Sale reports / Kentucky / Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky / 2026-07-28

Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Lexington, Kentucky · Tue, Jul 28
● Final57 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2128
Feeder Cattle receipts
481 head
▲ 193 vs last sale 288▲ 215 vs year ago 266 · +80.8%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
38 head
▲ 9 vs last sale 29▲ 9 vs year ago 29 · +31.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
1 head
▲ 1 vs last sale 0▲ 1 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mostly lower with an average quality offering. Light weight steers 350 lbs and under appeared sharply lower with a lite test, while the 400-700 lbs steers were steady to 3 lower in spots with a good supply and good demand for weaned and pre-conditioned calves. Feeder heifers 600 lbs and under were sharply lower across all weight classes with a good supply and moderate demand. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady to 2.00 higher with good supply and good demand.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $429.73/cwt on 31 head, down $30.83 from the prior sale. That ranks 15 of 34 comparable sales and sits −17.29 against this barn's trailing median of $447.02.
Average price
$429.73
▼ 30.83 vs prior sale
31 head · 561 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,410
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$198
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$23.48/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+9.21
vs KY average
+30.44 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2561430.482,41630
Medium and Large 2545407.002,2181thin
One grade step is worth $23.48/cwt here — about $198 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale31 hd
429.73
—
KY average26 barns · 490 hd
420.52
+9.21
National average142 barns · 3,877 hd
399.29
+30.44
This barn, trailing median34 sales
447.02
−17.29
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—Average1,518220.073,3413thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,537184.662,83915
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,271181.452,3065thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,093165.391,8089thin
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,148221.272,5402thin
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,132219.602,4863thin

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 Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)965$3,4001thin

Every lot

57 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 · Steers21 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2315487.42/cwt485.00–490.001,5352
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2350485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,6981
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2-3395380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,5011
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2430435.00/cwt435.00–435.001,8711
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2475453.82/cwt447.50–467.502,1563
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2517429.16/cwt420.00–442.502,2198
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2545407.00/cwt407.00–407.002,2181
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added566452.50/cwt452.50–452.502,5618
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2584418.66/cwt401.00–430.002,44514
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2636385.21/cwt375.00–395.002,45017
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2-3645287.50/cwt287.50–287.501,8541
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2657373.20/cwt360.00–400.002,45211
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy680320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,1761
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2712367.49/cwt342.50–370.002,61719
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2756354.25/cwt340.00–360.002,67823
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2895290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,5961
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2Value Added896328.25/cwt328.25–328.252,94155
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2Value Added904319.10/cwt319.10–319.102,88558
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2960287.50/cwt287.50–287.502,7601
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,020277.50/cwt277.50–277.502,8311
Steers1050–1100Medium and Large 1-21,060277.50/cwt277.50–277.502,9422
Feeder Cattle · Heifers21 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2300402.50/cwt402.50–402.501,2082
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2360335.00/cwt335.00–335.001,2061
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2392370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,4502
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2420332.50/cwt332.50–332.501,3971
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2516371.02/cwt364.00–382.501,9147
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2571330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,8843
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2573350.95/cwt340.00–365.002,0117
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added583380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,2155
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2633356.30/cwt345.00–370.002,25513
Heifers600–650Large 1637320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,0382
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2670315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,1111
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2Value Added701322.48/cwt321.75–332.502,26175
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2731307.86/cwt300.00–317.502,2508
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 2743274.22/cwt252.50–285.002,0373
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2Value Added800314.25/cwt314.25–314.252,51460
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2806304.52/cwt300.00–307.502,4545
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy865237.50/cwt237.50–237.502,0541
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 2880210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,8481
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2886270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,3923
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2960240.00/cwt240.00–240.002,3041
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,010220.00/cwt220.00–220.002,2221
Feeder Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3400240.00/cwt240.00–240.009601
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2795270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,1471
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 2855207.50/cwt207.50–207.501,7741
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1-2883237.48/cwt235.00–245.002,0974
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2990225.00/cwt225.00–225.002,2283
Slaughter Cattle · Steers1 lot · lightest first
Steers—Select and Choice1,132219.60/cwt210.00–230.002,4863
Slaughter Cattle · Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Heifers—Select and Choice1,148221.27/cwt212.50–230.002,5402
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls——1,518220.07/cwt212.00–226.003,3413
Slaughter Cattle · Cows6 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,062162.34/cwt158.00–167.001,7245
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,085178.59/cwt175.00–182.001,9383
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,271181.45/cwt176.00–188.002,3065
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,275141.00/cwt141.00–141.001,7981
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,520182.12/cwt176.00–186.002,76811
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,585191.65/cwt189.00–199.003,0384
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-29653,400.00/head3,400.00–3,400.003,4001

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.