1,812
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1290 1240 80-85% 2 149.00–151.00 $150.04 $1,860
1160–1445 1257 80-85% 5 153.00–165.00 $159.49 $2,005 -9.17
1310–1570 1443 80-85% 3 169.00–178.00 $172.57 $2,490

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385 1385 1 183.00 $183.00 $2,535
1120–1775 1530 3 194.00–198.00 $196.25 $3,003
1715 1715 1 169.00 $169.00 $2,898
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1875 1875 1 209.00 $209.00 $3,919

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1095 1095 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 205.00 $205.00 $2,245

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1290 1290 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,950.00 $1,950.00
1380 1380 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,975.00 $1,975.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1410 1410 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140 1140 85-90% 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,368
1335 1335 80-85% 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,922

↑ Back to top

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.