Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 6, 2026

1,169 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 $352.40/cwt +34.90 vs last sale · ≈ $2,893/hd at 821 lb · 184 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $328.07/cwt +11.32 vs last sale · ≈ $3,181/hd at 969 lb · 118 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $347.57/cwt +39.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,407/hd at 693 lb · 74 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,169 1,393 410
Feeder cattle 1,076 1,314 350
Slaughter cattle 92 75 37
Replacement cattle 1 4 23

Market comments — USDA reporter

No trends due to market being closed last week for the holidays, however the feeder market appeared stronger with a good supply and strong demand for weaned and pre-conditioned calves. Slaughter cows and bulls appeared firm as well with a good 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
230 fancy 230 1 515.00 $515.00 $1,184 —
370 370 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,591 -30.00
375 fancy 375 2 477.50–500.00 $488.75 $1,833 —
405 405 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,762 -16.34
417 fancy 417 2 510.00 $510.00 $2,127 +22.83
460–490 475 2 427.00–435.00 $430.87 $2,047 +5.81
478–487 fancy 482 5 467.50–477.50 $471.54 $2,273 -4.12
511–525 515 4 390.00–403.00 $399.68 $2,058 +19.68
528–543 value added 534 12 417.50–437.50 $421.38 $2,250 +18.88
525–540 fancy 538 13 442.50–458.00 $455.67 $2,452 —
557–560 value added 558 3 435.00–440.00 $438.33 $2,446 +46.84
550–590 574 5 380.00–400.00 $392.05 $2,250 +41.29
604 fancy 604 5 432.50 $432.50 $2,612 —
600–640 625 16 350.00–370.00 $356.97 $2,231 +23.56
606–630 value added 625 46 395.00–401.00 $398.97 $2,494 +3.97
656–686 value added 664 19 377.50–380.00 $379.32 $2,519 —
660–690 667 41 342.50–361.00 $349.67 $2,332 +3.23
705 value added 705 16 370.00 $370.00 $2,608 —
705–745 729 35 329.00–349.00 $339.31 $2,474 +14.84
755–790 768 14 327.00–348.00 $332.88 $2,557 +22.88
801–831 value added 821 180 345.00–369.00 $353.07 $2,899 —
805–840 823 4 317.00–327.00 $322.11 $2,651 +4.61
858 value added 858 25 340.00 $340.00 $2,917 -13.95
871–890 872 33 328.00–330.00 $328.06 $2,861 +18.06
900–906 value added 906 59 322.00–338.75 $338.47 $3,067 +11.87
910 910 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,639 —
969 value added 969 110 329.75 $329.75 $3,195 +13.00
976 976 8 305.00 $305.00 $2,977 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–445 435 3 380.00–400.00 $393.18 $1,710 —
450–495 476 7 375.00–402.50 $388.16 $1,848 +1.76
580–585 583 2 365.00 $365.00 $2,128 +39.74
600–615 610 3 307.50–332.50 $324.10 $1,977 -0.90
750 750 1 299.00 $299.00 $2,242 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 342.50 $342.50 $2,089 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 332.00 $332.00 $1,112 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–290 283 2 417.50–420.00 $418.78 $1,185 —
305 305 1 402.50 $402.50 $1,228 —
330 fancy 330 1 477.50 $477.50 $1,576 —
355–360 fancy 359 5 462.50–487.50 $467.44 $1,678 —
365 365 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,579 +42.50
402–410 fancy 405 3 427.50 $427.50 $1,731 +25.66
420 420 2 387.00–387.50 $387.25 $1,626 +4.02
465–472 fancy 470 3 392.50–399.00 $396.85 $1,865 +8.67
460–490 475 11 362.50–387.50 $379.60 $1,803 +16.80
505–540 516 19 350.00–371.00 $365.81 $1,888 +23.70
515–540 value added 523 9 378.00–389.00 $383.04 $2,003 +10.54
562–570 568 9 360.00–373.00 $365.64 $2,077 +25.14
572 value added 572 2 381.00 $381.00 $2,179 —
600–641 623 9 324.00–345.00 $337.71 $2,104 +18.57
608–647 value added 625 42 350.00–371.00 $360.90 $2,256 —
655–685 669 4 335.00–339.00 $337.98 $2,261 +29.57
671–695 value added 694 70 348.00–351.00 $348.12 $2,416 —
705–723 717 5 321.00–326.00 $324.62 $2,328 +74.62
765–772 771 5 302.50–319.00 $315.72 $2,434 -2.53
805–825 813 4 315.00–321.00 $317.14 $2,578 —
873 873 4 312.00 $312.00 $2,724 —
1153 1153 3 180.00 $180.00 $2,075 -49.26
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 357.50 $357.50 $1,233 +17.49
470 470 1 351.00 $351.00 $1,650 +7.35
500–538 519 9 329.00–340.00 $333.47 $1,731 +10.55
555–580 569 7 320.00–335.00 $325.83 $1,854 +25.52
601 601 3 305.00 $305.00 $1,833 —
688 688 3 310.00 $310.00 $2,133 +18.35
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 2 352.50 $352.50 $1,674 —
505 505 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,692 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,440 —
585 585 1 289.00 $289.00 $1,691 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
130 130 1 582.50 $582.50 $757 —
245 245 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,213 —
290 290 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,254 —
312 fancy 312 2 492.50 $492.50 $1,537 -5.00
366–395 fancy 378 5 482.50–507.50 $497.04 $1,879 -12.96
390 390 1 457.50 $457.50 $1,784 —
430–446 fancy 440 6 485.00–490.00 $487.05 $2,143 —
450 fancy 450 1 490.00 $490.00 $2,205 —
506–525 fancy 511 4 405.00–406.00 $405.74 $2,073 +25.74
550–555 fancy 552 3 392.50–400.00 $397.48 $2,194 —
555–595 575 5 367.50–385.00 $378.29 $2,175 +59.28
605–645 615 5 331.00–339.00 $334.27 $2,056 +14.27
650–682 671 3 321.00–327.00 $325.06 $2,181 —
700–745 721 12 310.00–323.00 $316.43 $2,281 +41.33
850–875 869 4 282.00–290.00 $288.04 $2,503 +77.04
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,174 +17.77
330 330 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,320 —
400 400 1 397.50 $397.50 $1,590 —
490 490 1 381.00 $381.00 $1,867 —
595 595 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,053 +50.02
730–735 731 6 292.50–301.00 $296.17 $2,165 +53.58
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 300.00 $300.00 $810 —
360 360 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,098 —
470–475 473 2 290.00–320.00 $304.92 $1,442 +32.42

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1390 1257 80-85% 16 153.00–167.00 $159.82 $2,009 +16.70
1120–1375 1267 80-85% 8 144.00–151.00 $149.06 $1,889 +5.94
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690–1310 1086 85-90% 8 121.00–129.00 $123.79 $1,344 —
920–1420 1131 85-90% 8 134.00–148.00 $140.88 $1,593 +0.11
1100–1260 1184 85-90% 6 149.00–158.00 $153.47 $1,817 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1740 1529 75-80% 17 156.00–169.00 $162.08 $2,478 -9.42
1365–1810 1572 75-80% 3 141.00–152.00 $146.49 $2,303 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–1855 1537 3 173.00–177.00 $174.97 $2,689 —
1395–2085 1671 4 182.00–191.00 $188.63 $3,152 +3.97
1540–1810 1688 3 198.00–205.00 $200.81 $3,390 +16.15

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,975.00 $2,975.00

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1055 1050 85-90% 2 115.00–129.00 $121.97 $1,281 —
1095 1095 85-90% 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,018 —

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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.