Blue Grass Stockyards market report — October 21, 2026

Albany, KY · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/22/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

675

Last week 904 (−229)
Last year 637

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$390.11 /cwt

$2,192 per head · 13 hd
vs last week +13.85

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$346.09 /cwt

$2,533 per head · 20 hd
vs last week —

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with some instances of sharply higher under 500lbs. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 lower. No trend on slaughter bulls due to low comparable receipts.
USDA Market News reporter, October 21, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 21

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	5	371 lb	$552.11	$2,048	+37.69	+89.61	—	$457.50 (2 hd)†
400–499 lb	9	460 lb	$427.79	$1,969	−13.60	+5.46	$510.00 (1 hd)†	$415.00 (4 hd)†
500–599 lb	13	562 lb	$390.11	$2,192	+13.85	−11.46	$420.74 (25 hd)	$372.99 (15 hd)
600–699 lb	38	664 lb	$352.80	$2,342	−16.11	−15.72	$379.24 (20 hd)	$337.50 (2 hd)†
700–799 lb	20	732 lb	$346.09	$2,533	—	−1.87	$362.00 (13 hd)	$307.50 (2 hd)†
800–899 lb	7	859 lb	$322.86	$2,774	—	−15.40	$343.00 (7 hd)	—
900–999 lb	2	957 lb	$307.50†	$2,943	—	—	—	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 21

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	8	357 lb	$422.20	$1,507	+13.89	+7.23	—	$397.49 (4 hd)†
400–499 lb	34	448 lb	$392.72	$1,758	+14.42	+15.30	—	$371.81 (8 hd)
500–599 lb	48	518 lb	$362.09	$1,875	−6.18	−7.20	$389.21 (7 hd)	$335.22 (16 hd)
600–699 lb	18	644 lb	$330.16	$2,125	+5.40	−0.80	$355.82 (9 hd)	$317.50 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	4	714 lb	$286.12†	$2,043	—	−25.33	$315.00 (13 hd)	—
800–899 lb	1	865 lb	$287.50†	$2,487	—	−2.59	—	—
900–999 lb	2	945 lb	$282.75†	$2,672	—	—	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 21

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	2	1,490 lb	$143.08	$140.00–$146.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	8	1,373 lb	$127.48	$119.00–$133.00
Lean 85-90%	High	2	1,235 lb	$133.00	$133.00–$133.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	11	1,207 lb	$119.84	$115.00–$126.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	11	1,206 lb	$105.49	$100.00–$111.00
Lean 85-90%	Very Low	7	931 lb	$84.74	$80.00–$95.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $390.11/cwt
4-week average: $383.70
13-week average: $389.23
4-week vs 13-week: −1.4%

52-wk low $346.72high $489.83

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $346.09/cwt
4-week average: $341.61
13-week average: $339.49
4-week vs 13-week: +0.6%

52-wk low $310.00high $397.50

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $362.09/cwt
4-week average: $357.31
13-week average: $352.93
4-week vs 13-week: +1.2%

52-wk low $319.21high $433.86

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2019

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Mar and May and lowest in Nov and Oct.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	−0.3%	57%	7
Feb	+1.8%	57%	7
Mar	+4.8%	100%	7
Apr	+4.3%	100%	7
May	+4.4%	86%	7
Jun	+2.5%	86%	7
Jul	+3.8%	86%	7
Aug	+2.4%	71%	7
Sep	−1.1%	29%	7
Oct	−4.8%	0%	7
Nov	−7.3%	0%	7
Dec	−4.1%	0%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Aug and Jul and lowest in Dec and Nov.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	−1.9%	29%	7
Feb	+0.1%	43%	7
Mar	−0.2%	43%	7
Apr	−0.6%	57%	7
May	+1.6%	57%	7
Jun	+2.5%	71%	7
Jul	+5.1%	100%	7
Aug	+5.6%	71%	7
Sep	+2.6%	71%	7
Oct	−0.8%	29%	7
Nov	−3.7%	14%	7
Dec	−5.2%	0%	7

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Wed Oct 21	675	$390.11	$346.09	$362.09
Wed Oct 14	904	$376.26	—	$368.27
Wed Oct 7	707	$375.66	$342.61	$346.33
Wed Sep 30	852	$392.74	$336.13	$352.55
Wed Sep 23	694	$398.38	$344.18	$349.98
Wed Sep 16	363	$375.80	$342.97	$341.46
Wed Sep 9	300	$362.22	$310.00†	$329.65
Wed Sep 2	223	$349.50	$330.27	$324.08
Wed Aug 26	408	$380.12	$319.70	$336.79
Wed Aug 19	257	$435.95	$344.07	$359.37
Wed Aug 12	638	$429.80	$353.92	$375.60
Wed Aug 5	504	$419.84	$368.99	$393.28
Wed Jul 29	440	$373.59	$335.00†	$348.67
Wed Jul 22	219	$405.43	$352.50†	$387.91

Video sales

Blue Grass Stockyards also sells cattle by video for delivery now or later. $/cwt, all delivery dates; the video page has prices by delivery month. Video sales are not in this page's weekly trend.
Video auction	Last sale	Head reported	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799	Heifers 500–599	Sales, 12 months
Bluegrass Stockyards Livestock Video Auction	Oct 21	343	—	—	—	51

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Kentucky sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Russell Co. Stockyard, Russell Springs	26 mi	Oct 21	$401.43	$342.88
Lake Cumberland Livestock, Somerset	40 mi	Oct 24	$363.43	$346.13†
Blue Grass Stockyards, Campbellsville	46 mi	Oct 24	$390.97†	—
Farmers Regional Livestock Market, Glasgow	48 mi	Oct 22	$395.88	$334.85
Blue Grass South Stockyards, Stanford	64 mi	Oct 22	$374.80	$335.01
Mid-Kentucky Livestock Market, Upton	68 mi	Oct 20	$370.00	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Wednesday	October 21, 2026	675	47	AMS_2189

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Blue Grass Stockyards - Albany, KY” (AMS_2189). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.