Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 3, 2021

2,042 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $157.31/cwt -2.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,283/hd at 816 lb · 276 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $161.13/cwt ≈ $1,270/hd at 788 lb · 257 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $153.88/cwt ≈ $1,489/hd at 968 lb · 170 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,042 1,217 1,441
Feeder cattle 1,896 1,146 1,351
Slaughter cattle 127 61 75
Replacement cattle 19 10 15

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 327 3 145.00–157.50 $151.51 $495 —
365–395 383 6 142.50–162.00 $156.75 $600 +2.41
415–420 fancy 418 3 175.00–180.00 $178.35 $746 —
415–438 424 11 152.00–171.00 $167.19 $709 +18.93
455–495 483 27 142.50–158.00 $150.81 $728 -1.19
525 fancy 525 1 164.00 $164.00 $861 —
515–545 535 10 140.00–156.00 $146.21 $782 -3.03
556–592 571 39 140.00–158.00 $151.31 $864 +6.45
600–645 628 11 138.00–150.00 $144.33 $906 +6.11
651–685 673 18 132.50–150.50 $141.15 $950 +5.53
702–745 728 11 131.00–150.50 $142.10 $1,034 +17.62
745 value added 745 40 156.75 $156.75 $1,168 +18.75
765–795 773 7 132.00–149.00 $141.64 $1,095 —
782 fancy 782 15 157.50 $157.50 $1,232 —
776–799 value added 789 235 158.70–164.00 $161.94 $1,278 —
805–819 value added 815 264 155.90–162.95 $158.48 $1,292 -1.47
800–848 831 12 129.50–139.00 $131.55 $1,093 —
855–881 value added 867 119 156.00–158.30 $157.10 $1,362 +1.61
880–890 885 2 125.00–127.00 $126.01 $1,115 —
905–925 916 4 122.00–124.00 $123.51 $1,131 +21.51
927–934 value added 931 111 157.50–158.10 $157.80 $1,469 +10.05
933 fancy 933 7 146.00 $146.00 $1,362 —
962–970 963 9 125.00–134.50 $133.44 $1,285 —
960–972 value added 968 161 154.00–156.90 $155.02 $1,501 —
1023 1023 3 131.00 $131.00 $1,340 —
1050 value added 1050 49 143.00 $143.00 $1,502 -1.80
1065–1069 1069 8 120.00–124.50 $123.94 $1,325 —
1153–1185 1166 5 112.00–114.00 $113.19 $1,320 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–225 222 3 117.50–120.00 $119.15 $265 —
290 290 1 137.50 $137.50 $399 —
330 330 1 130.00 $130.00 $429 —
415 415 1 145.00 $145.00 $602 —
462 462 2 130.00 $130.00 $601 —
565–570 568 2 130.00–138.00 $133.98 $761 —
610–645 630 4 120.00–131.00 $127.69 $804 —
667–678 675 7 129.00 $129.00 $871 —
845 845 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,014 —
915 915 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,098 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 130.00 $130.00 $604 —
520–545 533 2 139.00–150.00 $144.37 $769 —
552 552 2 131.00 $131.00 $723 —
606 606 3 136.00 $136.00 $824 —
745 745 3 140.00 $140.00 $1,043 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1360 1350 2 103.00–117.00 $110.05 $1,486 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–235 227 3 120.00–127.50 $123.40 $280 —
281–291 287 7 127.50–132.50 $130.40 $374 -4.60
290 fancy 290 1 140.00 $140.00 $406 —
305–315 308 4 127.50–140.00 $133.18 $410 +6.18
350–395 384 7 130.00–136.00 $133.18 $511 +9.28
405–448 432 21 125.00–140.00 $134.52 $581 +8.51
450–492 474 32 120.00–138.00 $133.63 $633 +9.87
506–543 522 21 120.00–133.00 $127.69 $667 +10.29
552–587 570 17 116.00–129.00 $124.72 $711 +7.82
615–645 631 16 113.00–125.00 $118.75 $749 +6.17
650–690 672 24 112.00–130.00 $123.64 $831 +4.38
711–745 720 4 109.00–110.00 $109.26 $787 -3.74
750–795 768 10 106.00–117.00 $114.58 $880 +1.96
838–840 839 2 101.00–103.00 $102.00 $856 —
862 862 5 116.00 $116.00 $1,000 —
893 893 9 126.50 $126.50 $1,130 —
935 935 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,122 —
1040 value added 1040 32 132.25 $132.25 $1,375 —
1125 1125 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,102 —
1170 1170 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,123 —
1205 1205 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,217 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 110.00 $110.00 $358 —
