The Morning Wire / Kentucky / Tue Aug 4, 2026

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Kentucky cattle market

The trading day in one page — Tue, Aug 4
● 7 barns reportedEvery figure as filed
← Aug 3Aug 4Aug 5 →

The market in a line

Tue, Aug 4
Choice cutout closed $2.92 higher at $369.65. 7 Kentucky barns reported 441 priced lots.

Feeder steers

Kentucky, week of Aug 3 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.
WeightPricevs prior weekHeadBarns
300-399 lb509.14/cwt$11.91 higher11318
400-499 lb462.07/cwt$12.30 higher23719
500-599 lb424.27/cwt$13.11 higher56320
600-699 lb399.36/cwt$5.02 lower87520
700-799 lb364.62/cwt$5.79 higher75520
800-899 lb349.78/cwt$17.77 higher1,06513

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, Aug 4, weighted by head. Spread of $13.50 between the top and bottom of 2 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.
BarnStateAverageHead
Springfield Livestock Auction - KentuckyKY421.14/cwt35
Flemingsburg Livestock AuctionKY407.64/cwt25

Boxed beef

National · PM close · Aug 4 USDA
Choice $369.65, $2.92 higher. Select $346.50, $2.05 higher. The Choice–Select spread stands at $23.15. 120 loads traded.

Fed cattle

National · Negotiated cash, week to date USDA
9,171 head traded Jul 28–Aug 3.
RegionBasisPriceHead
Iowa-MinnesotaDressed Delivered364.80354
Iowa-MinnesotaDressed FOB365.0070
Iowa-MinnesotaLive Delivered235.811,432
Iowa-MinnesotaLive FOB233.484,067
KansasLive FOB232.831,476
NebraskaDressed Delivered364.511,620

At the Kentucky barns

USDA market reporters, as filed USDA

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was stronger in spots with a good quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 400-600 lbs were mostly steady with a lite test, while the yearling steers and heifers were 3.00 to 8.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and good demand.

Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky · Kentucky

Compared to last Tuesday feeder steers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 6.00 to 8.00 higher. There was good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher. There was good demand for slaughter classes.

Springfield Livestock Auction - Kentucky · Kentucky

Compared to last Tuesday: Feeder steers sold 2.00-4.00 higher on a very limited number of comparisons. Feeder heifers traded 5.00-7.00 higher. All classes of feeder calves saw much stronger demand today. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady to 2.00 lower.

Upton Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Compared to last Tuesday: Feeder steers and heifers sharply higher, Good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows and bulls 2.00-4.00 higher, Good demand for slaughter classes.

Ledbetter Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Compared to last Tuesday: Feeder steers 10.00-12.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sharply higher, over 600 lbs steady, Good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows 8.00-12.00 higher, Limited test on slaughter bulls, Good demand for slaughter classes.

Flemingsburg Livestock Auction · Kentucky

Cows and bulls

National direct, dressed USDA
ClassPriceDirectionHead
Breaker (75% lean)316.11/cwt$0.01 lower596
Boner (85% lean)336.94/cwt$1.92 higher1,488
Cutter (90% lean)338.27/cwt$3.60 higher2,308
Premium White328.24/cwt$0.37 higher1,518
Bull (92% lean)375.96/cwt$0.16 higher299

What 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.