Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 5, 2026

446 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $404.07/cwt +41.88 vs last sale · ≈ $2,664/hd at 659 lb · 79 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $362.29/cwt +15.28 vs last sale · ≈ $3,202/hd at 884 lb · 68 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $488.28/cwt +17.18 vs last sale · ≈ $2,088/hd at 428 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 446 734 1,222
Feeder cattle 407 684 1,125
Slaughter cattle 35 46 66
Replacement cattle 4 4 31

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was stronger with an average quality offering. Feeder steers 600 lbs and under were 6.00 to 8.00 higher with a moderate supply and good demand, while the yearling steers appeared firm with a good supply but limited head to head comparisons. Feeder heifers 400-600 lbs were steady to 8.00 higher in spots with a moderate supply and good demand. Slaughter cows were 2.00 to 4.00 higher and slaughter bulls appeared firm with a lite test.

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
320 320 2 575.00 $575.00 $1,840 +21.72
355 fancy 355 1 615.00 $615.00 $2,183 —
360–370 365 2 575.00–590.00 $582.60 $2,126 —
440 440 2 515.00 $515.00 $2,266 -6.12
457–496 fancy 487 13 532.50–555.00 $541.63 $2,638 +20.63
510–515 513 3 480.00 $480.00 $2,462 +19.91
539–542 value added 540 9 502.50–520.00 $512.20 $2,766 +11.50
550 550 1 442.50 $442.50 $2,434 —
558 value added 558 4 510.00 $510.00 $2,846 +46.56
621–637 626 6 432.50–452.50 $445.72 $2,790 —
680–685 684 4 415.00–420.00 $418.76 $2,864 —
761 761 3 393.00 $393.00 $2,991 +27.06
830 830 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,988 -0.61
852–890 869 5 330.00–350.00 $343.87 $2,988 -3.14
885 value added 885 63 363.75 $363.75 $3,219 —
925 925 1 340.00 $340.00 $3,145 -1.01
1058 value added 1058 56 330.00 $330.00 $3,491 —
1090 1090 2 320.00 $320.00 $3,488 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700 700 1 332.50 $332.50 $2,328 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,855 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,225 —
270 270 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,282 —
275 fancy 275 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,485 —
305 fancy 305 1 530.00 $530.00 $1,616 —
360–387 fancy 378 3 492.50–505.00 $496.47 $1,877 —
375–397 386 4 457.50–467.50 $462.36 $1,785 -34.52
411–426 fancy 417 10 495.00–527.50 $510.09 $2,127 +36.35
441–447 443 7 450.00–460.00 $457.12 $2,025 -2.90
451–471 fancy 460 9 455.00–470.00 $463.39 $2,132 +17.69
493 493 3 437.50 $437.50 $2,157 +11.19
502 value added 502 2 445.00 $445.00 $2,234 —
505–520 518 6 397.50–410.00 $399.53 $2,070 -12.71
566 value added 566 5 425.00 $425.00 $2,406 —
570–590 582 6 370.00–390.00 $381.67 $2,221 -3.33
605–622 616 3 367.00–380.00 $375.75 $2,315 +3.46
600–627 622 5 415.00 $415.00 $2,581 +42.71
659 value added 659 73 409.75 $409.75 $2,700 —
660 660 3 320.00 $320.00 $2,112 -54.58
665–675 668 3 350.00 $350.00 $2,338 -5.43
731 731 5 300.00 $300.00 $2,193 -57.00
750–785 767 6 327.50–355.00 $338.59 $2,597 -30.41
805–840 823 2 301.00–310.00 $305.60 $2,515 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,456 -65.00
670 670 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,876 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 382.50 $382.50 $2,027 -2.50
650 650 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,096 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835 835 1 287.00 $287.00 $2,396 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
195 195 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,072 —
225 225 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,282 —
310 310 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,674 -10.00
360–385 373 2 525.00–555.00 $540.50 $2,016 —
425 425 2 482.50 $482.50 $2,051 -19.97
457–485 471 4 465.00–472.50 $468.86 $2,208 -32.28
545 545 1 470.00 $470.00 $2,562 —
595 595 1 412.50 $412.50 $2,454 —
637–645 642 5 390.00–402.50 $394.96 $2,536 —
667–690 675 3 385.00–395.00 $388.41 $2,622 +37.41
710 710 1 382.50 $382.50 $2,716 +15.00
755 755 1 352.50 $352.50 $2,661 —
808 808 4 320.00 $320.00 $2,586 —
853–857 855 5 287.50–293.00 $290.79 $2,486 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,475 —
360 360 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,800 —
455–495 464 6 417.50–441.00 $436.33 $2,025 -6.17
505 505 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,982 -5.00
622 622 2 360.00 $360.00 $2,239 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,246 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1310 1173 80-85% 9 165.00–182.00 $176.48 $2,070 —
1340 1340 80-85% 1 185.00 $185.00 $2,479 —
1400 1400 80-85% 1 159.00 $159.00 $2,226 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–1445 1405 75-80% 2 185.00–190.00 $187.43 $2,633 —
1345–1585 1445 75-80% 7 164.00–179.00 $172.35 $2,490 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1260 1165 85-90% 3 161.00–177.00 $170.23 $1,983 —
1210 1210 85-90% 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,694 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440–1995 1718 2 210.00 $210.00 $3,608 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
990 990 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 990.00 $990.00 $9,801
1160–1245 1189 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 4 179.00–205.00 $192.99 $2,295

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1060–1065 1063 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 3,450.00–3,800.00 $3,625.41

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1070 1070 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 4,000.00 $4,000.00 —

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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.