355–365 362 3 120.00–122.50 $120.82 $437 —
415–445 432 6 114.00–120.00 $118.30 $511 —
455–467 460 6 105.00–119.00 $113.70 $523 —
500–545 520 7 110.00–119.00 $115.23 $599 —
560–598 580 14 105.00–116.00 $111.75 $648 —
615–630 623 3 103.00–109.00 $106.64 $664 —
665–690 673 5 102.00–107.00 $104.39 $703 —
717–722 720 5 82.00–95.00 $90.79 $654 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
251 251 3 115.00 $115.00 $289 —
487–490 488 5 124.00 $124.00 $605 +15.00
531–535 533 5 115.00–122.00 $117.81 $628 —
555 555 1 111.00 $111.00 $616 —
606–645 620 7 114.00–122.00 $117.16 $726 —
671 671 4 103.00 $103.00 $691 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365 1365 1 99.00 $99.00 $1,351 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
258 258 5 150.00 $150.00 $387 —
320–345 334 6 150.00–160.00 $156.16 $522 +22.10
355–395 370 4 142.50–157.50 $153.90 $569 +4.44
420–440 fancy 434 5 170.00–180.00 $172.94 $751 —
400–447 436 10 142.50–165.00 $158.07 $689 +19.00
455–495 467 17 120.00–160.00 $153.92 $719 +12.16
485 fancy 485 1 165.00 $165.00 $800 —
500 fancy 500 1 159.00 $159.00 $795 —
515–545 529 15 138.00–153.00 $146.71 $776 +13.08
550–595 564 12 130.00–142.00 $138.77 $783 +8.27
607–635 622 6 118.00–130.00 $124.70 $776 +2.75
650–670 664 5 114.00–118.00 $116.80 $776 +4.22
705–740 713 5 115.00–117.00 $115.81 $826 -4.84
760–765 763 3 110.00–116.00 $113.66 $867 +18.66
910 910 1 107.00 $107.00 $974 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 132.50 $132.50 $484 —
435 435 1 127.50 $127.50 $555 —
468–485 472 4 125.00–129.00 $126.03 $595 —
515–545 530 2 115.00–127.50 $121.07 $642 —
565–580 570 3 115.00–127.50 $120.78 $688 —
700–745 718 3 104.00–107.00 $105.69 $759 —
755–775 765 2 100.00–106.00 $103.04 $788 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1370 1370 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)N/A 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1325 1175 80-85% 2 61.50–62.00 $61.72 $725 —
1020–1425 1219 80-85% 10 47.00–49.50 $48.27 $588 -1.46
975–1415 1226 80-85% 33 50.00–57.50 $53.12 $651 +0.60
1010–1410 1243 80-85% 8 38.00–46.00 $44.21 $550 -8.31
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1485 1347 75-80% 3 47.50–49.00 $48.36 $651 —
1300–1715 1414 75-80% 5 57.00–60.50 $58.41 $826 —
1310–1735 1508 75-80% 21 50.00–56.50 $52.78 $796 -1.56
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–1235 1012 85-90% 21 41.00–49.50 $45.70 $462 —
995–1050 1013 85-90% 3 51.00–53.50 $52.31 $530 —
1000–1135 1052 85-90% 3 35.50–37.50 $36.62 $385 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1500 1447 3 65.00–76.00 $72.24 $1,045 —
1190–2190 1767 9 82.00–88.50 $85.35 $1,508 -9.36
1590–2170 1853 3 90.50–99.00 $94.23 $1,746 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
860 860 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 500.00 $500.00
1070–1190 1130 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 575.00–1,000.00 $821.18
1170 1170 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 685.00 $685.00
1125–1305 1243 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 585.00–725.00 $665.35
1105–1530 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 775.00–1,025.00 $870.16
1045–1580 1313 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 900.00 $900.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
795–960 893 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 500.00–950.00 $654.98

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1425 1425 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282–286 286 25 100.00–105.00 $104.61 $299 —
315 315 2 90.00 $90.00 $284 —
626 626 15 86.00 $86.00 $538 —
818 818 64 114.50 $114.50 $937 —

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Reading this report

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.