Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 28, 2026

734 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $462.19/cwt +11.67 vs last sale · ≈ $2,679/hd at 580 lb · 137 head

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $422.64/cwt +8.63 vs last sale · ≈ $2,252/hd at 533 lb · 105 head

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $356.46/cwt +19.46 vs last sale · ≈ $3,289/hd at 923 lb · 59 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	734	921	668
Feeder cattle	684	849	563
Slaughter cattle	46	65	89
Replacement cattle	4	7	16

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was spotty with an average quality offering. Feeder steers 300 lbs and under appeared steady, while the 400-650 lbs steers were steady to 6.00 lower or greater in spots with a good supply and moderate demand. Yearling steers appeared stronger with a good supply but limited head to head comparisons. Feeder heifers 300-400 lbs were 4.00 to 6.00 lower, while the 500-600 lbs heifers were mostly steady with a good supply. Buyers were active today, however the increasing supply of heavier conditioned in the market is limiting some buyers interest and increasing the price spreads in most weight classes. Slaughter cows were steady with a good supply and good demand and no trends on slaughter bulls due to a limited supply.

▼ Feeder heifers: Feeder heifers 300-400 lbs were 4.00 to 6.00 lower
▼ Feeder steers: while the 400-650 lbs steers were steady to 6.00 lower or greater in spots with a good supply and moderate demand
→ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter cows were steady with a good supply and good demand and no trends on slaughter bulls due to a limited supply
→ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows were steady with a good supply and good demand and no trends on slaughter bulls due to a limited supply

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
275–290	278	6	595.00–610.00	$597.61	$1,661	-12.39
320–322	321	3	540.00–580.00	$553.28	$1,776	—
400–435	415	6	510.00–527.50	$521.12	$2,163	-8.49
408–426 fancy	419	16	541.00–557.50	$550.72	$2,308	-23.77
453 fancy	453	4	521.00	$521.00	$2,360	-36.50
463–496	488	12	490.00–492.50	$490.59	$2,394	+13.59
505–506 value added	506	15	498.00–502.50	$500.70	$2,534	—
511–530	520	11	452.50–475.00	$460.09	$2,392	-25.10
562–585 value added	579	131	453.00–464.00	$463.44	$2,683	-15.31
592	592	6	435.00	$435.00	$2,575	-3.58
607–622 value added	618	7	443.00–445.00	$443.56	$2,741	+0.47
655–688 value added	681	50	402.50–412.50	$407.23	$2,773	-7.47
700–717	707	6	390.00–400.00	$394.21	$2,787	-0.79
755–790	772	5	361.00–373.00	$365.94	$2,825	+34.94
816–835	829	17	340.00–369.00	$360.61	$2,989	+20.95
870–877	873	5	345.00–350.00	$347.01	$3,029	+8.01
910–915	913	2	337.00–345.00	$341.01	$3,113	+4.01
923 value added	923	57	357.00	$357.00	$3,295	—
953–958	956	7	327.00–340.00	$334.45	$3,197	—
1000	1000	1	301.00	$301.00	$3,010	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
610	610	6	375.00	$375.00	$2,288	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
210	210	1	510.00	$510.00	$1,071	—
540	540	1	420.00	$420.00	$2,268	-50.00
902	902	2	293.00	$293.00	$2,643	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
530	530	2	429.00	$429.00	$2,274	+16.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
340	340	1	500.00	$500.00	$1,700	-22.50
350–395	376	6	492.50–505.00	$496.88	$1,868	-11.61
400–423	417	5	440.00–465.00	$460.02	$1,918	-10.20
405–435 fancy	428	21	472.50–480.00	$473.74	$2,028	—
450–459 fancy	456	7	445.00–447.50	$445.70	$2,032	—
473–498	491	19	418.00–432.50	$426.31	$2,093	-30.89
500–542	521	32	397.50–420.00	$412.24	$2,148	+2.87
521–544 value added	538	73	425.00–428.00	$427.20	$2,298	-1.66
578	578	3	385.00	$385.00	$2,225	-3.86
607	607	2	395.00	$395.00	$2,398	-6.35
600–637	622	8	360.00–383.00	$372.29	$2,316	-1.62
650–656	655	6	372.50–375.00	$374.58	$2,453	+10.45
650–690	677	11	345.00–367.50	$355.43	$2,406	-8.70
706	706	3	357.00	$357.00	$2,520	—
768	768	6	369.00	$369.00	$2,834	+22.67
793	793	3	330.00	$330.00	$2,617	-16.33
857	857	2	312.50	$312.50	$2,678	-6.50
990	990	1	281.00	$281.00	$2,782	+11.00
1075	1075	1	291.00	$291.00	$3,128	—
1145	1145	1	239.00	$239.00	$2,737	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
215	215	1	400.00	$400.00	$860	-5.00
445	445	1	370.00	$370.00	$1,646	—
483	483	3	385.00	$385.00	$1,860	+44.00
686	686	4	280.00	$280.00	$1,921	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
250	250	2	500.00	$500.00	$1,250	—
535	535	1	385.00	$385.00	$2,060	+14.00
560–595	578	2	362.50–371.00	$366.88	$2,121	+37.88
1045	1045	1	245.00	$245.00	$2,560	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
275	275	1	550.00	$550.00	$1,512	-10.00
327	327	2	550.00	$550.00	$1,798	—
413–420	415	4	495.00–505.00	$502.47	$2,085	—
471–490	479	9	500.00–502.50	$501.14	$2,400	+0.73
697	697	2	351.00	$351.00	$2,446	—
700	700	1	367.50	$367.50	$2,572	+42.80

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
470	470	2	442.50	$442.50	$2,080	-6.50
530	530	2	397.50	$397.50	$2,107	-14.56
895	895	1	215.00	$215.00	$1,924	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
780	780	85-90%	1	127.00	$127.00	$991	—
875–1090	957	85-90%	6	132.00–152.00	$141.05	$1,350	—
1010–1265	1115	85-90%	6	154.00–183.00	$166.37	$1,855	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1090–1430	1235	80-85%	12	160.00–178.00	$169.28	$2,091	-2.39
1255	1255	80-85%	1	153.00	$153.00	$1,920	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1365–1580	1464	75-80%	7	173.00–179.00	$176.03	$2,577	—
1420–1705	1587	75-80%	3	182.00–184.00	$183.31	$2,909	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1580	1580	1	214.00	$214.00	$3,381	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
780–1160	970	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	2	182.50–183.00	$182.80	$1,773
945–1150	1058	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	201.00–225.00	$208.14	$2,202

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
820	820	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	2,550.00	$2,550.00	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1435	1435	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	4,050.00	$4,050.00	—

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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.