Blue Grass Stockyards market report — October 20, 2026

Lexington, KY · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

847

Last week 1,100 (−253)
Last year 1,053

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$366.78 /cwt

$2,084 per head · 10 hd
vs last week −14.09

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$345.31 /cwt

$2,544 per head · 7 hd
vs last week +20.30

Compared to last Tuesday the feeder market was spotty with an average quality of mostly yearling cattle. Feeder steers and heifers 300-650 lbs were unevenly steady bouncing from 3.00 higher to 3.00 lower with a moderate supply and good demand for quality cattle. Yearling steers 700-900 lbs were 2.00 to 6.00 higher, while the 900 lbs and over steers appeared lower with a good supply but with limited like kind comparisons. Slaughter cows were steady with a moderate supply and slaughter bulls were 2.00 to 3.00 lower with moderate demand.
USDA Market News reporter, October 20, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 20

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 13. Last year = sale of Oct 21. 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	1	380 lb	$510.00†	$1,938	±0.00	+60.00	—	—
400–499 lb	12	470 lb	$470.54	$2,212	+4.35	+37.23	—	—
500–599 lb	10	568 lb	$366.78	$2,084	−14.09	−8.53	$390.00 (6 hd)	—
600–699 lb	20	658 lb	$348.96	$2,294	−1.22	−26.55	$387.00 (2 hd)†	$322.50 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	7	737 lb	$345.31	$2,544	+20.30	−3.29	—	—
800–899 lb	23	851 lb	$325.30	$2,768	−4.31	—	$342.01 (159 hd)	—
900–999 lb	2	918 lb	$281.16†	$2,581	−19.84	−55.84	$319.41 (336 hd)	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 20

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 13. Last year = sale of Oct 21. 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	6	363 lb	$390.76	$1,418	−30.44	−0.23	—	$360.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	9	453 lb	$375.41	$1,701	−26.52	+4.10	—	$339.75 (3 hd)†
500–599 lb	19	542 lb	$324.32	$1,757	−12.98	−36.28	$373.54 (13 hd)	$302.33 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	10	677 lb	$315.34	$2,134	−3.52	−10.68	—	$288.75 (2 hd)†
700–799 lb	2	712 lb	$287.50†	$2,047	+11.90	−17.50	—	—
800–899 lb	1	810 lb	$281.00†	$2,276	—	+1.00	—	—
900–999 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	$197.50 (1 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	1	1,295 lb	$137.00	$137.00–$137.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	11	1,349 lb	$127.50	$120.00–$134.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	2	1,615 lb	$139.47	$139.00–$140.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	12	1,559 lb	$130.12	$120.00–$135.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	5	1,153 lb	$113.78	$107.00–$124.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	5	959 lb	$94.40	$87.00–$104.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $398.32/cwt
4-week average: $387.57
13-week average: $394.59
4-week vs 13-week: −1.8%

52-wk low $338.02high $482.37

Steers 700–799 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $332.34/cwt
4-week average: $328.80
13-week average: $339.05
4-week vs 13-week: −3.0%

52-wk low $310.92high $394.02

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $327.58/cwt
4-week average: $334.51
13-week average: $344.71
4-week vs 13-week: −3.0%

52-wk low $323.34high $425.66

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 May and Apr and lowest in Nov and Dec.

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	+0.1%	43%	7
Feb	+0.1%	43%	7
Mar	+3.0%	86%	7
Apr	+4.9%	100%	7
May	+5.6%	86%	7
Jun	+3.4%	100%	7
Jul	+2.1%	71%	7
Aug	+1.4%	71%	7
Sep	−0.4%	57%	7
Oct	−3.3%	14%	7
Nov	−5.7%	0%	7
Dec	−5.2%	0%	7

