Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 17, 2023

484 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $184.27/cwt -5.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,445/hd at 784 lb · 23 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $193.94/cwt -11.65 vs last sale · ≈ $929/hd at 479 lb · 20 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $191.08/cwt -25.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,317/hd at 689 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 484 805 708
Feeder cattle 444 725 593
Slaughter cattle 29 42 95
Replacement cattle 11 38 20

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder steers and heifers sold unevenly steady. There was good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher. There was good demand for slaughter classes.

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
305–330 fancy 322 3 250.00–260.00 $256.84 $827 -4.16
335–340 338 2 225.00–230.00 $227.52 $769 -4.46
365 365 2 240.00 $240.00 $876 +11.05
398 fancy 398 7 262.50 $262.50 $1,045 -1.06
422 fancy 422 2 267.50 $267.50 $1,129 +2.18
432–445 437 4 222.00–230.00 $224.54 $981 -4.42
461–493 473 11 221.00–239.00 $234.64 $1,110 +17.33
494 fancy 494 7 241.00 $241.00 $1,191 -8.00
505–522 516 3 223.00–226.00 $223.98 $1,156 +14.10
562–565 563 3 198.00–213.00 $207.98 $1,171 -2.01
581 value added 581 4 226.00 $226.00 $1,313 —
603–607 value added 605 7 215.00–221.00 $218.44 $1,322 -6.42
615–637 630 4 188.00–201.00 $197.08 $1,242 -5.22
655–690 value added 678 3 200.00–210.00 $203.22 $1,378 -14.81
685–692 691 17 182.00–198.00 $188.94 $1,306 +0.91
710 value added 710 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,413 -3.00
705–743 729 8 189.00–189.50 $189.32 $1,380 +2.47
750–781 766 10 178.00–184.00 $180.39 $1,382 -9.43
798 value added 798 13 187.25 $187.25 $1,494 —
837 837 2 184.00 $184.00 $1,540 +0.01
875 875 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,566 +6.05
902 902 2 177.00 $177.00 $1,597 +15.37
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 190.00 $190.00 $560 -10.57
310 310 1 190.00 $190.00 $589 -20.00
350 350 1 220.00 $220.00 $770 +7.50
420–435 428 2 210.00–211.00 $210.49 $901 -3.51
481–490 485 5 200.00–203.00 $202.39 $982 +1.11
503–520 506 7 190.00–195.00 $190.87 $966 +0.87
585–592 590 9 190.00–195.00 $193.90 $1,144 -5.10
610–640 622 6 170.00–178.00 $173.62 $1,080 -16.38
685 685 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,130 -4.34
710 710 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,164 -9.50
750 750 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,140 +2.00
850 850 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,207 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 195.00 $195.00 $429 —
267–280 271 3 195.00 $195.00 $528 +5.00
298 fancy 298 3 217.50 $217.50 $648 —
325 325 1 196.00 $196.00 $637 -33.20
360–395 386 10 185.00–200.00 $196.17 $757 -25.90
400–430 410 13 180.00–195.00 $186.38 $764 -12.25
442 fancy 442 2 200.00 $200.00 $884 —
450–492 474 12 176.00–190.00 $181.70 $861 -16.97
475–490 fancy 486 8 207.00–214.00 $212.29 $1,032 -6.37
510–545 528 17 173.00–189.00 $180.26 $952 -15.09
551–598 573 18 172.00–187.50 $182.04 $1,043 +2.08
630–640 634 4 156.00–166.00 $162.48 $1,030 -14.38
665 665 3 161.00–173.00 $169.00 $1,124 +16.51
720–745 737 3 160.00–168.00 $162.61 $1,198 +6.12
755 value added 755 4 171.00 $171.00 $1,291 —
810 810 2 121.00 $121.00 $980 -9.50
980 980 3 136.00 $136.00 $1,333 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–277 276 3 180.00–185.00 $181.66 $501 —
370 370 1 170.00 $170.00 $629 -30.79
432 432 2 162.00 $162.00 $700 -21.37
455–461 460 6 170.00–174.00 $172.00 $791 -15.00
520–525 523 3 163.00–165.00 $164.34 $859 -15.95
565–587 577 5 164.00–169.00 $164.98 $952 +0.01
630 630 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,002 +1.00
650–677 668 3 145.00–151.00 $146.95 $982 +13.89
715 715 3 141.00 $141.00 $1,008 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100 1100 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,463 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 255.00 $255.00 $727 +35.00
330–338 335 5 245.00–249.00 $247.42 $829 +27.42
350–380 372 10 235.00–248.00 $244.43 $909 +19.43
375 fancy 375 1 250.00 $250.00 $938 -2.50
410–445 421 8 204.00–220.00 $214.64 $904 +5.02
432 fancy 432 5 260.00 $260.00 $1,123 —
455–470 460 4 215.00–222.00 $218.71 $1,006 +15.71
505–522 515 6 211.00–220.00 $215.12 $1,108 +7.76
550–597 572 14 190.00–203.00 $196.97 $1,127 +7.00
610–645 625 4 177.00–190.00 $183.46 $1,147 +2.46
685–690 688 2 163.00–170.00 $166.49 $1,145 -7.77
715–725 720 2 167.00–171.00 $168.99 $1,217 -6.01
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 225.00 $225.00 $619 —
320 320 1 225.00 $225.00 $720 —
365–368 367 4 220.00 $220.00 $807 +25.00
420–443 437 4 200.00 $200.00 $874 —
465–480 472 3 192.00–197.50 $195.47 $923 +1.47
500–540 520 2 200.00–201.00 $200.52 $1,043 —
555 555 1 170.00 $170.00 $944 —
620 620 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,073 +7.00
695 695 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,147 —
770 770 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,001 -19.00
1000–1020 1007 3 114.00–115.00 $114.66 $1,155 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1100 1100 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1275 1120 80-85% 4 83.00–90.00 $86.73 $971 —
1045–1370 1232 80-85% 9 108.00–115.00 $111.60 $1,375 —
1205–1440 1334 80-85% 4 116.00–123.00 $119.85 $1,599 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 725 85-90% 1 92.50 $92.50 $671 —
1025–1035 1030 85-90% 2 80.50–85.50 $82.99 $855 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500 1500 75-80% 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,875 —
1625 1625 75-80% 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,788 +5.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1805 1495 3 121.00–127.00 $124.45 $1,861 +11.45
1505 1505 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,610 —
1720 1720 1 133.00 $133.00 $2,288 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1120 1120 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

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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
945–1340 1127 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 975.00–1,400.00 $1,113.65 —

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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.