Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 30, 2025

678 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $352.50/cwt ≈ $2,446/hd at 694 lb · 82 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $354.82/cwt -11.83 vs last sale · ≈ $2,860/hd at 806 lb · 36 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $335.76/cwt +6.76 vs last sale · ≈ $3,042/hd at 906 lb · 35 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 678 1,254 953
Feeder cattle 607 1,180 912
Slaughter cattle 71 74 41

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was spotty with a wide rage of quality, kind, and price throughout the sale. Feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were steady to 4.00 lower with a moderate supply and spotty demand, while the yearling steers and heifers appeared stronger, but with limited comparisons. The above average weather temperatures and the increasing number of fat bawling calves entering the market has limited buyers interest and increased the discounts on plainer, off colored and bawling calves severely. Slaughter cows were steady to 2.00 higher with a good supply and slaughter bulls were 1.00 to 2.00 higher with good 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
370 370 6 413.00 $413.00 $1,528 +10.50
435 fancy 435 3 467.00 $467.00 $2,031 —
445 445 8 409.00 $409.00 $1,820 —
482 fancy 482 4 445.00 $445.00 $2,145 —
531 value added 531 3 397.00 $397.00 $2,108 —
557–595 value added 570 6 393.00–400.00 $395.44 $2,254 -2.03
575 575 1 375.00 $375.00 $2,156 +2.72
602–634 624 14 345.00–370.00 $361.31 $2,255 -17.65
655 655 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,605 -102.50
671–690 value added 679 5 365.00–382.50 $372.12 $2,527 -7.63
683 683 15 340.00 $340.00 $2,322 -7.50
705–710 708 2 312.50–330.00 $321.28 $2,275 -26.22
800–840 806 36 337.50–357.75 $354.82 $2,860 —
904–932 906 35 332.00–336.00 $335.76 $3,042 +6.76
950–995 989 7 294.00–300.00 $294.82 $2,916 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,080 —
715 715 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,109 -2.45
785 785 1 281.00 $281.00 $2,206 —
815 815 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,404 ±0.00
940 940 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,162 —
1055 1055 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,532 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,536 —
535 535 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,605 +17.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670 670 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,144 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230–245 240 3 395.00–400.00 $398.40 $956 —
390 390 1 357.00 $357.00 $1,392 -18.00
400–445 422 14 330.00–355.00 $335.16 $1,414 -37.67
452–492 476 14 344.00–355.00 $348.44 $1,659 -9.30
495 495 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,559 -42.74
500–542 519 18 330.00–353.00 $343.34 $1,782 -5.53
540 540 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,404 -88.87
555–595 573 7 350.00–361.00 $355.83 $2,039 +11.70
602 602 7 355.00 $355.00 $2,137 +123.00
622–641 629 13 327.50–347.50 $341.66 $2,149 +109.66
651 651 5 345.00 $345.00 $2,246 —
680 680 2 277.50 $277.50 $1,887 —
697 value added 697 75 355.00 $355.00 $2,474 —
768 768 4 305.00 $305.00 $2,342 +20.00
872 872 6 307.50 $307.50 $2,681 —
925 925 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,821 +12.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 325.00 $325.00 $942 +15.00
305–335 323 4 320.00–355.00 $331.34 $1,070 -28.66
355–390 370 3 304.00–337.50 $321.21 $1,188 -35.54
436–445 439 5 309.00–322.50 $311.91 $1,369 -24.15
497 497 2 305.00 $305.00 $1,516 -29.31
505 505 2 297.50–305.00 $301.25 $1,521 -29.75
655–670 663 2 275.00–282.50 $278.79 $1,848 +2.84
700 700 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,872 —
820 820 1 283.00 $283.00 $2,321 +43.00
912 912 2 230.00 $230.00 $2,098 —
1035 1035 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,863 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 305.00 $305.00 $808 —
315–320 318 3 285.00–300.00 $295.05 $938 —
405 405 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,073 -22.50
570 570 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,553 —
635 635 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,588 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 310.00 $310.00 $868 —
425 425 1 271.00 $271.00 $1,152 —
610 610 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,738 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 392.50 $392.50 $962 —
320 320 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,312 —
400 fancy 400 1 457.00 $457.00 $1,828 —
440 440 2 412.50 $412.50 $1,815 -2.50
480 480 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,896 ±0.00
521–546 533 11 350.00–360.00 $352.86 $1,881 -7.59
557–591 576 21 321.00–343.00 $332.43 $1,915 -19.50
610–645 625 9 300.00–325.00 $306.57 $1,916 -9.66
660–685 666 5 302.50–311.00 $304.55 $2,028 +11.88
700 700 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,855 —
755 755 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,850 —
800 800 2 247.50 $247.50 $1,980 —
935 935 2 220.00–222.50 $221.25 $2,069 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–335 320 2 345.00–370.00 $358.09 $1,146 +8.09
405–446 434 14 340.00–379.00 $356.61 $1,548 +15.61
450–497 484 12 327.50–356.00 $341.54 $1,653 -18.46
515–520 518 4 300.00–311.00 $305.47 $1,582 -7.03
711 711 4 300.00 $300.00 $2,133 +40.00
927 927 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,669 +20.00
1005 1005 2 201.00 $201.00 $2,020 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 320.00 $320.00 $928 —
360 360 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,188 —
445 445 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,413 —
465–493 486 4 302.50–307.00 $305.92 $1,487 —
805 805 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,530 —
1000 1000 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,875 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 2 309.00 $309.00 $1,808 —
602 602 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,776 +15.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,300 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 225.00 $225.00 $945 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1370 1249 80-85% 11 165.00–171.00 $167.92 $2,097 —
1100–1495 1285 80-85% 17 151.00–164.00 $158.97 $2,043 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 85-90% 1 100.00 $100.00 $615 —
1070 1070 85-90% 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,359 -30.49
880–1290 1076 85-90% 10 151.00–165.00 $158.30 $1,703 +0.81
1215 1215 85-90% 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,737 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485–1575 1528 75-80% 5 156.00–164.00 $161.85 $2,473 —
1400–1800 1633 75-80% 5 167.00–172.00 $169.54 $2,769 +14.20

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–2235 1751 5 196.00–209.00 $202.60 $3,548 —
1725–1980 1853 2 184.00–192.00 $188.28 $3,489 -12.65
1975 1975 1 175.00 $175.00 $3,456 —
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2155 2155 1 213.00 $213.00 $4,590 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940 value added 940 56 294.25 $294.25 $2,766 —

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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.