Blue Grass Stockyards market report — October 23, 2026

Richmond, KY · Friday sale · USDA report published 10/23/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

701

Last week 610 (+91)
Last year 697

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$400.23 /cwt

$2,204 per head · 10 hd
vs last week +2.07

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$335.83† /cwt

$2,439 per head · 3 hd
vs last week +3.33

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Yearling steers and heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady.
USDA Market News reporter, October 23, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 23

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 24. 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
400–499 lb	4	431 lb	$457.50†	$1,973	−0.41	−20.59	—	—
500–599 lb	10	551 lb	$400.23	$2,204	+2.07	−13.06	$440.00 (4 hd)†	$360.83 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	7	636 lb	$352.17	$2,239	+6.20	−1.56	$380.00 (7 hd)	$310.00 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	3	726 lb	$335.83†	$2,439	+3.33	+5.83	$370.00 (68 hd)	$315.00 (1 hd)†
800–899 lb	3	855 lb	$332.00†	$2,839	+14.25	+9.50	$349.00 (63 hd)	—
900–999 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$330.00 (56 hd)	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 23

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 24. 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	3	325 lb	$439.53†	$1,428	+41.82	+62.78	—	$396.67 (3 hd)†
400–499 lb	12	449 lb	$362.08	$1,626	−12.97	−1.67	—	$340.00 (2 hd)†
500–599 lb	19	545 lb	$322.77	$1,759	−12.29	−6.26	—	$304.93 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	$270.00 (3 hd)†
700–799 lb	2	730 lb	$270.00†	$1,971	−40.01	−9.36	—	—
800–899 lb	6	847 lb	$301.68	$2,555	—	+77.88	$324.50 (56 hd)	—
900–999 lb	4	967 lb	$263.77†	$2,551	—	—	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 23

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	4	1,335 lb	$131.26	$128.00–$137.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	4	1,349 lb	$121.20	$115.00–$125.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	2	1,420 lb	$109.03	$106.00–$112.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	2	1,475 lb	$132.11	$129.00–$135.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	3	1,628 lb	$121.32	$115.00–$125.00
Breaker 75-80%	Low	3	1,400 lb	$109.05	$106.00–$112.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	4	1,039 lb	$109.06	$107.00–$111.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	6	1,132 lb	$96.16	$92.00–$99.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $400.23/cwt
4-week average: $391.45
13-week average: $381.39
4-week vs 13-week: +2.6%

52-wk low $324.17high $506.01

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $335.83/cwt
4-week average: $332.09
13-week average: $334.85
4-week vs 13-week: −0.8%

52-wk low $288.23high $390.00

Sales in 11 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $322.77/cwt
4-week average: $331.99
13-week average: $342.57
4-week vs 13-week: −3.1%

52-wk low $280.57high $440.25

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	−1.7%	43%	7
Feb	+3.2%	86%	7
Mar	+5.3%	100%	7
Apr	+6.4%	100%	7
May	+6.7%	86%	7
Jun	+4.0%	71%	7
Jul	+2.5%	57%	7
Aug	+0.9%	57%	7
Sep	−2.4%	14%	7
Oct	−4.8%	14%	7
Nov	−9.3%	0%	7
Dec	−4.8%	14%	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 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	−3.2%	14%	7
Feb	−0.2%	57%	7
Mar	−0.7%	43%	7
Apr	+2.9%	86%	7
May	+1.2%	57%	7
Jun	+3.8%	86%	7
Jul	+4.9%	86%	7
Aug	+5.0%	71%	7
Sep	+2.3%	71%	7
Oct	−1.1%	29%	7
Nov	−2.8%	29%	7
Dec	−6.5%	14%	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
Fri Oct 23	701	$400.23	$335.83†	$322.77
Fri Oct 16	610	$398.16	$332.50†	$335.06
Fri Oct 9	707	$387.50†	$343.75†	$330.09
Fri Oct 2	410	$379.93	$316.28†	$340.05
Fri Sep 25	608	$367.00	$342.50†	$332.54
Fri Sep 18	764	$345.00†	$327.50†	$350.00†
Fri Sep 11	445	$345.00†	—	$337.02
Fri Sep 4	73	$364.28	$317.50†	$340.00†
Fri Aug 28	612	$346.25†	$326.79†	$324.20
Fri Aug 21	1,181	$356.67†	$350.00†	$336.78
Fri Aug 14	241	$420.00	$329.17†	$382.62
Fri Aug 7	412	$435.00†	—	$360.17
Fri Jul 31	360	$413.00	$361.54	$362.10
Fri Jul 24	566	—	—	$358.00

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
Blue Grass Stockyards, Lexington	23 mi	Oct 20	$366.78	$345.31
Blue Grass South Stockyards, Stanford	25 mi	Oct 22	$374.80	$335.01
Bluegrass Stockyard, Mount Sterling	29 mi	Oct 21	$387.92	$331.31
Paris Stockyards, Paris	32 mi	Oct 22	$397.97	$340.39
Lake Cumberland Livestock, Somerset	49 mi	Oct 24	$363.43	$346.13†
Washington Co. Cattle Sale, Springfield	51 mi	Oct 20	$388.73	$335.77

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Friday	October 23, 2026	701	46	AMS_2210

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Blue Grass Stockyards - Richmond, KY” (AMS_2210). 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.