Name: Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky livestock auction prices — 2026-08-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Tuesday: No trend on feeder calves due to low comparable receipts. Yearling steers and heifers sold 6.00 to 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 5.00 to 8.00 lower.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $422.60/cwt on 11 head, up $11.38 from the prior sale (only 14 head in that comparison). That ranks 4 of 31 comparable sales and sits −38.94 against this barn's trailing median of $461.54.

Average price

$422.60

▲ 11.38 vs prior sale

11 head · 559 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,363

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$326

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2

$27.61/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.54

vs KY average

+34.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	563	425.11	2,393	10thin
Medium and Large 2	520	397.50	2,067	1thin

One grade step is worth $27.61/cwt here — about $326 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 800–900 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

31 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $500.70, low $384.59, median $461.54 across 31 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale11 hd

422.60

—

KY average24 barns · 561 hd

423.14

−0.54

National average109 barns · 4,104 hd

388.41

+34.19

This barn, trailing median31 sales

461.54

−38.94

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Low	1,562	200.43	3,130	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,241	166.12	2,062	4thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,516	163.31	2,476	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,126	139.03	1,566	4thin

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,165	$3,200	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	945	$2,450	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,205	$2,400	1thin

Every lot, as filed

59 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1-2	—	945	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	1
Steers	Large 1-2	800–850	830	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,366	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	650–700	650	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,820	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	450–500	462	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,478	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Large 2-3	—	1,205	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,115	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,171	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	825	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	2,648	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	697	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,161	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,165	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,785	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	800–850	803	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,851	124
Heifers	Medium 1-2	500–550	505	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,263	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	545	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,908	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	205	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	841	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	378	420.03/cwt	415.00–425.00	1,588	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	600	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,860	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	518	341.29/cwt	340.00–342.50	1,768	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	385	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,694	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	650–700	691	346.47/cwt	342.50–348.00	2,394	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	580	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,624	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	250–300	265	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	954	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	2,067	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	780	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	2,512	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	790	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,995	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	300	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,260	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	528	306.16/cwt	300.00–312.50	1,617	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	380	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,311	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	600–650	615	383.00/cwt	383.00–383.00	2,355	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	900–950	909	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,818	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	445	447.00/cwt	447.00–447.00	1,989	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	950–1000	963	312.34/cwt	309.75–314.25	3,008	284
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	486	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	2,078	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,488	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	477	454.92/cwt	447.50–462.50	2,170	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	750–800	763	319.86/cwt	307.50–329.25	2,441	124
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	779	342.54/cwt	330.00–344.00	2,668	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	509	361.61/cwt	355.00–365.00	1,841	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	850–900	897	329.50/cwt	329.50–329.50	2,956	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	680	371.17/cwt	367.50–375.00	2,524	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	515	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,266	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	797	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	2,335	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	650–700	685	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,706	22
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	513	391.41/cwt	380.00–402.50	2,008	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	634	398.38/cwt	397.00–410.00	2,526	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	2,178	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	575	421.39/cwt	418.00–422.50	2,423	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	705	361.21/cwt	347.50–365.00	2,547	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	893	318.00/cwt	318.00–318.00	2,840	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	468	387.54/cwt	385.00–390.00	1,814	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	706	312.72/cwt	307.50–321.00	2,208	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	615	335.88/cwt	322.50–340.00	2,066	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	865	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	2,534	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	330	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,485	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,516	163.31/cwt	157.00–167.00	2,476	7
Bulls	—	—	1,275	191.50/cwt	191.00–192.00	2,442	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	910	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,483	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,240	144.06/cwt	143.00–145.00	1,786	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,241	166.12/cwt	163.00–168.00	2,062	4
Bulls	—	—	1,753	206.39/cwt	202.00–211.00	3,618	3

How this sale compares

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.

Kentucky feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) - Lexington, KY

Tue Aug 18, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Frankfort, KY (LS-LG)

Feeder CattleReceipts 897Last week 1,396Year ago 716

Slaughter CattleReceipts 22Last week 38Year ago 30

Replacement CattleReceipts 9Last week 2Year ago 4

Compared to last Tuesday: No trend on feeder calves due to low comparable receipts. Yearling steers and heifers sold 6.00 to 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 5.00 to 8.00 lower.

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	945	2,450.00	2,450.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Large 2-3$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,205	2,400.00	2,400.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,165	3,200.00	3,200.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	800–850	830	285.00	285.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	445	447.00	447.00
4	450–500	477	447.50–462.50	454.92
2	500–550	515	440.00	440.00
8	550–600	575	418.00–422.50	421.39
9	600–650	634	397.00–410.00	398.38
2	650–700	680	367.50–375.00	371.17
6	700–750	705	347.50–365.00	361.21
22	750–800	779	330.00–344.00	342.54
3	800–850	825	321.00	321.00
22	850–900	893	318.00	318.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
22	650–700	685	395.00	395.00
124	800–850	803	355.00	355.00
56	850–900	897	329.50	329.50
15	900–950	909	310.00	310.00
284	950–1000	963	309.75–314.25	312.34
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	450–500	486	427.50	427.50
1	500–550	520	397.50	397.50
1	750–800	780	322.00	322.00
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	462	320.00	320.00
1	650–700	650	280.00	280.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	468	385.00–390.00	387.54
6	500–550	509	355.00–365.00	361.61
20	600–650	615	322.50–340.00	335.88
2	650–700	697	310.00	310.00
4	700–750	706	307.50–321.00	312.72
2	750–800	797	293.00	293.00
1	850–900	865	293.00	293.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	505	250.00	250.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	205	410.00	410.00
1	350–400	380	345.00	345.00
1	400–450	425	350.00	350.00
2	500–550	518	340.00–342.50	341.29
1	600–650	600	310.00	310.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
83	600–650	615	383.00	383.00
25	650–700	691	342.50–348.00	346.47
124	750–800	763	307.50–329.25	319.86
Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	265	360.00	360.00
2	500–550	528	300.00–312.50	306.16
1	550–600	580	280.00	280.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	330	450.00	450.00
2	350–400	385	440.00	440.00
1	400–450	420	425.00	425.00
2	500–550	513	380.00–402.50	391.41
1	650–700	665	327.50	327.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	300	420.00	420.00
2	350–400	378	415.00–425.00	420.03
1	500–550	545	350.00	350.00
1	750–800	790	252.50	252.50

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,115	105.00	105.00
1	—	910	163.00	163.00
2	—	1,240	143.00–145.00	144.06
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,516	157.00–167.00	163.31
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,241	163.00–168.00	166.12
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,275	191.00–192.00	191.50
3	—	1,753	202.00–211.00	206.39

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky

Reporter comment USDA

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

What quality paid 500–600 lb

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

How it compared 500–600 lb

Slaughter cattle

Replacement cattle Per head

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) - Lexington, KY

Replacement Cattle

Feeder Cattle

Slaughter Cattle