Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 28, 2025

765 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $326.97/cwt +6.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,304/hd at 705 lb · 76 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $338.84/cwt ≈ $2,917/hd at 861 lb · 72 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $329.00/cwt -27.66 vs last sale · ≈ $3,086/hd at 938 lb · 61 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 765 1,053 1,206
Feeder cattle 702 974 1,134
Slaughter cattle 59 76 72
Replacement cattle 4 3 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was lower with a good quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers were 3.00 to 8.00 lower in spots and sharply lower in several comparisons with a good supply and moderate demand. Continued negative pressure from the futures market is limiting buyers interest and the premiums that they are willing to pay quality cattle. 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 ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 338 2 410.00–422.50 $416.11 $1,406 -18.89
438 438 3 427.00 $427.00 $1,870 +3.33
470–495 486 7 391.00–413.00 $397.61 $1,932 -40.53
500–540 value added 523 10 380.00–395.00 $390.49 $2,042 -27.98
505–547 533 3 350.00–365.00 $354.74 $1,891 —
552–577 562 11 363.00–379.00 $373.67 $2,100 -1.64
600–625 615 19 340.00–365.00 $346.41 $2,130 -6.09
612–632 value added 620 31 371.00–385.00 $379.10 $2,350 -9.59
657–696 685 22 329.00–352.50 $336.74 $2,307 -40.05
718–733 726 13 327.00–349.00 $334.17 $2,426 -14.43
773 773 14 331.00 $331.00 $2,559 —
829 829 6 338.00 $338.00 $2,802 +90.50
859 859 5 330.00 $330.00 $2,835 —
861 value added 861 67 339.50 $339.50 $2,923 —
938 value added 938 61 329.00 $329.00 $3,086 -28.00
988 value added 988 58 315.25 $315.25 $3,115 -20.75
1106 1106 8 222.00 $222.00 $2,455 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
617 617 2 331.00 $331.00 $2,042 +3.50
650–695 682 12 315.00–323.00 $317.67 $2,167 —
700–725 708 10 310.00–319.00 $316.23 $2,239 -4.30
800–845 823 2 297.00–303.00 $299.92 $2,468 +13.67
894 894 13 299.00 $299.00 $2,673 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,800 —
680 680 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,904 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,717 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 2 363.00 $363.00 $1,416 -28.99
445 445 1 363.00 $363.00 $1,615 -18.68
465 465 1 287.00 $287.00 $1,335 -73.94
455–492 476 8 350.00–369.00 $357.86 $1,703 -3.08
522 522 5 364.00 $364.00 $1,900 +8.05
525–545 534 10 333.00–351.00 $341.78 $1,825 -14.17
555 555 6 348.00 $348.00 $1,931 -14.66
550–585 559 11 320.00–335.00 $328.65 $1,837 -34.01
602 602 2 302.00 $302.00 $1,818 -28.60
652 652 10 339.00 $339.00 $2,210 +22.13
667 667 2 277.50 $277.50 $1,851 -39.37
655–671 668 14 300.00–317.50 $316.20 $2,112 -0.67
704 value added 704 71 329.00 $329.00 $2,316 —
700–735 714 5 292.50–302.00 $298.09 $2,128 -21.91
766 766 4 335.00 $335.00 $2,566 +45.00
751–790 775 9 283.00–290.00 $288.41 $2,235 -1.59
810 810 1 243.00 $243.00 $1,968 —
917 917 4 239.00 $239.00 $2,192 —
951–990 970 12 221.00–226.00 $225.10 $2,183 -29.90
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–398 388 7 331.00–342.50 $334.82 $1,299 —
445 445 1 341.00 $341.00 $1,517 —
487 487 5 339.00 $339.00 $1,651 —
530–545 537 7 305.00–325.00 $316.19 $1,698 -16.25
645 645 2 285.00–290.00 $287.50 $1,854 +5.50
690 690 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,863 -15.83
812 812 2 242.00 $242.00 $1,965 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 2 204.00 $204.00 $2,254 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,200 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 400.00 $400.00 $960 ±0.00
255 255 1 422.50 $422.50 $1,077 -2.50
370 370 2 407.50 $407.50 $1,508 —
410 fancy 410 2 430.00–431.00 $430.50 $1,765 -45.33
418–433 425 7 395.00–400.00 $397.46 $1,689 -13.54
450–480 465 2 375.00–377.00 $376.03 $1,749 -20.48
500–537 524 5 341.00–361.00 $351.56 $1,842 -7.44
557–585 566 4 320.00–347.00 $335.61 $1,900 -12.86
652–657 655 4 300.00–320.00 $310.04 $2,031 —
745 745 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,198 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,088 -5.00
440 440 1 377.00 $377.00 $1,659 +6.00
475 475 1 341.00 $341.00 $1,620 —
505 505 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,768 —
560–575 565 3 282.00–302.00 $295.22 $1,668 -24.78
620 620 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,674 -32.50
690 690 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,725 -35.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 302.50 $302.50 $802 —
475 475 1 332.00 $332.00 $1,577 —
600 600 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,200 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–1070 882 85-90% 3 105.00–123.00 $115.80 $1,021 —
830–1260 1068 85-90% 3 150.00–161.00 $155.02 $1,656 +29.02
830–1265 1078 85-90% 9 130.00–147.00 $136.57 $1,472 +10.57
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1250 1207 80-85% 3 172.00–173.00 $172.66 $2,084 —
1055–1580 1305 80-85% 9 150.00–160.00 $155.06 $2,024 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1855 1523 75-80% 12 151.00–165.00 $157.90 $2,405 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530–1950 1751 5 186.00–196.00 $191.61 $3,355 -10.15
1790–2115 1940 3 199.00–210.00 $205.34 $3,984 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
970–990 980 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 190.00–192.50 $191.24 $1,874

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1220–1405 1313 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,150.00–2,200.00 $2,176.76

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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.