Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, August 19, 2025

750 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $348.85/cwt +44.63 vs last sale · ≈ $2,679/hd at 768 lb · 205 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $344.50/cwt +27.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,542/hd at 738 lb · 136 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $389.88/cwt +32.48 vs last sale · ≈ $2,199/hd at 564 lb · 90 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 750 764 964
Feeder cattle 716 699 890
Slaughter cattle 30 55 74
Replacement cattle 4 10 0

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering of mostly load lot groups. Feeder steers under 500 lbs appeared sharply higher with a limited supply, while the 500-700 lbs steers were mostly steady, and the yearling steers were sharply higher with strong demand. Feeder heifers followed a similar path with the light weight heifers under 400 lbs were sharply higher, and the 400-500 lbs heifers were mostly steady, and the yearling heifers appeared sharply higher and with good demand. Buyers were active today and willing to pay premiums for weaned packages and groups. Slaughter cows were 2.00 to 3.00 lower with a limited 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
340 fancy 340 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,700
360 fancy 360 2 500.00–507.50 $503.75 $1,814
360–380 370 2 445.00–450.00 $447.43 $1,655
450–460 455 2 430.00–445.00 $437.58 $1,991 +39.62
463–465 value added 463 6 492.50–505.00 $494.59 $2,290
477 fancy 477 2 465.00 $465.00 $2,218
500–511 value added 508 4 397.50–412.50 $408.81 $2,077 +0.14
535–545 540 2 360.00–382.50 $371.35 $2,005 -8.65
550–558 value added 556 4 395.00–400.00 $398.76 $2,217 +5.28
550–585 564 4 360.00–377.50 $368.69 $2,079 -0.13
605–646 value added 639 6 370.00–375.00 $370.79 $2,369 -19.71
645 645 1 347.50 $347.50 $2,241 -3.21
683–693 value added 687 8 362.50 $362.50 $2,490
700 700 1 342.50 $342.50 $2,398 +18.45
803 value added 803 52 357.50 $357.50 $2,871
826 826 4 337.50 $337.50 $2,788 +9.69
1040 1040 2 288.00 $288.00 $2,995
1050 1050 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,835
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,178
380–385 383 2 415.00–417.50 $416.24 $1,594
430–445 440 3 360.00–390.00 $380.23 $1,673
485 485 2 382.50 $382.50 $1,855 -1.21
510 510 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,760
735 735 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,132 -5.01
755 755 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,114 +10.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195 1195 1 275.00 $275.00 $3,286
1255 1255 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,886

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–380 fancy 371 5 430.00–445.00 $440.60 $1,635 +18.10
367–395 376 3 400.00–417.50 $411.38 $1,547
395 395 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,027
412–423 fancy 419 6 412.50–425.00 $420.91 $1,764 +8.41
432 432 2 395.00 $395.00 $1,706
462 462 2 369.00 $369.00 $1,705 -0.92
468–477 fancy 473 7 382.50–392.50 $388.26 $1,836 +3.26
517–532 525 4 325.00–347.50 $336.09 $1,764 -0.94
536–547 value added 540 5 352.50–360.00 $355.54 $1,920 -7.35
561 561 3 350.00 $350.00 $1,964 +20.49
564 value added 564 87 391.25 $391.25 $2,207 +29.56
627 627 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,975 -16.32
670 670 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,144 -4.96
738 value added 738 136 344.50 $344.50 $2,542
760 760 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,413 +13.28
768 value added 768 204 349.00 $349.00 $2,680
805 805 3 288.00 $288.00 $2,318 -19.17
812 value added 812 67 335.75 $335.75 $2,726
902 902 4 249.00 $249.00 $2,246 -16.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,560
562–585 570 3 300.00–305.00 $303.29 $1,729 +0.79
805 805 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,093
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,165

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 fancy 365 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,825
385 385 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,810
400 400 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,820
420–440 fancy 435 11 477.50–500.00 $488.35 $2,124
460–475 fancy 465 5 463.00–495.00 $484.58 $2,253
497 497 2 435.00 $435.00 $2,162
525–542 534 4 360.00–365.00 $362.54 $1,936 +22.54
551–555 fancy 552 4 376.00–387.00 $384.24 $2,121
610–620 615 2 321.00–322.00 $321.50 $1,977
1060 1060 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 221.00 $221.00 $2,343
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,545
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,431
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,306

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780 780 85-90% 1 117.00 $117.00 $913
825 825 85-90% 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,138
1035 1035 85-90% 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,760
915–1195 1040 85-90% 8 146.00–161.00 $154.57 $1,608
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1535 1238 80-85% 4 162.00–170.00 $167.26 $2,071
1460 1460 80-85% 1 176.00 $176.00 $2,570
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1865 1571 75-80% 5 161.00–174.00 $167.96 $2,639

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–1915 1630 2 202.00–205.00 $203.76 $3,321
1750–1895 1843 3 190.00–195.00 $193.29 $3,562
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1720–1905 1813 2 219.00–223.00 $221.10 $4,009

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1190 1190 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00
1255 1255 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,475.00 $2,475.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1075 1075 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,400.00 $3,400.00

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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.