Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, November 18, 2025

1,800 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $348.56/cwt -0.94 vs last sale · ≈ $2,949/hd at 846 lb · 194 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $335.86/cwt +11.86 vs last sale · ≈ $3,105/hd at 925 lb · 169 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $350.11/cwt -18.52 vs last sale · ≈ $2,667/hd at 762 lb · 155 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,800 877 1,038
Feeder cattle 1,725 832 994
Slaughter cattle 73 41 39
Replacement cattle 2 4 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mostly steady with an average quality offering. Feeder steers 300-650 lbs were steady to 3.00 higher in spots with a good supply and good demand, while the yearling steers were mostly steady to 2.00 higher with a large supply, except for the 900-950 lbs steers who were sharply higher with strong demand. Feeder heifers 300-600 lbs were mostly steady with a good supply, while the yearling heifers were mixed with a good supply and spotty demand. Slaughter cows were steady with a good supply and slaughter bulls appeared steady but with limited comparisons.

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
357 357 4 415.00 $415.00 $1,482 -30.00
350–395 fancy 373 2 440.00–450.00 $444.70 $1,659 —
410–432 420 5 420.00–425.00 $422.55 $1,775 +2.55
452–475 460 7 380.00–395.00 $387.20 $1,781 -9.07
505–537 522 8 372.50–380.00 $374.43 $1,955 +21.93
564 value added 564 12 379.00 $379.00 $2,138 —
552–599 575 66 347.50–372.50 $360.20 $2,071 +40.20
607 607 2 287.00 $287.00 $1,742 -45.86
625 value added 625 20 367.00 $367.00 $2,294 +6.72
601–645 627 17 325.00–349.00 $336.71 $2,111 +3.85
666–689 value added 680 49 355.00–357.00 $356.20 $2,422 -18.22
665–695 684 15 326.00–343.00 $332.73 $2,276 -7.27
700–745 719 49 329.00–355.00 $344.51 $2,477 +3.72
729 value added 729 62 372.25 $372.25 $2,714 -1.25
757–764 value added 758 69 369.50–370.00 $369.91 $2,804 +1.28
754–792 765 86 310.00–339.00 $334.23 $2,557 —
800–835 807 5 300.00–319.00 $303.93 $2,453 —
846–849 value added 847 189 347.85–351.60 $349.74 $2,962 +0.24
873 873 16 306.00 $306.00 $2,671 —
877–884 value added 881 113 328.50–329.00 $328.74 $2,896 —
906–932 value added 924 163 335.75–339.95 $337.09 $3,115 +13.09
920–945 940 6 301.00–310.00 $302.47 $2,843 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313 313 3 355.00 $355.00 $1,111 ±0.00
390 390 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,482 —
411–420 416 10 355.00–374.00 $365.16 $1,519 -22.34
480–488 487 9 361.00–367.00 $365.45 $1,780 —
517 517 2 331.00 $331.00 $1,711 -6.45
596 596 3 337.50 $337.50 $2,012 +11.83
637–645 638 12 292.50–312.00 $308.72 $1,970 -8.28
656–670 660 4 309.00–315.00 $313.48 $2,069 +9.39
702–734 729 18 302.50–323.00 $319.35 $2,328 +16.33
970–975 973 2 263.00–287.00 $275.03 $2,676 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,254 —
495 495 2 260.00–295.00 $277.50 $1,374 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875 875 1 261.00 $261.00 $2,284 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,653 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240 1240 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,232 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 3 367.50–380.00 $372.50 $1,471 ±0.00
420 420 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,270 -62.50
412–440 429 18 355.00–377.00 $364.52 $1,564 -0.48
450–480 472 33 340.00–365.00 $352.08 $1,662 +13.08
515–545 530 17 320.00–345.00 $336.24 $1,782 -1.26
520–535 531 4 350.00–357.50 $355.66 $1,889 +18.16
552–592 value added 579 47 340.00–342.50 $340.25 $1,970 —
550–596 585 20 317.00–337.50 $328.67 $1,923 -6.71
605–627 622 9 310.00–332.50 $325.06 $2,022 +64.06
638 value added 638 72 348.85 $348.85 $2,226 -12.53
650–682 657 12 321.00–330.00 $325.96 $2,142 +15.96
680 value added 680 79 354.75 $354.75 $2,412 +17.42
705–715 712 9 290.00–305.00 $300.05 $2,136 —
715 715 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,752 —
800 800 3 300.00 $300.00 $2,400 +21.00
830–844 value added 838 125 316.00–317.50 $316.81 $2,655 -20.39
900 900 4 250.00 $250.00 $2,250 —
913 913 4 290.00 $290.00 $2,648 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 322.50 $322.50 $855 —
382 382 4 315.00 $315.00 $1,203 -27.50
410–447 430 10 280.00–342.50 $328.80 $1,414 -6.20
450–496 474 8 320.00–340.00 $331.68 $1,572 -5.82
595 595 3 312.50 $312.50 $1,859 —
625–635 630 2 262.50–287.00 $274.65 $1,730 —
710 710 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,846 -15.00
820 820 2 252.50 $252.50 $2,070 —
905 905 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,878 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–310 308 2 300.00–302.50 $301.26 $928 —
425 425 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,105 —
455–460 458 2 290.00–301.00 $295.47 $1,353 -2.03
560 560 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,582 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,110 —
467 467 2 232.00 $232.00 $1,083 —
570 570 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,026 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 2 267.50 $267.50 $1,739 —
770 770 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,802 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
195 195 —— 1 380.00 $380.00 $741 —
365–395 380 —— 2 407.50–413.00 $410.14 $1,559 —
430–445 434 —— 5 397.50–420.00 $404.49 $1,755 +11.99
470–485 481 —— 4 365.00–387.50 $370.49 $1,782 -19.84
532 532 —— 5 370.00 $370.00 $1,968 -0.94
550 550 —— 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,815 +14.81
650–692 678 —— 3 290.00–297.50 $292.40 $1,982 -8.38
746 746 —— 4 294.00 $294.00 $2,193 —
767 767 —— 2 271.00 $271.00 $2,079 —
1140 1140 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 207.50 $207.50 $2,366 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 345.00 $345.00 $707 —
295 295 1 361.00 $361.00 $1,065 —
340 340 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,190 —
415–435 425 2 330.00–360.00 $344.65 $1,465 +4.65
450–495 471 4 341.00–357.50 $347.02 $1,634 —
535 535 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,498 —
625 625 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,750 —
655 655 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,768 —
730 730 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,752 —
800 800 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,600 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,224 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1715 1446 75-80% 11 156.00–162.00 $158.76 $2,296 —
1460 1460 75-80% 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,927 —
1345–1750 1560 75-80% 11 164.00–168.00 $165.25 $2,578 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1345 1060 85-90% 10 129.00–140.00 $134.18 $1,422 —
1095 1095 85-90% 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,664 —
980–1240 1110 85-90% 2 107.00–109.00 $107.88 $1,197 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205 1205 80-85% 2 164.00–165.00 $164.50 $1,982 —
1040–1300 1207 80-85% 11 147.00–162.00 $153.98 $1,859 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165 1165 1 173.00 $173.00 $2,015 —
1590–1890 1748 4 185.00–189.00 $186.61 $3,262 —
1935–2230 2083 2 206.00–209.00 $207.39 $4,320 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1030 1030 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,638

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1231 1231 3 175.00 $175.00 $2,154 —

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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.