Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 5, 2021

1,501 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Blue Grass Stockyards report →

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $135.56/cwt +17.44 vs last sale · ≈ $835/hd at 616 lb · 254 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $137.54/cwt -7.97 vs last sale · ≈ $913/hd at 664 lb · 143 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $124.51/cwt +8.51 vs last sale · ≈ $1,085/hd at 872 lb · 122 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,501 901 514
Feeder cattle 1,403 701 469
Slaughter cattle 51 65 45
Replacement cattle 47 135 0

Compared to last week feeder steer and heifer calves sold steady with good demand for light weight cattle. Yearling steers and heifers 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Slaughter cows and bulls steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–390 380 17 163.00–188.00 $173.57 $660
405–435 413 22 168.00–181.00 $174.69 $721 +1.49
410–441 value added 434 13 186.00–188.00 $187.25 $813
490–495 492 17 150.00–165.00 $158.21 $778 -9.36
500–536 524 26 141.00–151.00 $145.13 $760 -13.26
510–545 value added 527 36 153.00–160.00 $157.71 $831 +1.14
584–590 value added 587 20 143.50–152.00 $148.20 $870 +9.20
590 590 3 136.00 $136.00 $802 -12.03
604–621 value added 607 37 137.50–147.00 $139.08 $844
660–681 value added 664 143 134.00–141.50 $137.54 $913 -9.24
701 value added 701 7 131.00 $131.00 $918
718–720 719 9 126.00–127.00 $126.56 $910 +4.56
763–797 value added 775 110 119.00–129.00 $125.26 $971 +4.26
830–837 833 11 108.00–115.00 $111.20 $926 -2.80
838 value added 838 59 127.10 $127.10 $1,065 +7.61
865 865 6 115.00 $115.00 $995 -1.00
860–884 value added 872 116 123.00–127.20 $125.00 $1,090
913 value added 913 17 116.25 $116.25 $1,061 -5.65
945 945 3 109.00 $109.00 $1,030 +9.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–395 381 29 132.00–150.00 $143.53 $547 +6.34
400–405 403 11 130.00–142.00 $135.97 $548 +4.37
405–435 value added 420 12 150.00–151.00 $150.26 $631 -1.01
465–495 484 52 134.00–143.00 $139.96 $677 +2.49
500–515 505 9 125.00–130.00 $126.70 $640 -3.75
515–522 value added 520 10 135.00–141.00 $136.78 $711 -3.83
550–590 559 25 121.00–129.00 $126.92 $709 +3.57
563–592 value added 576 19 130.00–136.00 $133.66 $770 +3.11
612–618 value added 616 241 135.00–136.60 $136.20 $839
610–626 617 13 120.00–128.00 $123.74 $763 +5.62
658 value added 658 75 134.25 $134.25 $883
660–695 677 15 105.00–120.00 $112.87 $764 -7.64
700–722 707 12 105.00–108.00 $107.26 $758
720–743 value added 732 35 120.00–128.00 $122.47 $896 -6.85
850–865 855 9 94.00–100.00 $96.02 $821
900 900 3 88.00 $88.00 $792

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–379 377 11 159.00–178.00 $167.69 $632 +7.69
466–480 471 16 140.00–166.00 $149.56 $704 -12.73
500–544 522 31 130.00–144.00 $134.74 $703 -14.11
555–560 558 12 128.00–135.00 $131.48 $734 +0.98
620–635 628 10 128.00–130.00 $128.99 $810 +5.81
652–670 664 17 120.00–131.00 $123.81 $822 -6.19
701–740 721 10 101.00–109.00 $105.11 $758 +4.91
750–767 759 11 106.00–116.00 $111.51 $846
805–814 809 18 96.00–103.00 $99.85 $808

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1435 1235 75-80% 14 56.00–59.00 $57.15 $706
1265–1560 1373 75-80% 6 61.00–65.00 $64.36 $884
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–860 830 85-90% 2 36.00 $36.00 $299
965–985 975 85-90% 6 45.00–46.00 $45.51 $444 +11.01
1015–1050 1029 85-90% 6 50.00–54.00 $52.32 $538
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1230 1083 80-85% 6 53.00–58.00 $54.47 $590
1060–1445 1247 80-85% 8 60.00–67.00 $63.16 $788 +9.67

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1750 1750 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,820
1715–2275 2051 8 90.00–96.00 $91.54 $1,877

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920–1345 1133 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 860.00–900.00 $876.25
1200–1345 1326 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 13 1,050.00–1,200.00 $1,100.87
1250–1580 1525 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,010.00–1,020.00 $1,011.37

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
955–1070 1013 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 1,400.00–1,500.00 $1,452.84
975–1130 1078 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 11 1,350.00–1,650.00 $1,491.32
1345–1370 1351 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 4 1,025.00–1,075.00 $1,037.67

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What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.