Sale reports / Kentucky / Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky / 2026-05-26

Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Lexington, Kentucky · Tue, May 26
● Final92 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2128
Feeder Cattle receipts
524 head
▼ 344 vs last sale 868▼ 869 vs year ago 1,393 · −62.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
61 head
▲ 5 vs last sale 56▼ 144 vs year ago 205 · −70.2%
Replacement Cattle receipts
1 head
▼ 22 vs last sale 23▼ 9 vs year ago 10 · −90.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

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.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $390.77/cwt on 49 head, down $19.25 from the prior sale. That ranks 18 of 34 comparable sales and sits +2.51 against this barn's trailing median of $388.26.
Average price
$390.77
▼ 19.25 vs prior sale
49 head · 550 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,150
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$694
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$138.87/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−18.98
vs KY average
−16.67 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2552405.872,24039
Medium and Large 2521375.151,9556thin
Medium and Large 2-3579267.001,5464thin
One grade step is worth $138.87/cwt here — about $694 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 sale49 hd
390.77
—
KY average18 barns · 751 hd
409.75
−18.98
National average128 barns · 4,974 hd
407.44
−16.67
This barn, trailing median34 sales
388.26
+2.51
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
463409355301median 388.2603/0305/0507/1409/0811/03
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $449.23, low $315.42, median $388.26 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—High1,563223.593,49512
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,232181.522,23715
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,446181.132,61913
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,068171.121,82710
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,555242.503,7711thin

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 Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,220$2,8501thin

Every lot

92 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 · Steers25 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 2-3210370.00/cwt370.00–370.007771
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1-2285505.00/cwt505.00–505.001,4391
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy377556.55/cwt540.00–560.002,0986
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2378490.00/cwt490.00–490.001,8521
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2417493.21/cwt485.00–500.002,0574
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2420450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,8901
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy421565.00/cwt565.00–565.002,3795
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Fancy458499.08/cwt497.50–515.002,28611
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2490487.50/cwt487.50–487.502,3891
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2523475.92/cwt460.00–482.502,48925
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added525490.06/cwt485.00–495.002,57311
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2530455.00/cwt455.00–455.002,4121
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2586441.76/cwt437.50–455.002,5894
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2605397.50/cwt397.50–397.502,4051
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2620414.49/cwt410.00–417.502,5705
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added631432.93/cwt430.00–437.502,7325
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Value Added661400.44/cwt400.00–407.502,64734
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2680391.08/cwt382.50–397.502,65913
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2700377.50/cwt377.50–377.502,6431
Steers700–750Medium and Large 2732320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,3422
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2Value Added735386.95/cwt385.00–390.002,84413
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2770350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,6951
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2803351.47/cwt337.50–357.502,8225
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2Value Added926348.85/cwt348.85–348.853,23058
Steers1050–1100Medium and Large 21,090200.00/cwt200.00–200.002,1801
Feeder Cattle · Heifers27 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2265485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,2851
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Fancy340530.00/cwt530.00–530.001,8021
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy370527.94/cwt510.00–535.001,9537
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2370435.10/cwt427.50–442.501,6102
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2397475.00/cwt475.00–475.001,8862
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2420456.59/cwt455.00–460.001,9183
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy434488.17/cwt487.50–492.502,1197
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Fancy450450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,0253
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2474419.76/cwt410.00–437.501,99022
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2483389.18/cwt385.00–392.501,8806
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2521375.15/cwt370.00–380.001,9556
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2523396.30/cwt395.00–397.502,0732
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added528418.77/cwt417.50–422.502,21115
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2560387.00/cwt387.00–387.002,1674
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added573400.37/cwt395.00–402.502,29418
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2-3579267.00/cwt262.50–280.001,5464
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2616367.47/cwt365.00–377.502,2645
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2621313.13/cwt300.00–320.001,9453
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open644399.48/cwt399.00–402.502,57338
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2658328.26/cwt322.50–340.002,1603
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2685297.50/cwt297.50–297.502,0381
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2725338.00/cwt338.00–338.002,4514
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2Value Added770349.90/cwt349.90–349.902,69465
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2800320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,5601
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1-2920302.50/cwt302.50–302.502,7831
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 2955240.00/cwt240.00–240.002,2921
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,020225.00/cwt225.00–225.002,2951
Feeder Cattle · Bulls27 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2278487.16/cwt475.00–500.001,3542
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2Fancy320562.62/cwt555.00–570.001,8002
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2328512.10/cwt505.00–520.001,6802
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2350450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,5751
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2368480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,7662
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy375520.00/cwt520.00–520.001,9501
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2415420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,7431
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2Fancy465500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,3251
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2473471.88/cwt467.50–477.502,2324
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2Fancy510475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,4232
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2513440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,2574
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2525380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,9951
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2Fancy561467.50/cwt467.50–467.502,6239
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2580429.99/cwt422.50–445.002,49411
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2-3583355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,0703
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2590390.00/cwt390.00–390.002,3013
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2Fancy606427.50/cwt427.50–427.502,5913
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2623393.57/cwt385.00–402.502,4522
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2633366.61/cwt365.00–370.002,3213
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2680349.93/cwt345.00–365.002,3804
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 2695325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,2591
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2742352.50/cwt352.50–352.502,6162
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 2-3775230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,7831
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1-2832274.90/cwt270.00–285.002,2873
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2955250.00/cwt250.00–250.002,3881
Bulls1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,025242.50/cwt242.50–242.502,4866
Bulls1100–1150Medium and Large 1-21,120252.50/cwt252.50–252.502,8281
Slaughter Cattle · Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Heifers—Select and Choice1,555242.50/cwt242.50–242.503,7711
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,035193.98/cwt189.00–198.002,0082
Bulls——1,575214.51/cwt214.00–215.003,3792
Bulls——1,692233.26/cwt221.00–248.003,9478
Slaughter Cattle · Cows6 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,034178.17/cwt171.00–185.001,8427
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,147154.68/cwt154.00–155.001,7743
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,225177.67/cwt173.00–182.002,17610
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,247189.21/cwt186.00–192.002,3595
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,419189.17/cwt188.00–191.002,6844
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,458177.55/cwt170.00–184.002,5899
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2202,850.00/head2,850.00–2,850.002,8501
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,103202.76/cwt191.00–215.002,2362
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,190261.00/cwt261.00–261.003,1061

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.