Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 26, 2026

586 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $349.90/cwt +17.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,694/hd at 770 lb · 65 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $348.85/cwt -5.57 vs last sale · ≈ $3,230/hd at 926 lb · 58 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $397.85/cwt -21.53 vs last sale · ≈ $2,651/hd at 666 lb · 47 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 586 947 1,608
Feeder cattle 524 868 1,393
Slaughter cattle 61 56 205
Replacement cattle 1 23 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was uneven with an average quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were steady to 4.00 lower or greater in spots with a moderate supply and good demand for weaned and pre-conditioned calves. Yearling steers appeared lower with a moderate supply but limited head to head comparisons. Slaughter cows were steady to 3.00 higher for leans and slaughter bulls were 6.00 to 8.00 higher with a moderate supply and strong 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
285 285 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,439 —
374–390 fancy 377 6 540.00–560.00 $556.55 $2,098 —
378 378 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,852 -5.00
405–422 417 4 485.00–500.00 $493.21 $2,057 -9.29
421 fancy 421 5 565.00 $565.00 $2,379 —
455–458 fancy 458 11 497.50–515.00 $499.08 $2,286 —
490 490 1 487.50 $487.50 $2,389 -3.14
505–533 523 25 460.00–482.50 $475.92 $2,489 +6.57
515–535 value added 525 11 485.00–495.00 $490.06 $2,573 -4.00
570–591 586 4 437.50–455.00 $441.76 $2,589 -11.52
618–622 620 5 410.00–417.50 $414.49 $2,570 -6.82
615–641 value added 631 5 430.00–437.50 $432.93 $2,732 -15.37
657–661 value added 661 34 400.00–407.50 $400.44 $2,647 -20.56
665–690 680 13 382.50–397.50 $391.08 $2,659 -6.47
700 700 1 377.50 $377.50 $2,642 +3.67
728–746 value added 735 13 385.00–390.00 $386.95 $2,844 -8.05
770 770 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,695 +7.50
800–810 803 5 337.50–357.50 $351.47 $2,822 +21.47
926 value added 926 58 348.85 $348.85 $3,230 -5.57
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,890 -30.00
530 530 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,412 +5.00
605 605 1 397.50 $397.50 $2,405 -5.00
732 732 2 320.00 $320.00 $2,342 —
1090 1090 1 200.00 $200.00 $2,180 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 370.00 $370.00 $777 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,285 -102.50
340 fancy 340 1 530.00 $530.00 $1,802 -2.03
350–385 fancy 370 7 510.00–535.00 $527.94 $1,953 -5.11
397 397 2 475.00 $475.00 $1,886 -17.50
400–430 420 3 455.00–460.00 $456.59 $1,918 -3.85
405–439 fancy 434 7 487.50–492.50 $488.17 $2,119 +3.17
450 fancy 450 3 450.00 $450.00 $2,025 —
460–487 474 22 410.00–437.50 $419.76 $1,990 -18.17
500–545 523 2 395.00–397.50 $396.30 $2,073 +4.20
502–548 value added 528 15 417.50–422.50 $418.77 $2,211 -7.16
560 560 4 387.00 $387.00 $2,167 +24.50
553–585 value added 573 18 395.00–402.50 $400.37 $2,294 -7.09
610–618 616 5 365.00–377.50 $367.47 $2,264 -30.64
632–649 644 38 399.00–402.50 $399.48 $2,573 +8.88
650–662 658 3 322.50–340.00 $328.26 $2,160 -11.74
725 725 4 338.00 $338.00 $2,450 -22.00
770 value added 770 65 349.90 $349.90 $2,694 —
800 800 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,560 +20.00
920 920 1 302.50 $302.50 $2,783 -26.50
1020 1020 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,295 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–375 370 2 427.50–442.50 $435.10 $1,610 +0.10
470–495 483 6 385.00–392.50 $389.18 $1,880 -11.18
506–545 521 6 370.00–380.00 $375.15 $1,955 +15.15
612–640 621 3 300.00–320.00 $313.13 $1,945 -29.37
685 685 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,038 -10.85
955 955 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,292 +20.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
573–595 579 4 262.50–280.00 $267.00 $1,546 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555 1555 1 242.50 $242.50 $3,771 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–285 278 2 475.00–500.00 $487.16 $1,354 —
315–325 fancy 320 2 555.00–570.00 $562.62 $1,800 —
310–345 328 2 505.00–520.00 $512.10 $1,680 -12.90
355–380 368 2 480.00 $480.00 $1,766 -5.00
375 fancy 375 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,950 —
465 fancy 465 1 500.00 $500.00 $2,325 ±0.00
465–480 473 4 467.50–477.50 $471.88 $2,232 +2.03
510 fancy 510 2 475.00 $475.00 $2,422 —
513 513 4 440.00 $440.00 $2,257 -19.41
561 fancy 561 9 467.50 $467.50 $2,623 +26.27
560–597 580 11 422.50–445.00 $429.99 $2,494 +16.25
606 fancy 606 3 427.50 $427.50 $2,591 —
610–635 623 2 385.00–402.50 $393.57 $2,452 -8.93
670–683 680 4 345.00–365.00 $349.93 $2,380 —
742 742 2 352.50 $352.50 $2,616 +12.50
815–840 832 3 270.00–285.00 $274.90 $2,287 -47.60
955 955 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,388 —
1025 1025 6 242.50 $242.50 $2,486 —
1120 1120 1 252.50 $252.50 $2,828 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,575 —
415 415 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,743 +25.00
525 525 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,995 —
580–595 590 3 390.00 $390.00 $2,301 —
610–645 633 3 365.00–370.00 $366.61 $2,321 —
695 695 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,259 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
583 583 3 355.00 $355.00 $2,070 —
775 775 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,782 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–1580 1225 80-85% 10 173.00–182.00 $177.67 $2,176 —
1175–1330 1247 80-85% 5 186.00–192.00 $189.21 $2,359 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1530 1419 75-80% 4 188.00–191.00 $189.17 $2,684 —
1080–1650 1458 75-80% 9 170.00–184.00 $177.55 $2,589 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–1105 1034 85-90% 7 171.00–185.00 $178.17 $1,842 +25.38
1095–1215 1147 85-90% 3 154.00–155.00 $154.68 $1,774 -13.90

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1145 1035 2 189.00–198.00 $193.98 $2,008 —
1555–1595 1575 2 214.00–215.00 $214.51 $3,379 —
1085–2200 1692 8 221.00–248.00 $233.26 $3,947 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1080–1125 1103 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 191.00–215.00 $202.76 $2,236
1190 1190 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 261.00 $261.00 $3,106

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1220 1220 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00

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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.