Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) Market Report, Lexington, KY

Lexington, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 15, 2026

1,681 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $339.06/cwt +7.06 vs last sale · ≈ $2,818/hd at 831 lb · 258 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $362.46/cwt ≈ $2,660/hd at 734 lb · 160 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $342.79/cwt +49.07 vs last sale · ≈ $2,270/hd at 662 lb · 158 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,681 205 1,154
Feeder cattle 1,631 158 1,083
Slaughter cattle 47 43 69
Replacement cattle 3 4 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were sharply higher across all weight classes with a good supply and strong demand for quality cattle and weaned packages and groups. Yearling steers and heifers appeared sharply stronger as well with a good supply, but limited head to head comparisons. Slaughter cows and bulls were 1.00 to 3.00 lower with a moderate supply and moderate 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
325–345 fancy 333 3 490.00–510.00 $501.48 $1,670 —
360 fancy 360 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,764 —
370–395 383 2 442.50–460.00 $450.96 $1,727 —
410–430 415 4 410.00–430.00 $415.18 $1,723 -9.82
420–440 fancy 432 8 440.00–451.00 $448.26 $1,936 —
460–465 fancy 461 9 435.00–452.50 $450.54 $2,077 —
455–495 472 10 391.00–422.50 $409.85 $1,934 +32.25
500–510 503 3 377.50–400.00 $386.61 $1,945 +40.25
516 value added 516 11 412.50–432.50 $425.23 $2,194 +37.73
550–565 value added 565 102 400.00–434.50 $433.22 $2,448 —
550–578 572 12 360.00–380.00 $370.22 $2,118 +8.76
610–631 623 7 332.50–356.00 $346.97 $2,162 +14.54
636–648 value added 644 41 370.00–382.50 $380.33 $2,449 +29.33
656–681 value added 670 91 367.00–397.00 $393.90 $2,639 —
670–685 678 6 340.00–352.50 $347.97 $2,359 +27.97
702–745 727 20 327.00–351.00 $343.43 $2,497 —
732–738 value added 735 140 359.75–371.50 $365.18 $2,684 —
755–770 759 4 322.50–347.00 $340.78 $2,587 +16.78
800–840 821 21 315.00–329.00 $323.96 $2,660 -8.04
830–838 value added 832 237 335.75–342.75 $340.40 $2,832 —
862 value added 862 56 327.50 $327.50 $2,823 —
870 870 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,762 —
917–930 921 3 286.00–305.00 $292.39 $2,693 —
926–949 value added 938 121 323.25–325.00 $324.11 $3,040 —
968 value added 968 53 312.00 $312.00 $3,020 —
1024 value added 1024 18 296.50 $296.50 $3,036 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,580 —
405 405 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,458 —
450 450 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,631 —
540 540 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,850 —
630–645 638 2 302.50–325.00 $313.88 $2,003 —
720 720 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,232 —
765–770 768 5 310.00–313.00 $311.20 $2,390 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,054 —
585 585 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,843 —
765 765 2 281.00 $281.00 $2,150 —
812 812 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,989 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–235 223 2 450.00–490.00 $468.88 $1,046 —
275 275 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,320 —
280 fancy 280 2 510.00 $510.00 $1,428 —
327–342 fancy 337 6 495.00–497.50 $495.81 $1,671 —
342 342 2 450.00 $450.00 $1,539 +30.00
367–380 371 3 415.00–422.50 $419.94 $1,558 +24.94
370–378 fancy 375 5 437.50–445.00 $440.46 $1,652 +8.80
405–432 fancy 423 3 415.00–417.50 $415.80 $1,759 —
400–439 430 16 390.00–405.00 $393.84 $1,694 +19.22
450–480 461 13 355.00–380.00 $370.25 $1,707 +12.75
506–528 value added 525 21 370.00–375.00 $370.69 $1,946 —
522–545 533 8 342.50–360.00 $351.93 $1,876 +9.43
550–581 566 21 320.00–345.00 $336.75 $1,906 +16.15
603 value added 603 84 382.75 $382.75 $2,308 —
600–637 631 25 312.50–338.50 $334.84 $2,113 +25.58
661–663 value added 662 145 331.50–359.00 $345.56 $2,288 —
650–687 664 13 300.00–323.00 $311.92 $2,071 +18.20
700–742 730 4 300.00 $300.00 $2,190 +12.50
746 value added 746 68 344.75 $344.75 $2,572 —
752–768 754 22 307.00–310.00 $309.58 $2,334 +39.58
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,377 +35.00
450 450 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,552 —
505 505 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,616 +19.74
580 580 1 309.00 $309.00 $1,792 +11.50
607 607 2 305.00 $305.00 $1,851 —
655 655 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,900 —
725–735 730 5 257.50–275.00 $267.50 $1,953 —
825 825 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,145 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
266 266 3 290.00 $290.00 $771 —
325 325 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,040 —
455 455 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,399 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 fancy 245 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,470 —
290 fancy 290 1 595.00 $595.00 $1,726 —
305–330 fancy 318 2 490.00–640.00 $567.95 $1,806 —
352 352 5 492.50 $492.50 $1,734 +44.80
415 fancy 415 1 447.50 $447.50 $1,857 —
415–425 422 3 410.00–435.00 $424.96 $1,793 +9.96
450 fancy 450 2 440.00–450.00 $445.00 $2,002 -45.00
455–485 469 10 400.00–420.00 $416.45 $1,953 -0.28
500–545 522 8 350.00–370.00 $357.61 $1,867 +2.86
531–542 fancy 537 8 397.50–400.00 $399.37 $2,145 —
560–571 567 6 340.00–357.50 $350.43 $1,987 +10.43
550–592 fancy 577 8 367.50–387.50 $375.58 $2,167 —
600 fancy 600 2 375.00 $375.00 $2,250 —
615 615 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,999 +22.50
650–667 661 4 302.50–335.00 $321.96 $2,128 +6.96
720 720 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,322 —
795 795 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,067 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–440 426 4 352.50–390.00 $363.68 $1,549 -41.32
485 485 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,867 —
520 520 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,716 —
592 592 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,894 —
637 637 2 297.50 $297.50 $1,895 —
795 795 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,868 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,336 —
455–485 470 2 300.00–340.00 $319.36 $1,501 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1570 1570 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 3,150.00 $3,150.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980 980 85-90% 1 92.50 $92.50 $906 —
950–1350 1090 85-90% 13 125.00–144.00 $134.92 $1,471 —
1200 1200 85-90% 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,788 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1640 1470 75-80% 13 140.00–158.00 $149.78 $2,202 -7.90
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1630 1378 80-85% 4 145.00–149.00 $146.71 $2,022 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485–1875 1672 5 189.00–199.00 $195.20 $3,264 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
895 895 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,991
1425 1425 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 155.00 $155.00 $2,209

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
830 830 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
1000–1110 1055 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,600.00–2,650.00 $2,626.30

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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.