Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 7, 2026

1,201 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $342.65/cwt ≈ $3,164/hd at 923 lb · 178 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $329.75/cwt -2.12 vs last sale · ≈ $2,720/hd at 825 lb · 123 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $306.24/cwt +31.24 vs last sale · ≈ $2,854/hd at 932 lb · 115 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,201 843 206
Feeder cattle 1,134 727 175
Slaughter cattle 63 112 24
Replacement cattle 4 4 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering of mostly yearling aged cattle. Light weight feeder steers appeared steady with a light test, while the 400- 600 lbs steers were steady to 6.00 higher or greater in spots with good demand. Yearling steers were 6.00 to 10.00 higher with a good supply and strong demand. Feeder heifers 600 lbs and under were unevenly steady ranging from 4.00 lower to 4.00 higher with a good supply and good demand. Slaughter cows were 2.00 to 4.00 higher with a good supply and slaughter bulls were steady 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
337 fancy 337 2 600.00 $600.00 $2,022 —
435 435 3 517.50–535.00 $527.50 $2,295 —
435 thin fleshed 435 7 602.50 $602.50 $2,621 —
469 fancy 469 5 547.50 $547.50 $2,568 -14.17
472–477 475 4 523.00–530.00 $526.48 $2,501 +11.90
500 500 1 483.00 $483.00 $2,415 -12.00
520 value added 520 2 527.50 $527.50 $2,743 -1.53
554–567 thin fleshed 562 21 510.00–527.50 $520.19 $2,923 —
561–578 value added 565 19 487.00–497.50 $490.58 $2,772 -2.53
560–597 574 12 467.00–475.00 $469.89 $2,697 +22.09
600–622 617 7 400.00–417.50 $412.19 $2,543 -6.16
634–640 value added 636 11 447.50–472.50 $460.87 $2,931 +11.66
670–685 678 2 407.50–410.00 $408.76 $2,771 +6.26
652–698 value added 680 100 422.00–440.50 $433.15 $2,945 -16.49
705–710 708 2 355.00–380.00 $367.46 $2,602 -7.93
701–745 value added 717 12 387.00–407.50 $398.06 $2,854 —
755–785 769 14 350.00–377.00 $370.23 $2,847 -5.77
823 value added 823 54 372.00 $372.00 $3,062 +17.60
820–837 829 4 330.00–340.00 $335.05 $2,778 +15.05
872 value added 872 62 359.00 $359.00 $3,130 +6.98
891–895 893 2 330.00–335.00 $332.49 $2,969 +22.49
911 911 8 325.00 $325.00 $2,961 —
924–925 value added 924 170 342.75–344.75 $343.48 $3,174 —
1000–1020 1010 2 285.00–290.00 $287.48 $2,904 -16.52
1018 value added 1018 52 317.75 $317.75 $3,235 —
1090 1090 1 271.00 $271.00 $2,954 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,528 —
455–492 480 3 489.00 $489.00 $2,347 -6.00
505–535 520 2 420.00–450.00 $434.57 $2,260 —
580 580 2 418.00–420.00 $419.00 $2,430 +19.00
740 740 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,202 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850 850 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,380 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 392.50 $392.50 $2,139 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
160 thin fleshed 160 1 690.00 $690.00 $1,104 —
285–290 fancy 288 2 545.00–550.00 $547.48 $1,577 -34.94
315 fancy 315 1 547.50 $547.50 $1,725 +4.40
340 thin fleshed 340 3 585.00–605.00 $591.67 $2,012 —
355 fancy 355 1 512.50 $512.50 $1,819 -11.56
365–370 368 2 462.50–482.50 $472.57 $1,739 -11.23
417–445 426 9 470.00–482.50 $475.37 $2,025 -7.13
416–436 fancy 430 15 495.00–520.00 $509.62 $2,191 -0.36
450–485 fancy 461 29 477.50–495.00 $484.36 $2,233 +6.11
470–477 475 7 425.00–460.00 $435.04 $2,066 +1.41
512–530 518 5 408.00–422.50 $416.25 $2,156 -1.89
513–533 value added 521 16 430.00–450.00 $439.52 $2,290 -31.00
551–565 value added 557 14 420.00–435.00 $429.81 $2,394 +4.81
560–566 565 4 397.00–412.50 $408.66 $2,309 +7.94
602–632 value added 614 59 419.00–436.00 $432.57 $2,656 —
610–645 634 8 385.00–407.00 $399.79 $2,535 +5.97
660–675 672 7 375.00–397.50 $392.91 $2,640 +0.27
707 707 2 390.00 $390.00 $2,757 —
700–717 712 19 355.00–370.00 $364.00 $2,592 —
720 720 1 319.00 $319.00 $2,297 —
802–825 value added 825 123 329.75–330.00 $329.75 $2,720 —
932–933 value added 932 115 306.00–315.00 $306.24 $2,854 —
990 990 1 297.00 $297.00 $2,940 —
1015 1015 1 215.00 $215.00 $2,182 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 437.50 $437.50 $1,728 —
415–440 427 3 415.00–435.00 $422.34 $1,803 —
535 535 2 360.00–365.00 $362.50 $1,939 +12.50
620–645 633 2 352.50–370.00 $361.08 $2,286 —
660–682 675 3 347.50–349.00 $348.51 $2,352 +11.01
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,037 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 fancy 250 1 690.00 $690.00 $1,725 -10.00
280 280 2 570.00–630.00 $600.00 $1,680 —
300 300 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,710 —
335 fancy 335 2 605.00 $605.00 $2,027 -85.04
385–395 393 4 527.50–540.00 $533.71 $2,097 -21.29
425 425 2 555.00 $555.00 $2,359 +12.41
455–492 482 5 502.50–529.00 $515.83 $2,486 -4.84
500–545 512 10 460.00–477.00 $470.96 $2,411 -22.15
576 576 4 448.00 $448.00 $2,580 -29.79
600 fancy 600 1 425.00 $425.00 $2,550 —
600–645 611 4 397.00–401.00 $398.06 $2,432 -18.92
675 675 2 380.00 $380.00 $2,565 -2.67
733 733 3 365.00 $365.00 $2,675 +3.13
755–777 770 3 342.50–362.50 $349.04 $2,688 +6.54
812 812 2 255.00 $255.00 $2,071 —
805–845 825 2 307.50–310.00 $308.72 $2,547 —
855 855 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,757 —
1040 1040 1 282.50 $282.50 $2,938 —
1105 1105 1 222.50 $222.50 $2,459 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 482.50 $482.50 $1,906 -7.50
432 432 2 507.50 $507.50 $2,192 —
485 485 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,207 -25.00
595 595 1 401.00 $401.00 $2,386 —
700 700 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,317 +5.36

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1425 1205 80-85% 12 167.00–178.00 $173.73 $2,093 +19.73
1070–1590 1302 80-85% 11 181.00–193.00 $185.98 $2,421 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–935 928 85-90% 2 144.00–155.00 $149.54 $1,388 —
1090–1455 1312 85-90% 14 165.00–174.00 $168.85 $2,215 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1415–1470 1441 75-80% 5 172.00–177.00 $174.39 $2,513 +24.39
1300–1920 1586 75-80% 10 181.00–196.00 $184.59 $2,928 +10.43

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1235 1157 3 190.00–200.00 $194.83 $2,254 —
1460–1970 1685 4 210.00–229.00 $221.32 $3,729 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
865 865 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 237.50 $237.50 $2,054
1165 1165 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 213.00 $213.00 $2,481
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
885 885 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 177.00 $177.00 $1,566

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
930 930 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —

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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.