Sale reports / Kentucky / Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky / 2026-05-05

Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Lexington, Kentucky · Tue, May 5
● Final78 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2128
Feeder Cattle receipts
407 head
▼ 277 vs last sale 684▼ 718 vs year ago 1,125 · −63.8%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
35 head
▼ 11 vs last sale 46▼ 31 vs year ago 66 · −47.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
4 head
▲ 0 vs last sale 4▼ 27 vs year ago 31 · −87.1%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

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.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $493.46/cwt on 18 head, up $28.58 from the prior sale. That ranks 32 of 34 comparable sales and sits +46.44 against this barn's trailing median of $447.02.
Average price
$493.46
▲ 28.58 vs prior sale
18 head · 540 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,662
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$856
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$151.90/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+13.19
vs KY average
+5.91 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2540501.902,71117thin
Medium and Large 2-3530350.001,8551thin
One grade step is worth $151.90/cwt here — about $856 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale18 hd
493.46
—
KY average25 barns · 812 hd
480.27
+13.19
National average180 barns · 14,267 hd
487.55
+5.91
This barn, trailing median34 sales
447.02
+46.44
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

34 sales
515456398339median 447.0203/0304/2807/1409/0811/03
Steers 500–600 lb: high $500.70, low $353.17, median $447.02 across 34 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,718210.003,6082thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,436175.702,5239thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,209175.672,12311
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,176162.671,9134thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,063$3,6252thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,070$4,0001thin

Every lot

78 lots · USDA AMS · Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) - Lexington, KY
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers20 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2320575.00/cwt575.00–575.001,8402
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy355615.00/cwt615.00–615.002,1831
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2365582.60/cwt575.00–590.002,1262
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2440515.00/cwt515.00–515.002,2662
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Fancy487541.63/cwt532.50–555.002,63813
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2513480.00/cwt480.00–480.002,4623
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2-3530350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,8551
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added540512.20/cwt502.50–520.002,7669
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2550442.50/cwt442.50–442.502,4341
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added558510.00/cwt510.00–510.002,8464
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2626445.72/cwt432.50–452.502,7906
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2684418.76/cwt415.00–420.002,8644
Steers700–750Medium and Large 2700332.50/cwt332.50–332.502,3281
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2761393.00/cwt393.00–393.002,9913
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2830360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,9881
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2869343.87/cwt330.00–350.002,9885
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2Value Added885363.75/cwt363.75–363.753,21963
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2925340.00/cwt340.00–340.003,1451
Steers1050–1100Medium and Large 1-2Value Added1,058330.00/cwt330.00–330.003,49156
Steers1050–1100Medium and Large 1-21,090320.00/cwt320.00–320.003,4882
Feeder Cattle · Heifers27 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1-2245500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,2251
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2270475.00/cwt475.00–475.001,2831
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2Fancy275540.00/cwt540.00–540.001,4851
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Fancy305530.00/cwt530.00–530.001,6171
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy378496.47/cwt492.50–505.001,8773
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2386462.36/cwt457.50–467.501,7854
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy417510.09/cwt495.00–527.502,12710
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2443457.12/cwt450.00–460.002,0257
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3455320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,4561
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Fancy460463.39/cwt455.00–470.002,1329
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2493437.50/cwt437.50–437.502,1573
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added502445.00/cwt445.00–445.002,2342
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2518399.53/cwt397.50–410.002,0706
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2530382.50/cwt382.50–382.502,0271
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added566425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,4065
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2582381.67/cwt370.00–390.002,2216
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2616375.75/cwt367.00–380.002,3153
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open622415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,5815
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2650322.50/cwt322.50–322.502,0961
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Value Added659409.75/cwt409.75–409.752,70073
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy660320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,1123
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2668350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,3383
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2-3670280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,8762
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy731300.00/cwt300.00–300.002,1935
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2767338.59/cwt327.50–355.002,5976
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2823305.60/cwt301.00–310.002,5152
Heifers800–850Large 1-2835287.00/cwt287.00–287.002,3961
Feeder Cattle · Bulls20 lots · lightest first
Bulls150–200Medium and Large 1-2195550.00/cwt550.00–550.001,0731
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1-2225570.00/cwt570.00–570.001,2831
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 2-3280445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,2461
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 2295500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,4751
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2310540.00/cwt540.00–540.001,6741
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2360500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,8001
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2373540.50/cwt525.00–555.002,0162
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2425482.50/cwt482.50–482.502,0512
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2464436.33/cwt417.50–441.002,0256
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2471468.86/cwt465.00–472.502,2084
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2505392.50/cwt392.50–392.501,9821
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2545470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,5621
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2595412.50/cwt412.50–412.502,4541
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2622360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,2392
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2642394.96/cwt390.00–402.502,5365
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2675388.41/cwt385.00–395.002,6223
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2710382.50/cwt382.50–382.502,7161
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2755352.50/cwt352.50–352.502,6611
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1-2808320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,5864
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1-2855290.79/cwt287.50–293.002,4865
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls——1,718210.00/cwt210.00–210.003,6082
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,165170.23/cwt161.00–177.001,9833
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,173176.48/cwt165.00–182.002,0709
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,210140.00/cwt140.00–140.001,6941
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,340185.00/cwt185.00–185.002,4791
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,400159.00/cwt159.00–159.002,2261
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,405187.43/cwt185.00–190.002,6332
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,445172.35/cwt164.00–179.002,4907
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows1 lot · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,189192.99/cwt179.00–205.002,2954
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-21,0633,625.41/head3,450.00–3,800.003,6252
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,0704,000.00/head4,000.00–4,000.004,0001

This sale against other markets

Kentucky weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Kentucky auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.