Name: Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky livestock auction prices — 2026-05-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-05

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 class

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 29 of 31 comparable sales and sits +31.92 against this barn's trailing median of $461.54.

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

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	540	501.90	2,711	17thin
Medium and Large 2-3	530	350.00	1,855	1thin

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.

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 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 median31 sales

461.54

+31.92

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	—	Average	1,718	210.00	3,608	2thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,436	175.70	2,523	9thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,209	175.67	2,123	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,176	162.67	1,913	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 Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,063	$3,625	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,070	$4,000	1thin

Every lot, as filed

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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Bulls	—	—	1,718	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	3,608	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,400	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,226	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,405	187.43/cwt	185.00–190.00	2,633	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,210	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,694	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,165	170.23/cwt	161.00–177.00	1,983	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,173	176.48/cwt	165.00–182.00	2,070	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	650–700	660	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,112	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	710	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	2,716	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	855	290.79/cwt	287.50–293.00	2,486	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	487	541.63/cwt	532.50–555.00	2,638	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	150–200	195	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,073	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	200–250	225	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	1,283	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	425	482.50/cwt	482.50–482.50	2,051	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	350–400	378	496.47/cwt	492.50–505.00	1,877	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	400–450	417	510.09/cwt	495.00–527.50	2,127	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	250–300	275	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,485	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open	600–650	622	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,581	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,454	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	200–250	245	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,225	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	755	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,661	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	545	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,562	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	471	468.86/cwt	465.00–472.50	2,208	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	443	457.12/cwt	450.00–460.00	2,025	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	270	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,283	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	675	388.41/cwt	385.00–395.00	2,622	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	808	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,586	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	493	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	2,157	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	700–750	731	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,193	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	869	343.87/cwt	330.00–350.00	2,988	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	668	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,338	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	642	394.96/cwt	390.00–402.50	2,536	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	310	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,674	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	582	381.67/cwt	370.00–390.00	2,221	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	440	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	2,266	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	365	582.60/cwt	575.00–590.00	2,126	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	761	393.00/cwt	393.00–393.00	2,991	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	513	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,462	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	550–600	558	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,846	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	373	540.50/cwt	525.00–555.00	2,016	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	300–350	305	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,617	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	460	463.39/cwt	455.00–470.00	2,132	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	350–400	355	615.00/cwt	615.00–615.00	2,183	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	800–850	835	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	2,396	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,445	172.35/cwt	164.00–179.00	2,490	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,340	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,479	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	622	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,239	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	650	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,096	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	505	392.50/cwt	392.50–392.50	1,982	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,189	192.99/cwt	179.00–205.00	2,295	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,063	3,625.41/head	3,450.00–3,800.00	3,625	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,070	4,000.00/head	4,000.00–4,000.00	4,000	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	250–300	280	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,246	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	450–500	455	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,456	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	650–700	670	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,876	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	550–600	566	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,406	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	925	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	3,145	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	850–900	885	363.75/cwt	363.75–363.75	3,219	63
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	530	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,855	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	295	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,475	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	464	436.33/cwt	417.50–441.00	2,025	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	626	445.72/cwt	432.50–452.50	2,790	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	830	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,988	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	550	442.50/cwt	442.50–442.50	2,434	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	360	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,800	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	530	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	2,027	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	700	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	2,328	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	823	305.60/cwt	301.00–310.00	2,515	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	500–550	540	512.20/cwt	502.50–520.00	2,766	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,090	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	3,488	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	650–700	659	409.75/cwt	409.75–409.75	2,700	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	320	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	1,840	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	386	462.36/cwt	457.50–467.50	1,785	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	518	399.53/cwt	397.50–410.00	2,070	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	616	375.75/cwt	367.00–380.00	2,315	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	500–550	502	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,234	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	1050–1100	1,058	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	3,491	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	684	418.76/cwt	415.00–420.00	2,864	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	767	338.59/cwt	327.50–355.00	2,597	6

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 May 5, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 407Last week 684Year ago 1,125

Slaughter CattleReceipts 35Last week 46Year ago 66

Replacement CattleReceipts 4Last week 4Year ago 31

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,718	210.00	210.00
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,400	159.00	159.00
9	—	1,173	165.00–182.00	176.48
1	—	1,340	185.00	185.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,405	185.00–190.00	187.43
7	—	1,445	164.00–179.00	172.35
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,210	140.00	140.00
3	—	1,165	161.00–177.00	170.23

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
3	650–700	660	320.00	320.00
5	700–750	731	300.00	300.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	275	540.00	540.00
1	300–350	305	530.00	530.00
3	350–400	378	492.50–505.00	496.47
10	400–450	417	495.00–527.50	510.09
9	450–500	460	455.00–470.00	463.39
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Guaranteed Open$ per cwt · actual wt
5	600–650	622	415.00	415.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	245	500.00	500.00
1	250–300	270	475.00	475.00
4	350–400	386	457.50–467.50	462.36
7	400–450	443	450.00–460.00	457.12
3	450–500	493	437.50	437.50
6	500–550	518	397.50–410.00	399.53
6	550–600	582	370.00–390.00	381.67
3	600–650	616	367.00–380.00	375.75
3	650–700	668	350.00	350.00
6	750–800	767	327.50–355.00	338.59
2	800–850	823	301.00–310.00	305.60
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	800–850	835	287.00	287.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	530	382.50	382.50
1	650–700	650	322.50	322.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	455	320.00	320.00
2	650–700	670	280.00	280.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
2	500–550	502	445.00	445.00
5	550–600	566	425.00	425.00
73	650–700	659	409.75	409.75
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	150–200	195	550.00	550.00
1	200–250	225	570.00	570.00
1	300–350	310	540.00	540.00
2	350–400	373	525.00–555.00	540.50
2	400–450	425	482.50	482.50
4	450–500	471	465.00–472.50	468.86
1	500–550	545	470.00	470.00
1	550–600	595	412.50	412.50
5	600–650	642	390.00–402.50	394.96
3	650–700	675	385.00–395.00	388.41
1	700–750	710	382.50	382.50
1	750–800	755	352.50	352.50
4	800–850	808	320.00	320.00
5	850–900	855	287.50–293.00	290.79
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	295	500.00	500.00
1	350–400	360	500.00	500.00
6	450–500	464	417.50–441.00	436.33
1	500–550	505	392.50	392.50
2	600–650	622	360.00	360.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	280	445.00	445.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	355	615.00	615.00
13	450–500	487	532.50–555.00	541.63
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	300–350	320	575.00	575.00
2	350–400	365	575.00–590.00	582.60
2	400–450	440	515.00	515.00
3	500–550	513	480.00	480.00
1	550–600	550	442.50	442.50
6	600–650	626	432.50–452.50	445.72
4	650–700	684	415.00–420.00	418.76
3	750–800	761	393.00	393.00
1	800–850	830	360.00	360.00
5	850–900	869	330.00–350.00	343.87
1	900–950	925	340.00	340.00
2	1050–1100	1,090	320.00	320.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
9	500–550	540	502.50–520.00	512.20
4	550–600	558	510.00	510.00
63	850–900	885	363.75	363.75
56	1050–1100	1,058	330.00	330.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	530	350.00	350.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	700–750	700	332.50	332.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,189	179.00–205.00	192.99
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,063	3,450.00–3,800.00	3,625.41
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,070	4,000.00	4,000.00

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

Slaughter Cattle

Feeder Cattle

Replacement Cattle