Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, June 16, 2026

453 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $426.83/cwt +37.13 vs last sale · ≈ $2,575/hd at 603 lb · 90 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $348.97/cwt ≈ $2,639/hd at 756 lb · 70 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $334.17/cwt +9.79 vs last sale · ≈ $3,295/hd at 986 lb · 58 head
Lexington 6-weight heifers sold at $424/cwt, among the strongest in the state—$27/cwt above the KY average ($397)—and $3/cwt under Paris, KY ($427). What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 453 689 749
Feeder cattle 410 648 695
Slaughter cattle 40 38 52
Replacement cattle 3 3 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers 400-600 lbs were steady to 3.00 higher with a limited supply, while the yearling steers appeared sharply higher with strong demand for long weaned packages and groups. Feeder heifers 300-400 lbs were steady with a lite test, while the 500-600 lbs heifers were 4.00 to 8.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter cows were steady with a limited supply and slaughter bulls were 2.00 to 3.00 higher 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
370 370 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,758 -5.00
407–440 fancy 416 4 510.00–515.00 $512.45 $2,132 +3.45
440 440 1 485.00 $485.00 $2,134 +22.98
460 460 2 445.00 $445.00 $2,047 -4.31
495–497 fancy 496 4 487.50–500.00 $493.74 $2,449 —
505–507 value added 506 3 492.50–499.00 $496.84 $2,514 +18.84
505–523 519 5 462.50–472.50 $470.56 $2,442 +33.03
555–585 578 4 410.00–430.00 $425.19 $2,458 -22.31
581–582 value added 582 11 469.00–472.50 $471.23 $2,743 +2.23
610–641 value added 631 6 435.00–450.00 $445.16 $2,809 -2.89
630–640 633 3 387.00–405.00 $397.37 $2,515 -13.14
654 value added 654 7 442.50 $442.50 $2,894 +27.50
650–686 677 4 400.00–410.00 $407.60 $2,759 —
705 705 1 359.00 $359.00 $2,531 -1.64
775 775 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,712 +20.00
825 825 1 362.50 $362.50 $2,991 —
980–986 value added 986 58 332.50–334.20 $334.17 $3,295 +9.79
1142 1142 2 300.00 $300.00 $3,426 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,386 -40.00
385 385 3 432.50 $432.50 $1,665 —
400 400 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,660 —
485 485 1 407.50 $407.50 $1,976 —
885 885 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,788 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–1430 1388 2 240.00–242.50 $241.21 $3,348 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,767 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,352 —
310–330 320 2 490.00–515.00 $502.11 $1,607 +3.38
400–436 418 6 447.50–450.00 $448.80 $1,876 -1.20
455–465 460 2 410.00–420.00 $414.95 $1,909 -10.05
460 460 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,702 -55.00
505–535 value added 524 5 420.00–440.00 $433.02 $2,269 +14.91
510–545 531 4 370.00–400.00 $386.81 $2,054 +16.81
550–588 value added 569 26 427.00–431.00 $429.27 $2,443 +3.54
567–595 580 6 380.00–400.00 $388.36 $2,252 +1.09
602–605 value added 602 86 410.00–429.00 $428.78 $2,581 —
600–640 629 4 382.50–392.50 $384.89 $2,421 -4.81
660–680 668 3 330.00–340.00 $336.71 $2,249 -49.61
705–735 720 2 325.00–342.50 $333.57 $2,402 —
756 value added 756 67 350.00 $350.00 $2,646 —
752–785 763 3 325.00–327.50 $325.86 $2,486 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,386 —
405 405 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,681 +10.78
482 482 2 405.00 $405.00 $1,952 —
525 525 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,864 —
710 710 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,899 —
880 880 1 231.00 $231.00 $2,033 -16.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 381.00 $381.00 $1,886 +36.11

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 545.00 $545.00 $1,417 -40.00
365 365 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,807 +44.00
410–440 431 5 492.50–500.00 $496.46 $2,140 +46.46
455 thin fleshed 455 1 522.50 $522.50 $2,377 —
505–545 fancy 525 2 452.50–467.50 $460.29 $2,417 —
533 533 3 437.50 $437.50 $2,332 +7.31
560–595 572 3 395.00–422.50 $412.96 $2,362 —
641 641 3 365.00 $365.00 $2,340 +16.21
645 fancy 645 1 395.00 $395.00 $2,548 —
680–690 683 3 340.00–360.00 $346.73 $2,368 —
783 783 3 335.00 $335.00 $2,623 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,460 —
688 688 3 329.00 $329.00 $2,264 —
767 767 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,148 -2.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 400.00 $400.00 $900 —
455 455 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,547 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1500 1259 80-85% 9 161.00–182.00 $172.41 $2,171 -4.89
1510 1510 80-85% 1 185.00 $185.00 $2,794 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1920 1599 75-80% 9 166.00–180.00 $173.26 $2,770 —
1885 1885 75-80% 1 186.00 $186.00 $3,506 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1310 1110 85-90% 4 147.00–155.00 $151.51 $1,682 +6.51
995–1370 1240 85-90% 5 163.00–175.00 $168.18 $2,085 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–2420 1626 4 198.00–213.00 $203.98 $3,317 -23.02
1795–1990 1918 3 223.00–237.00 $229.09 $4,394 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
915 915 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,565

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910 910 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,325.00 $2,325.00
1850 1850 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,450.00 $3,450.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
955 955 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,050.00 $2,050.00

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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.