Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 16, 2025

1,154 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 $346.82/cwt +23.82 vs last sale · ≈ $3,028/hd at 873 lb · 160 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $338.04/cwt +30.22 vs last sale · ≈ $2,690/hd at 796 lb · 120 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $331.41/cwt +0.62 vs last sale · ≈ $3,095/hd at 934 lb · 113 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,154 1,613 1,721
Feeder cattle 1,083 1,508 1,664
Slaughter cattle 69 93 57
Replacement cattle 2 12 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mostly steady with an average quality offering of mostly yearling cattle. No trends on light weight feeder steers and heifers 350 lbs and under due to a light test. However, the 400-700 lbs steers and heifers were unevenly steady ranging from 3.00 lower to 3.00 higher with a moderate supply and good demand. Yearling steer and heifer loads were 2.00 to 4.00 higher with a good supply and good demand. Slaughter cows and bulls were 3.00 to 6.00 lower with a moderate supply and moderate 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
357–385 371 4 490.00–505.00 $497.78 $1,847 —
430–440 433 3 475.00–477.50 $476.65 $2,064 —
475–485 484 10 435.00–440.00 $439.51 $2,127 -30.49
523–530 525 5 380.00–397.50 $386.54 $2,029 -15.20
505–534 value added 530 28 410.00–422.50 $420.70 $2,230 +2.32
557–586 value added 568 16 395.00–412.00 $401.58 $2,281 -5.54
564–598 576 14 352.50–377.00 $366.97 $2,114 -23.61
600–630 value added 616 7 397.50–415.00 $402.59 $2,480 -7.11
615–644 622 34 369.00–383.00 $379.26 $2,359 +0.76
657–676 669 10 346.00–369.00 $353.68 $2,366 +3.48
680 680 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,006 -55.20
715–735 725 3 339.00–341.00 $339.99 $2,465 -14.55
797 797 2 337.50 $337.50 $2,690 -15.73
805 value added 805 62 367.50 $367.50 $2,958 +7.52
805–813 811 5 315.00–330.00 $324.82 $2,634 -18.90
863–883 value added 873 159 338.50–354.25 $346.97 $3,029 —
890 890 1 323.00 $323.00 $2,875 ±0.00
931 value added 931 60 341.50 $341.50 $3,179 +10.40
912–940 937 53 318.75–330.00 $319.99 $2,998 -0.01
962–985 965 12 311.00–320.00 $319.23 $3,081 +8.62
1017–1037 value added 1025 89 311.00–327.75 $321.08 $3,291 +5.61
1095 1095 1 299.00 $299.00 $3,274 -11.00
1148 1148 12 283.00 $283.00 $3,249 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,120 —
315–345 332 5 425.00–445.00 $433.32 $1,439 —
360 360 2 413.00 $413.00 $1,487 —
445 445 3 380.00 $380.00 $1,691 -15.34
457–485 475 13 375.00–399.00 $386.34 $1,835 -31.16
605 605 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,936 -29.63
655–685 670 2 332.50–339.00 $335.82 $2,250 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,905 -5.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,376 —

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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 1 435.00 $435.00 $870 —
315–320 318 2 390.00–402.50 $396.30 $1,260 -13.22
455–471 468 5 380.00–385.00 $380.97 $1,783 -3.98
456–483 fancy 472 20 392.50–405.00 $397.17 $1,875 -7.40
500 value added 500 2 393.00 $393.00 $1,965 -6.55
506–537 520 9 362.50–377.00 $372.54 $1,937 +5.60
565–588 575 9 356.00–370.00 $365.09 $2,099 +26.83
576–579 577 31 372.50–373.00 $372.89 $2,152 +34.63
611 611 6 365.00 $365.00 $2,230 -4.00
610–617 614 4 332.00–351.00 $341.55 $2,097 -27.45
615 615 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,660 -99.00
654 value added 654 5 350.00 $350.00 $2,289 —
680–692 686 7 317.00–339.00 $326.83 $2,242 +30.35
695 695 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,068 +1.02
729 value added 729 61 356.00 $356.00 $2,595 +3.53
745 745 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,421 +4.16
774 774 6 322.50 $322.50 $2,496 +43.31
787 787 2 317.00 $317.00 $2,495 +37.81
797 value added 797 112 339.25 $339.25 $2,704 —
810 810 2 321.00 $321.00 $2,600 —
867–870 868 9 323.00–334.00 $331.55 $2,878 —
865–898 877 11 290.00–300.00 $293.72 $2,576 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–330 328 2 370.00–380.00 $375.04 $1,230 —
365–390 378 2 355.00–360.00 $357.42 $1,351 -27.58
405–422 414 4 360.00–377.50 $368.93 $1,527 +8.93
470–487 481 3 335.00–350.00 $345.12 $1,660 —
560 560 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,764 —
610 610 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,952 +10.60
710–735 723 2 282.50–285.00 $283.73 $2,051 —
782 782 2 283.00 $283.00 $2,213 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,081 —
360–380 370 2 333.00–335.00 $333.97 $1,236 —
450 450 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,395 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,170 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 2 430.00–445.00 $437.50 $1,531 -38.78
550–577 563 5 340.00–361.00 $354.36 $1,995 -5.10
615 615 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,922 -16.48
730 730 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,300 +25.00
765 765 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,410 +25.00
957–970 959 6 183.00–191.00 $189.65 $1,819 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 399.00 $399.00 $1,756 +9.00
502–535 513 3 337.00–340.00 $338.96 $1,739 -23.04
596–598 597 8 317.00–331.00 $322.26 $1,924 —
685 685 3 283.00 $283.00 $1,939 -4.50
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,242 —
670 670 1 261.00 $261.00 $1,749 —
730 730 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,369 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 311.00 $311.00 $1,742 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1210 1175 80-85% 2 164.00–167.50 $165.80 $1,948 —
1200–1355 1276 80-85% 8 142.00–149.00 $146.32 $1,867 —
1200–1525 1313 80-85% 13 150.00–161.00 $156.00 $2,048 +5.90
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935 935 85-90% 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,636 +82.85
835–1220 1063 85-90% 3 116.00–125.00 $122.64 $1,304 —
950–1145 1068 85-90% 3 149.00–150.00 $149.35 $1,595 —
1025–1230 1121 85-90% 7 131.00–145.00 $138.45 $1,552 -4.34
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1570 1472 75-80% 3 151.00–159.00 $154.88 $2,280 +6.18
1355–1585 1493 75-80% 4 143.00–146.00 $145.01 $2,165 -16.58

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1410 1295 3 158.00–178.00 $167.63 $2,171 —
1385–1860 1650 5 180.00–191.00 $186.37 $3,075 —
1850 1850 1 201.00 $201.00 $3,718 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
910–1320 1063 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 10 215.00–245.00 $228.59 $2,430

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1355–1530 1443 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,300.00–2,725.00 $2,499.61

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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.