7-weight steers

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

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	−3.0%	14%	7
Feb	−2.5%	29%	7
Mar	−0.5%	43%	7
Apr	+0.3%	43%	7
May	+0.8%	57%	7
Jun	+3.8%	100%	7
Jul	+4.7%	100%	7
Aug	+4.3%	71%	7
Sep	+2.7%	71%	7
Oct	+0.4%	43%	7
Nov	−1.7%	43%	7
Dec	−3.3%	29%	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
Tue Oct 20	847	$366.78	$345.31	$324.32
Mon Oct 19	928	$405.33	$326.29	$328.96
Tue Oct 13	1,100	$380.87	$325.00	$337.30
Mon Oct 12	744	$391.05	$329.24†	$339.77
Tue Oct 6	897	$376.89	$334.78	$335.78
Mon Oct 5	837	$386.96	$314.76	$339.82
Tue Sep 29	1,018	$384.66	$332.45	$336.91
Mon Sep 28	920	$384.78	$328.21	$330.66
Tue Sep 22	1,165	$396.36	$333.88	$351.19
Mon Sep 21	1,118	$401.47	$339.22	$336.84
Tue Sep 15	1,681	$373.50	$342.99	$340.94
Mon Sep 14	942	$380.16	$332.10	$345.86
Tue Sep 8	205	$354.35	$324.00	$323.34
Tue Sep 1	465	$367.54	$333.85	$345.55
Mon Aug 31	440	$354.84	$307.00†	$321.52
Tue Aug 25	839	$398.22	$338.99	$342.25
Mon Aug 24	459	$395.24	—	$359.83
Tue Aug 18	928	$425.11	$346.54	$361.61
Mon Aug 17	275	$392.50†	$321.25†	$335.45
Tue Aug 11	1,436	$424.51	$369.23	$368.95
Mon Aug 10	927	$420.12	$364.18	$387.00
Tue Aug 4	630	$420.00	$355.80	$362.71
Mon Aug 3	366	$419.18	$352.50†	$381.00
Tue Jul 28	520	$422.48	$360.24	$360.99
Mon Jul 27	458	$432.86	$339.35	$364.46
Tue Jul 21	317	$430.40	$347.42	$385.54

Special and graded sales

The last 12 months of this barn's special and graded sales, $/cwt, Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 regular lots (value-added lots where a sale has only those). A sale counts in the weekly trend only when it is a regular feeder sale: a plain special where feeder steers and heifers are most of the head. Graded, replacement, cow-and-pair, preconditioned and Holstein sales stay out.
Sale	Type	Head	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799	Heifers 500–599	In trend
Sep 23, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	176	—	—	—	No
Sep 14, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	150	—	—	—	No
Aug 26, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	217	—	—	—	No
Jul 27, 2026	Special Graded Feeder Cattle Salegraded	1,009	$434.67	$340.00	$381.13	No
Jun 24, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	58	—	—	—	No
Jun 1, 2026	Special Graded Feeder Cattle Salegraded	809	$484.94	$388.71	$416.90	No
May 28, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	452	—	—	—	No
May 18, 2026	Special Graded Feeder Cattle Salegraded	300	$485.56	$363.89	$400.17	No
Apr 22, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	259	—	—	—	No
Mar 25, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	140	—	—	—	No
Feb 25, 2026	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	472	—	—	—	No
Dec 17, 2025	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	411	—	—	—	No
Dec 11, 2025	Special Graded Feeder Cattle Salegraded	556	$388.72	$325.50	$373.37	No
Dec 3, 2025	Special Graded Feeder Cattle Salegraded	1,466	$384.81	$326.19	$354.79	No
Nov 19, 2025	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	369	—	—	—	No
Oct 22, 2025	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	188	—	—	—	No
Sep 24, 2025	Replacement Livestock Salespecial	331	—	—	—	No

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	Sep 15	63	—	—	—	10

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
Paris Stockyards, Paris	18 mi	Oct 22	$397.97	$340.39
Blue Grass Stockyards, Richmond	23 mi	Oct 23	$400.23	$335.83†
Bluegrass Stockyard, Mount Sterling	31 mi	Oct 21	$387.92	$331.31
Blue Grass South Stockyards, Stanford	36 mi	Oct 22	$374.80	$335.01
United Producers, Inc., Owenton	39 mi	Oct 21	$369.14†	$321.00
Washington Co. Cattle Sale, Springfield	46 mi	Oct 20	$388.73	$335.77

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	847	49	AMS_2128
Monday	October 19, 2026	928	46	AMS_2127
Replacement Livestock Sale special	September 23, 2026	176	12	AMS_2129
Special Graded Feeder Cattle Sale graded	July 27, 2026	1,009	5	AMS_2130

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Blue Grass Stockyards (Tuesday) - Lexington, KY” (AMS_2128); “Blue Grass Stockyards (Monday) - Lexington, KY” (AMS_2127); “Blue Grass Stockyards Lexington - Replacement Livestock Sale - Lexington, KY” (AMS_2129); “Blue Grass Stockyards Lexington - Special Graded Feeder Cattle Sale - Lexington, KY” (AMS_2130). 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.