Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, April 28, 2023

458 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $188.77/cwt -0.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,642/hd at 870 lb · 61 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $189.67/cwt +37.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,710/hd at 902 lb · 61 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 steers $268.80/cwt +17.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,039/hd at 387 lb · 31 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 458 731 675
Feeder cattle 400 616 596
Slaughter cattle 35 89 57
Replacement cattle 23 26 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder steers sold steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to 2.00 higher. There was good demand for feeder classes. Strongest demand noted for weaned feeder packages suitable for grass. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 2.00 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
280 280 4 247.50 $247.50 $693 —
320–325 323 4 225.00–235.00 $229.96 $743 +9.96
331 value added 331 10 287.50 $287.50 $952 —
386 value added 386 23 274.00 $274.00 $1,058 —
380–398 388 8 250.00–260.00 $253.85 $985 +8.85
405–425 414 8 231.00–247.50 $237.76 $984 +5.46
425 value added 425 5 259.00 $259.00 $1,101 —
441 fancy 441 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,257 —
458 458 7 245.00 $245.00 $1,122 -7.66
490 fancy 490 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,298 +4.02
500 value added 500 2 245.00–252.00 $248.50 $1,242 +5.42
505–535 527 8 216.00–228.00 $223.08 $1,176 +5.06
575 575 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,322 +11.57
600–642 628 3 200.00–211.00 $207.50 $1,303 +6.65
647 value added 647 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,430 —
652–685 667 4 195.00–202.50 $197.55 $1,318 +12.33
720–740 734 4 195.00–210.00 $204.25 $1,499 +12.21
785 785 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,629 +20.50
840 840 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,596 +4.00
855 855 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,496 +3.00
870 value added 870 60 189.00 $189.00 $1,644 -1.00
901 value added 901 60 190.00 $190.00 $1,712 —
945 945 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,606 +18.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–342 338 3 200.00–207.50 $202.44 $684 —
385 385 2 222.00–230.00 $226.00 $870 -9.00
421 421 3 220.00 $220.00 $926 +4.02
477–490 481 3 210.00–217.00 $214.62 $1,032 +14.13
520 520 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,066 —
600–632 621 3 170.00–177.00 $172.25 $1,070 —
770 770 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,147 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–335 327 3 185.00–193.00 $190.47 $623 -5.81
395 395 2 196.00 $196.00 $774 +10.62
400–430 412 3 181.00–183.00 $181.66 $748 -6.42
490 490 2 188.00–195.00 $191.50 $938 +2.37
500–548 536 4 191.00–192.50 $191.35 $1,026 +8.64
558–595 567 4 179.00–182.50 $179.92 $1,020 +3.96
627–645 639 7 175.00–184.00 $179.18 $1,145 +7.16
650 650 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,138 -5.26
711 711 3 178.00 $178.00 $1,266 —
765–795 778 6 156.00–182.50 $177.17 $1,378 —
905 905 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,176 —
980 980 3 146.00 $146.00 $1,431 -16.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 182.00 $182.00 $437 —
355–375 365 2 171.00–177.00 $173.92 $635 +23.92
445 445 1 178.00 $178.00 $792 +2.22
475 475 1 179.00 $179.00 $850 +3.50
500–535 523 3 167.00–171.00 $169.73 $888 +12.66
550–555 553 2 173.00–174.00 $173.50 $959 —
695 695 1 138.00 $138.00 $959 —
710 710 2 130.00 $130.00 $923 -30.00
810–840 825 2 126.00–129.00 $127.47 $1,052 -0.53

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 225.00 $225.00 $675 +12.50
365–375 368 3 210.00–217.50 $214.13 $788 —
370 fancy 370 1 237.50 $237.50 $879 —
440–445 443 3 226.00–240.00 $235.37 $1,043 +10.44
500–540 512 5 193.00–210.00 $204.27 $1,046 -4.11
550–552 551 3 208.00–217.00 $210.99 $1,163 —
583 fancy 583 7 225.00 $225.00 $1,312 ±0.00
640–645 642 3 185.00–189.00 $187.66 $1,205 +7.66
695 695 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,314 +15.00
785–792 790 3 166.00–177.00 $169.64 $1,340 —
915 915 2 135.00 $135.00 $1,235 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
287 287 2 200.00 $200.00 $574 —
340 340 1 192.50 $192.50 $654 —
357 357 2 200.00 $200.00 $714 —
440 440 1 195.00 $195.00 $858 +31.30
530 530 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,007 —
890 890 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,112 —
1010 1010 1 97.00 $97.00 $980 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1255 1160 80-85% 5 79.00–82.00 $80.43 $933 —
1070–1435 1220 80-85% 8 85.00–91.00 $87.45 $1,067 -2.67
1195–1405 1284 80-85% 5 92.00–94.00 $92.84 $1,192 -5.24
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1450 1450 75-80% 1 85.00 $85.00 $1,232 -3.00
1455–1600 1528 75-80% 2 92.00–93.00 $92.48 $1,413 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815 815 85-90% 1 71.00 $71.00 $579 —
1030 1030 85-90% 1 79.00 $79.00 $814 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305 1305 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,710 —
1515–1620 1568 2 108.00–109.00 $108.48 $1,701 —
1350–2295 1728 6 120.00–128.00 $125.25 $2,164 +3.82

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
865 865 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 112.00 $112.00 $969

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
700–1375 964 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 800.00–1,235.00 $1,038.74
975–1105 1040 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 975.00–1,135.00 $1,060.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
785 785 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1220–1500 1389 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,550.00–1,850.00 $1,735.10 —

↑ Back to top

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.