Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 17, 2026

1,122 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 $359.16/cwt ≈ $2,974/hd at 828 lb · 157 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $345.65/cwt +8.65 vs last sale · ≈ $3,076/hd at 890 lb · 135 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $396.13/cwt +40.76 vs last sale · ≈ $2,896/hd at 731 lb · 93 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,122 629 340
Feeder cattle 1,070 596 273
Slaughter cattle 49 32 43
Replacement cattle 3 1 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mostly stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were unevenly steady to 8.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and good demand for long weaned and thinner conditioned calves. Yearling steers were mostly 3.00 to 6.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and strong demand. Slaughter cows were steady to 2.00 higher with a good supply , while slaughter bulls appeared 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
345 thin fleshed 345 1 610.00 $610.00 $2,104 —
372 372 2 530.00 $530.00 $1,972 +14.99
410–420 fancy 417 3 515.00 $515.00 $2,148 -10.98
432–435 433 3 487.50–502.50 $497.48 $2,154 +7.94
455–485 469 6 465.00–487.50 $477.88 $2,241 -14.62
500–547 527 16 452.50–472.50 $464.60 $2,448 —
512–543 value added 534 23 490.00–501.00 $498.12 $2,660 -14.22
555 555 1 435.00 $435.00 $2,414 ±0.00
552–567 thin fleshed 556 8 492.50–497.50 $496.22 $2,759 —
550–570 value added 560 2 470.00–477.50 $473.68 $2,653 +14.92
603–645 619 15 417.50–431.00 $424.07 $2,625 +27.80
600–645 value added 628 37 450.00–462.00 $454.74 $2,856 +17.72
660–691 value added 680 21 407.00–420.00 $411.86 $2,801 -11.74
675–690 681 6 387.00–397.50 $394.50 $2,687 +9.50
725–735 730 2 345.00–353.00 $348.97 $2,547 +5.41
700–745 value added 731 91 367.50–400.00 $397.17 $2,903 +27.03
750–783 value added 779 14 367.50–376.00 $375.00 $2,921 —
775–795 787 3 343.00–367.00 $353.24 $2,780 +2.13
820–840 value added 828 156 350.50–365.00 $359.35 $2,975 —
840 840 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,772 —
851–895 873 8 320.00–328.00 $324.10 $2,829 —
850–896 value added 891 127 344.75–358.00 $347.01 $3,092 +10.01
900 value added 900 59 345.00 $345.00 $3,105 —
1022–1030 1025 3 285.00–290.00 $286.68 $2,938 —
1080–1085 1083 2 280.00 $280.00 $3,032 —
1160 1160 1 281.00 $281.00 $3,260 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485–495 490 2 420.00–433.00 $426.43 $2,090 -13.57
595 595 2 385.00–392.50 $388.75 $2,313 —
605–620 612 5 395.00–402.50 $396.48 $2,426 +55.26
705 705 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,974 -27.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315 1315 1 224.00 $224.00 $2,946 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
182 182 2 570.00 $570.00 $1,037 —
200 200 2 550.00 $550.00 $1,100 +97.50
292 292 2 510.00 $510.00 $1,489 —
325 thin fleshed 325 1 580.00 $580.00 $1,885 —
330 330 1 459.00 $459.00 $1,515 +9.00
330–337 fancy 334 4 495.00–540.00 $518.97 $1,733 +31.97
350–395 fancy 379 6 490.00–510.00 $498.59 $1,890 +16.09
385–396 393 4 450.00–455.00 $453.78 $1,783 -10.34
420–432 fancy 427 6 460.00–480.00 $470.38 $2,009 -11.16
425–440 428 7 425.00–452.50 $440.75 $1,886 +27.09
455–495 477 7 397.50–419.00 $412.14 $1,966 +9.86
455–498 fancy 484 17 425.00–440.00 $435.81 $2,109 -8.39
523 thin fleshed 523 3 457.00 $457.00 $2,390 —
500–540 value added 524 19 410.00–422.00 $417.94 $2,190 -2.89
535–546 544 6 375.00–399.00 $381.44 $2,075 —
560–585 566 4 367.00–373.00 $371.45 $2,102 +13.95
602–626 617 12 350.00–372.00 $357.63 $2,207 +1.05
626–641 value added 633 21 392.50–405.00 $398.97 $2,525 -2.15
636 636 5 380.00 $380.00 $2,417 -4.18
673 673 3 312.50 $312.50 $2,103 -29.27
671–683 677 20 341.00–365.00 $348.59 $2,360 +6.82
688 value added 688 17 401.00 $401.00 $2,759 —
709–734 value added 724 17 350.00–375.00 $360.08 $2,607 —
707–747 726 13 315.00–335.00 $319.96 $2,323 -7.27
765–798 786 14 314.00–334.00 $323.57 $2,543 +1.10
756–791 value added 789 56 351.00–363.00 $362.38 $2,859 —
815 value added 815 12 352.00 $352.00 $2,869 —
865 865 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,863 +51.00
945 945 2 261.00 $261.00 $2,466 —
985 985 1 287.50 $287.50 $2,832 —
1005 1005 1 287.50 $287.50 $2,889 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 465.00 $465.00 $1,093 —
340 340 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,411 +18.32
570–580 573 3 350.00–355.00 $351.69 $2,015 —
600–625 608 3 340.00–345.00 $343.29 $2,087 —
800 800 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,936 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,204 —
640 640 2 273.00 $273.00 $1,747 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 2 360.00 $360.00 $1,980 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 fancy 210 2 615.00 $615.00 $1,292 —
225 225 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,125 —
300 300 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,500 -2.50
355–365 360 2 490.00–512.50 $501.09 $1,804 +26.09
365 fancy 365 1 589.00 $589.00 $2,150 —
415 415 1 530.00 $530.00 $2,200 —
455 455 1 486.00 $486.00 $2,211 +11.00
502–540 521 6 395.00–410.00 $404.79 $2,109 —
533 fancy 533 4 458.00 $458.00 $2,441 +10.50
550–570 fancy 560 2 445.00–447.50 $446.23 $2,499 +22.50
585 585 2 425.00 $425.00 $2,486 +30.00
617 617 2 380.00 $380.00 $2,345 —
665–690 682 3 350.00–351.00 $350.33 $2,389 +10.07
705 fancy 705 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,608 +38.36
785 785 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,630 +26.00
810–825 818 2 281.00–290.00 $285.54 $2,336 +4.54
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,688 —
470–480 475 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,995 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790 790 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,382 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1395 1136 85-90% 9 142.50–157.00 $151.43 $1,720 —
1005–1360 1210 85-90% 3 120.00–130.00 $124.79 $1,510 —
1545 1545 85-90% 1 169.00 $169.00 $2,611 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445 1445 75-80% 1 149.00 $149.00 $2,153 -27.00
1380–1755 1539 75-80% 6 155.00–173.00 $164.09 $2,525 -1.16
1420–1920 1641 75-80% 4 175.00–190.00 $181.70 $2,982 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1425 1273 80-85% 7 154.00–173.00 $160.79 $2,047 -8.68

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475–2080 1733 5 204.00–213.00 $209.18 $3,625 —
1560–2175 1820 6 190.00–202.00 $197.25 $3,590 +1.52

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1315–1545 1430 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 145.00–170.00 $156.49 $2,238

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1245 fancy 1245 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,750.00 $3,750.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815 815 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
972 value added 972 49 278.50 $278.50 $2,707 —

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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.