Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, August 12, 2025

764 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $365.17/cwt +6.26 vs last sale · ≈ $2,228/hd at 610 lb · 172 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $337.82/cwt -1.10 vs last sale · ≈ $2,862/hd at 847 lb · 57 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $327.53/cwt -1.45 vs last sale · ≈ $3,031/hd at 925 lb · 57 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 764 1,204 1,068
Feeder cattle 699 1,142 1,016
Slaughter cattle 55 50 46
Replacement cattle 10 12 6

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mostly steady with an average quality offering. Good quality feeder steers 650 lbs and under appeared stronger, and even sharply stronger in spots, with a good supply but limited comparisons with the previous week . Yearling steers were mostly steady with a good supply and good demand . Feeder heifers 650 lbs and under were unevenly steady ranging from 4.00 lower to 4.00 higher across the weight classes with a good supply and good demand for weaned and guaranteed open females. Slaughter cows were 2.00 to 4.00 lower with a good 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
240 240 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,224
340 value added 340 3 462.50 $462.50 $1,572
435 435 1 397.50 $397.50 $1,729
470–480 477 10 395.00–405.00 $397.96 $1,898
516–548 value added 526 14 394.00–418.00 $408.67 $2,150 +24.55
545 545 3 380.00 $380.00 $2,071
557–580 value added 570 10 384.00–407.50 $393.48 $2,243
552–596 581 17 350.00–375.00 $368.82 $2,143
600–635 value added 612 31 377.50–397.50 $390.50 $2,390 -0.17
642–647 645 7 340.00–360.00 $350.71 $2,262 +10.71
672–685 676 3 322.50–336.00 $327.06 $2,211 +2.06
711–748 731 10 308.00–334.00 $324.05 $2,369 +4.05
765–777 value added 774 30 345.00–346.00 $345.77 $2,676 -4.23
805–845 833 6 322.50–330.00 $327.81 $2,731 +21.07
849 value added 849 51 339.00 $339.00 $2,878
859 value added 859 52 340.75 $340.75 $2,927 +3.98
850–880 865 2 323.00–329.00 $325.95 $2,819
925 value added 925 56 328.00 $328.00 $3,034 -1.31
945 945 1 301.00 $301.00 $2,844 -1.56
993 value added 993 49 313.50 $313.50 $3,113
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–470 465 2 380.00–387.50 $383.71 $1,784
550–585 568 2 329.00–339.00 $333.85 $1,896
605 605 1 313.00 $313.00 $1,894
705–710 708 2 292.50–297.50 $295.01 $2,089
785 785 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,120
910 910 1 271.00 $271.00 $2,466
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,462
545 545 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,580
655 655 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,736

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 fancy 335 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,374 -2.68
375 fancy 375 2 422.50 $422.50 $1,584
402 fancy 402 2 412.50 $412.50 $1,658
460 fancy 460 3 385.00 $385.00 $1,771
470–499 494 11 357.50–373.00 $369.92 $1,827 +9.92
511–545 519 5 332.50–340.00 $337.03 $1,749
515–537 value added 533 16 350.00–365.00 $362.89 $1,934 +6.70
565–590 578 2 329.00–330.00 $329.51 $1,905
577–587 value added 580 13 361.00–362.50 $361.69 $2,098 -5.81
600 600 4 347.50 $347.50 $2,085 +12.50
604–616 value added 610 166 365.75–366.25 $366.00 $2,233 +4.50
625–640 633 2 325.00–337.50 $331.32 $2,097 -3.68
660–677 671 3 322.50–330.00 $324.96 $2,180 -0.34
660–680 value added 679 29 347.00–349.00 $347.13 $2,357
705 705 6 317.00 $317.00 $2,235
762–768 766 5 297.00–309.00 $304.22 $2,330
807–825 813 3 307.00–307.50 $307.17 $2,497 +14.67
855 855 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,988
880 880 1 297.00 $297.00 $2,614
910 910 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,412
990 990 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,673
1015 1015 2 268.00 $268.00 $2,720 +30.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,418
570 570 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,724
625–645 635 2 300.00–302.50 $301.27 $1,913
663–690 670 4 287.50–290.00 $289.36 $1,939
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,766
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950 950 1 217.50 $217.50 $2,066

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–260 255 2 395.00–412.00 $403.67 $1,029
445 445 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,780 -52.50
546 546 3 340.00 $340.00 $1,856
650 650 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,112 +7.50
715–740 728 2 281.00–300.00 $290.66 $2,116 -11.84
750–762 759 4 250.00–260.00 $253.12 $1,921 -36.88
835 835 1 246.00 $246.00 $2,054
895 895 1 249.00 $249.00 $2,229
1030 1030 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,420
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435–440 438 2 355.00–371.00 $363.05 $1,590
630 630 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,780
835 835 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,795
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,267
660 660 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,534

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1705 1434 75-80% 9 167.00–176.00 $172.59 $2,475
1470–1905 1617 75-80% 10 177.00–188.00 $180.92 $2,925
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1310 1126 80-85% 8 164.00–175.00 $170.16 $1,916
1125–1480 1317 80-85% 5 178.00–184.00 $181.04 $2,384
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1195 1097 85-90% 5 154.00–161.00 $157.23 $1,725 -14.42
970–1405 1147 85-90% 6 165.00–173.00 $166.95 $1,915

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1695 1455 3 189.00–194.00 $191.74 $2,790
1145–2115 1758 4 200.00–213.00 $209.44 $3,682
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1430 1430 1 222.00 $222.00 $3,175

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Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
835 835 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
875 875 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
925 925 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1300 1300 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,575.00 $2,575.00
1380 1380 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
880 880 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,800.00 $1,800.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1220 1220 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 2,950.00 $2,950.00

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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.