Cattle Market Pulse

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

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, August 5, 2025

1,204 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $336.77/cwt ≈ $2,940/hd at 873 lb · 254 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $337.99/cwt ≈ $2,431/hd at 719 lb · 208 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $328.97/cwt ≈ $3,021/hd at 918 lb · 158 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,204 295 418
Feeder cattle 1,142 266 389
Slaughter cattle 50 29 27
Replacement cattle 12 — 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 650 lbs and under were 3.00 to 8.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and strong demand. Yearling steers were 2.00 to 3.00 higher with good supply and strong demand, and yearling heifers appeared stronger as well but with no true head to head comparisons. Slaughter cows were steady to 2.00 higher with a good supply and slaughter bulls were steady with good demand. Cooler weather conditions coupled with gains in future market increased cattle movement and the premiums buyers were willing to pay for weaned packages and groups of cattle.

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
385 value added 385 1 457.50 $457.50 $1,761 —
520–530 value added 523 3 377.50–387.50 $384.12 $2,009 —
616–633 value added 623 12 387.50–395.00 $390.67 $2,434 +27.67
645 645 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,193 +15.00
665 665 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,161 +2.50
700 700 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,240 —
735 value added 735 7 347.50 $347.50 $2,554 —
753 value added 753 4 350.00 $350.00 $2,636 +29.00
755–790 774 4 313.00–330.00 $320.46 $2,480 —
800 value added 800 62 341.00 $341.00 $2,728 +3.53
800–845 831 4 289.00–315.00 $306.74 $2,549 -8.26
857–895 value added 873 254 329.75–339.30 $336.77 $2,940 —
907–926 value added 918 156 326.70–332.00 $329.31 $3,023 —
925–940 933 2 295.00–310.00 $302.56 $2,823 —
953–960 value added 957 96 326.00 $326.00 $3,120 —
1010 1010 1 215.00 $215.00 $2,172 -69.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1240 1181 4 220.00–240.00 $228.92 $2,704 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 347.50 $347.50 $1,234 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 415.00 $415.00 $830 —
280 fancy 280 1 422.50 $422.50 $1,183 —
290 290 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,146 —
315–342 fancy 333 3 407.00–425.00 $412.68 $1,374 —
415–446 437 8 382.00–382.50 $382.38 $1,671 +22.41
490 490 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,764 —
515–548 value added 532 14 350.00–365.00 $356.19 $1,895 —
557 value added 557 2 367.50 $367.50 $2,047 +31.51
621 621 9 335.00 $335.00 $2,080 +37.50
643 value added 643 83 361.50 $361.50 $2,324 —
650–690 674 6 320.00–332.50 $325.30 $2,193 +9.30
695 695 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,120 -11.00
712–733 value added 719 207 336.00–339.50 $338.29 $2,432 —
745 745 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,049 —
797 value added 797 137 326.75 $326.75 $2,604 —
805 805 2 292.50 $292.50 $2,355 +7.50
1005 1005 1 237.50 $237.50 $2,387 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,662 —
540 540 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,701 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1175 1045 2 223.00–231.00 $226.50 $2,367 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,506 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 fancy 305 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,510 —
302–315 306 3 380.00–404.00 $395.77 $1,211 —
375 375 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,669 —
407 fancy 407 2 485.00 $485.00 $1,974 —
435 435 2 452.50 $452.50 $1,968 +87.50
496 496 3 392.50 $392.50 $1,947 —
500–535 509 4 369.00–380.00 $377.11 $1,919 —
560 560 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,848 +5.57
627–645 633 3 315.00–332.50 $326.56 $2,067 +13.25
660 660 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,096 +5.00
700 700 1 302.50 $302.50 $2,118 +22.50
755 755 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,190 +46.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–390 380 2 387.50–397.50 $392.37 $1,491 —
450 450 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,530 -7.50
505 505 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,591 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–430 428 2 277.50–312.50 $294.90 $1,262 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1580 1394 75-80% 6 167.00–178.00 $172.97 $2,411 —
1380–1650 1557 75-80% 10 181.00–194.00 $186.35 $2,901 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015 1015 80-85% 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,989 —
1185–1395 1270 80-85% 6 180.00–194.00 $186.28 $2,366 +3.42
1175–1390 1283 80-85% 8 169.00–179.00 $173.87 $2,231 -8.99
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860 860 85-90% 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,161 -8.57
950–960 955 85-90% 2 150.00–154.00 $152.01 $1,452 —
955–1335 1072 85-90% 6 164.00–182.00 $171.65 $1,840 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1855–2240 2047 3 214.00–228.00 $221.44 $4,533 —
YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1535 1535 1 171.00 $171.00 $2,625 -32.00
1635–1720 1678 2 204.00–211.00 $207.41 $3,480 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1150 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,125.00 $3,125.00
1110–1510 1331 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,200.00–2,800.00 $2,449.86
1420 1420 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,625.00 $2,625.00

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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
1375 1375 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00 —

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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.