Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 24, 2026

821 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 $342.62/cwt -3.03 vs last sale · ≈ $2,977/hd at 869 lb · 144 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $339.49/cwt -5.51 vs last sale · ≈ $3,179/hd at 936 lb · 62 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $402.29/cwt +18.87 vs last sale · ≈ $2,512/hd at 624 lb · 58 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 821 1,122 812
Feeder cattle 756 1,070 743
Slaughter cattle 63 49 66
Replacement cattle 2 3 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mostly stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers 600 lbs and under were 4.00 to 8.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and good demand weaned and pre-conditioned groups. Yearling steers appeared 2.00 to 4.00 lower with a good supply and moderate demand. Slaughter cows were steady with a good supply and slaughter bulls were 2.00 to 3.00 lower except for the ultra lean high dressing individuals.

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
240 fancy 240 1 625.00 $625.00 $1,500 —
315 315 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,732 —
350 fancy 350 1 600.00 $600.00 $2,100 —
350–392 385 8 537.50–560.00 $550.20 $2,118 +20.20
430–440 435 2 470.00–480.00 $474.94 $2,066 -22.54
433–440 fancy 435 4 530.00–535.00 $531.27 $2,311 +16.27
451–497 fancy 473 9 515.00–532.50 $523.67 $2,477 —
495 495 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,252 -22.88
505–512 value added 510 5 482.00–502.50 $496.44 $2,532 -1.68
505–515 thin fleshed 510 10 517.50–521.00 $519.13 $2,648 —
540 540 2 460.00 $460.00 $2,484 -4.60
565 thin fleshed 565 4 500.00 $500.00 $2,825 +3.78
550–588 value added 567 14 465.00–485.00 $480.53 $2,725 +6.85
555–595 584 4 425.00–452.00 $442.55 $2,584 +7.55
615 value added 615 2 451.00 $451.00 $2,774 -3.74
606–648 627 22 412.50–435.00 $423.98 $2,658 -0.09
650–695 value added 669 41 398.00–422.50 $412.34 $2,759 +0.48
655–697 682 8 370.00–371.00 $370.12 $2,524 -24.38
705–745 value added 727 30 375.00–391.00 $383.66 $2,789 -13.51
715–740 728 6 337.50–359.00 $346.09 $2,520 -2.88
761–790 value added 775 19 365.00–372.50 $368.62 $2,857 -6.38
780–790 785 4 353.00–361.00 $356.75 $2,800 +3.51
802–840 812 8 331.00–347.50 $341.10 $2,770 +11.10
863–874 value added 869 144 338.75–345.50 $342.62 $2,977 -4.39
910–920 915 2 330.00–332.50 $331.24 $3,031 —
906–939 value added 937 60 339.75–340.00 $339.76 $3,184 —
970 970 2 322.50–325.00 $323.75 $3,140 —
1012 value added 1012 55 325.00 $325.00 $3,289 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 440.00 $440.00 $2,178 +13.57
560 560 1 382.00 $382.00 $2,139 -6.75
615–645 630 2 360.00–392.50 $375.86 $2,368 -20.62
920 920 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,760 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–396 fancy 384 8 512.50–540.00 $533.00 $2,047 +34.41
395 395 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,916 +31.22
405–437 fancy 426 5 487.00–510.00 $497.23 $2,118 +26.85
425–440 431 4 450.00–480.00 $472.11 $2,035 +31.36
475 475 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,995 +7.86
465–491 fancy 477 12 473.00–497.50 $484.71 $2,312 +48.90
517 thin fleshed 517 2 462.50 $462.50 $2,391 +5.50
515–530 523 2 390.00–410.00 $400.14 $2,093 +18.70
501–548 value added 530 37 419.00–440.00 $428.93 $2,273 +10.99
550–587 value added 568 19 415.00–433.00 $422.10 $2,398 —
570–575 573 3 400.00–403.00 $402.01 $2,304 +30.56
580–595 588 2 361.00–380.00 $370.62 $2,179 -0.83
610–630 618 15 387.50–399.00 $394.41 $2,437 +36.78
610–638 value added 625 38 401.00–420.00 $410.96 $2,568 +11.99
638 638 5 360.00 $360.00 $2,297 -20.00
662 662 2 375.00 $375.00 $2,482 +62.50
677–690 682 5 335.00–352.50 $344.16 $2,347 -4.43
700–710 704 6 325.00–337.50 $331.14 $2,331 +11.18
705 705 1 302.50 $302.50 $2,133 -17.46
728 value added 728 16 355.00 $355.00 $2,584 -5.08
770 770 2 317.50 $317.50 $2,445 -6.07
800 value added 800 9 349.00 $349.00 $2,792 -3.00
1155 1155 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,772 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 441.00 $441.00 $1,521 +26.00
440–445 442 3 420.00–442.50 $427.56 $1,890 —
450–480 463 5 360.00–400.00 $378.61 $1,753 —
520 520 1 372.50 $372.50 $1,937 —
595 595 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,023 -11.69
610 610 2 317.50 $317.50 $1,937 -25.79
650–690 675 3 317.50–322.50 $320.01 $2,160 —
725 725 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,030 —
845 845 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,366 —
965–980 973 2 242.50–260.00 $251.18 $2,444 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 363.00 $363.00 $1,942 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,440 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 fancy 325 1 595.00 $595.00 $1,934 —
367 367 2 535.00 $535.00 $1,963 +33.91
425–435 430 2 491.00–500.00 $495.45 $2,130 -34.55
445 fancy 445 1 531.00 $531.00 $2,363 —
460 fancy 460 2 517.50–523.00 $520.25 $2,393 —
501–507 fancy 503 5 509.00–513.00 $511.39 $2,572 +53.39
505–530 518 2 425.00–445.00 $434.76 $2,252 +29.97
568–572 570 8 425.00–445.00 $437.53 $2,494 +12.53
610–635 623 2 387.50–402.50 $395.15 $2,462 +15.15
661 fancy 661 3 397.50 $397.50 $2,627 —
680 680 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,380 -0.33
705 705 1 357.00 $357.00 $2,517 —
1170 1170 1 201.00 $201.00 $2,352 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,446 —
395 395 2 485.00–497.50 $491.25 $1,940 +41.25
465 465 1 452.00 $452.00 $2,102 +32.00
750 750 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,950 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–1350 1060 85-90% 7 161.00–181.00 $169.29 $1,794 —
930–1221 1071 85-90% 10 135.00–155.00 $145.37 $1,557 —
1060–1205 1118 85-90% 3 119.00–131.00 $125.26 $1,400 -26.17
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1885 1540 75-80% 12 165.00–174.00 $170.51 $2,626 +6.42
1480–1720 1600 75-80% 2 176.00–182.00 $178.78 $2,860 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1425 1287 80-85% 6 158.00–173.00 $166.61 $2,144 +5.82
1205–1455 1330 80-85% 2 175.00–180.00 $177.73 $2,364 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410 1410 1 147.00 $147.00 $2,073 —
1150–2080 1705 3 181.00–187.00 $184.84 $3,152 -24.34
1695–2215 1955 2 201.00–205.00 $203.27 $3,974 —
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1870 1870 1 223.00 $223.00 $4,170 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1065 1065 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,556
1100–1245 1152 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 200.00–212.50 $207.58 $2,391
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1170–1210 1190 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 183.00–189.00 $185.95 $2,213

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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.