The Morning Wire / Kentucky / Tue Nov 3, 2026

Kentucky cattle market

The trading day in one page — Tue, Nov 3

● 7 barns reportedEvery figure as filedNational wire →

← Nov 2Nov 3latest

Summary

Tue, Nov 3

Choice cutout held near $365.23. 7 Kentucky barns reported 509 priced lots.

Feeder steers

Kentucky, week of Nov 2 USDA

Weighted across every reported lot, by weight class. Weekly rather than daily — one day's barns are too thin a base for a state figure. Watch the barn count: a weight class carried by one or two barns is a thin figure, not a market.

Weight	Price	vs prior week	Head	Barns
300-399 lb	440.01/cwt	$68.23 lower	22	4
400-499 lb	412.69/cwt	$26.95 lower	58	6
500-599 lb	357.45/cwt	$35.81 lower	95	6
600-699 lb	345.34/cwt	$24.89 lower	109	6
700-799 lb	320.33/cwt	$25.18 lower	49	5
800-899 lb	317.87/cwt	$17.58 lower	63	4

Barn by barn, 500–599 lb steers

Same day, same class USDA

Every barn that sold at least 20 head of this class on Tue, Nov 3, weighted by head. Spread of $49.45 between the top and bottom of 4 barns. An average moves with the cattle that showed up as much as with the buyers in the seats — a yard with better grade will average higher on the same demand. This is where the money landed, not a verdict on the barn.

Barn	State	Average	Head
Springfield Livestock Auction - Kentucky	KY	415.98/cwt	65
Flemingsburg Livestock Auction	KY	390.06/cwt	42
Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky	KY	383.35/cwt	59
Upton Livestock Auction	KY	366.53/cwt	52

Boxed beef

National · PM close · Nov 3 USDA

Choice $365.23, $0.19 higher. Select $358.37, $3.43 higher. The Choice–Select spread stands at $6.86. 140 loads traded.

Fed cattle

National · Negotiated cash, week to date USDA

23,467 head traded Oct 28–Nov 3.

Region	Basis	Price	Head
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed Delivered	353.75	2,483
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed FOB	355.00	256
Iowa-Minnesota	Live Delivered	224.25	42
Iowa-Minnesota	Live FOB	222.60	8,032
Nebraska	Dressed Delivered	347.40	8,107
Nebraska	Dressed FOB	352.57	1,130

At the Kentucky barns

USDA market reporters, as filed USDA

Compared to last Tuesday: Feeder and yearling steers and heifers steady to 5.00 higher, Moderate to good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 1.00-3.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 2.00-4.00 lower, Moderate demand for slaughter classes.
Flemingsburg Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold unevenly steady except for 600 lb steers which sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 lower. There was moderate to good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower.
Springfield Livestock Auction - Kentucky · Kentucky

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was mixed with an average quality offering. Feeder steers 500-650 lbs were mostly steady to 2.00 higher with a moderate supply and good demand for quality cattle.
Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky · Kentucky

Compared to last week: Feeders steers sold steady to 7.00 lower. Feeder heifers 500 lbs and under sold unevenly steady. Feeder heifers over 600 lbs sold 4.00 to 8.00 lower. Plain quality feeders sold 10.00 lower in instances Slaughter cows sold 5.00 to 7.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady.
Upton Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Compared to last week feeder steers sold steady to 3.00 lower. Feeder heifers sold sold 2.00 to 6.00 lower. Moderate demand for feeder classes. Slaughter classes sold steady with good demand.
Ledbetter Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Cows and bulls

National direct, dressed USDA

Class	Price	Direction	Head
Breaker (75% lean)	239.17/cwt	$7.89 lower	653
Boner (85% lean)	248.01/cwt	$1.80 higher	1,790
Cutter (90% lean)	252.65/cwt	$1.88 higher	3,789
Premium White	258.01/cwt	$7.25 lower	801
Bull (92% lean)	303.38/cwt	$0.79 lower	441

Reports published

See every report →

Every USDA report carried this date is listed in the archive.

Source: USDA AMS. Feeder prices and barn comment are Kentucky only; boxed beef, fed cattle and the cow market are national, because those markets are. Every figure is USDA's as filed, and the direction words — higher, lower, steady— follow the arithmetic rather than an opinion. Quoted comment is the work of USDA market reporters, credited to the sale it came from. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of USDA data, not a copy of USDA's document and not endorsed by USDA.