Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 2, 2025

733 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 $332.85/cwt ≈ $2,889/hd at 868 lb · 187 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $344.21/cwt ≈ $2,718/hd at 790 lb · 80 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $318.44/cwt +33.44 vs last sale · ≈ $2,999/hd at 942 lb · 66 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 733 98 1,369
Feeder cattle 705 58 1,333
Slaughter cattle 26 38 36
Replacement cattle 2 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday: No trends due to Thanksgiving week having low receipts. However, the feeder market appeared sharply stronger in spots with a good supply and good demand for long weaned feeders and value added groups and packages. Slaughter cows and bulls appeared stronger as well with a limited supply and 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
345 fancy 345 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,535 —
385 fancy 385 1 452.50 $452.50 $1,742 —
390 390 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,658 —
400 400 2 432.50 $432.50 $1,730 —
457 457 2 395.00 $395.00 $1,805 —
520–535 525 3 360.00–365.00 $362.50 $1,903 +35.00
528–547 value added 536 9 390.00–407.50 $399.57 $2,142 —
555 value added 555 4 375.00 $375.00 $2,081 —
551–592 566 10 347.00–361.00 $357.30 $2,022 —
616 value added 616 3 370.00 $370.00 $2,279 —
603–642 629 14 337.50–352.50 $345.62 $2,174 —
652–692 669 28 317.50–330.00 $323.87 $2,167 +38.87
705–747 724 22 312.50–327.50 $320.21 $2,318 —
750 750 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,950 —
750–776 761 13 303.00–322.50 $308.08 $2,344 —
796 value added 796 66 352.60 $352.60 $2,807 —
825–840 826 12 302.50–311.00 $310.28 $2,563 +15.28
850 850 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,699 —
852–882 value added 868 186 325.00–345.00 $332.93 $2,890 —
905 905 7 280.00 $280.00 $2,534 -5.00
946 value added 946 59 323.00 $323.00 $3,056 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 275 2 315.00–340.00 $328.18 $902 —
430–445 438 2 360.00–370.00 $364.91 $1,598 —
460–498 487 6 355.00–365.00 $363.02 $1,768 —
597 597 2 325.00 $325.00 $1,940 +37.50
610–635 623 2 297.50–317.50 $307.70 $1,917 —
650 650 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,950 —
775–785 778 3 285.00–287.50 $285.84 $2,224 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
627 627 4 292.50 $292.50 $1,834 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340–345 fancy 343 3 412.50–420.00 $414.98 $1,423 —
350–397 fancy 377 4 402.50–407.50 $404.26 $1,524 —
385 385 2 375.00 $375.00 $1,444 —
403 fancy 403 5 405.00 $405.00 $1,632 —
415 415 1 377.50 $377.50 $1,567 —
440 440 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,243 —
452–490 471 22 360.00–370.00 $367.11 $1,729 —
509–540 516 28 350.00–360.00 $353.75 $1,825 -11.25
525 525 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,260 -125.00
556–593 580 16 310.00–337.50 $326.88 $1,896 -45.62
587 value added 587 7 350.00 $350.00 $2,054 —
622 622 4 332.50 $332.50 $2,068 +5.50
613–648 634 12 305.00–320.00 $311.11 $1,972 -15.89
650–690 670 34 297.00–322.50 $317.47 $2,127 +4.47
690 690 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,811 -50.50
710–718 716 5 285.00–295.00 $287.98 $2,062 —
759–763 761 8 295.00–302.50 $299.68 $2,281 —
955 955 1 247.50 $247.50 $2,364 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 2 322.50 $322.50 $855 —
405–425 415 2 340.00–342.50 $341.28 $1,416 —
465–475 472 3 327.50–340.00 $335.89 $1,585 —
520–547 538 3 282.50–327.50 $313.00 $1,684 —
550–581 572 5 290.00–305.00 $301.55 $1,725 —
605–635 620 2 270.00–280.00 $275.12 $1,706 —
750 750 1 266.00 $266.00 $1,995 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470 1470 1 205.00 $205.00 $3,014 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,180 —
310 310 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,348 —
368 368 4 422.50 $422.50 $1,555 —
405 fancy 405 1 427.50 $427.50 $1,731 —
430–438 436 4 395.00–400.00 $398.77 $1,739 —
526 fancy 526 5 392.50 $392.50 $2,065 —
560–563 562 4 355.00–360.00 $358.76 $2,016 +46.26
600–645 639 8 305.00–330.00 $307.93 $1,968 -14.89
712 712 6 290.00 $290.00 $2,065 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
526 526 3 302.50 $302.50 $1,591 +12.50
580 580 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,740 —
825 825 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,629 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,448 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–970 865 85-90% 2 119.00–125.00 $122.36 $1,058 —
1005–1185 1095 85-90% 2 151.00–155.00 $152.84 $1,674 +19.43
870–1275 1116 85-90% 4 139.00–149.00 $143.91 $1,606 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1535 1464 75-80% 4 155.00–165.00 $159.37 $2,333 +4.56
1455–1580 1498 75-80% 3 175.00–179.00 $176.30 $2,641 +21.49
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1410 1250 80-85% 4 150.00–157.00 $153.52 $1,919 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1375 1270 4 162.50–177.00 $169.50 $2,153 —
1430–1445 1438 2 180.00–182.00 $181.01 $2,603 —
1850–2030 1940 2 205.00–207.00 $205.95 $3,995 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1095 1095 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,785

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
990 990 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00 —

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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.