Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 12, 2023

416 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $192.95/cwt ≈ $1,843/hd at 955 lb · 112 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $199.46/cwt ≈ $1,347/hd at 676 lb · 71 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $202.00/cwt ≈ $1,652/hd at 818 lb · 43 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 416 492 438
Feeder cattle 373 436 346
Slaughter cattle 31 52 67
Replacement cattle 12 4 25

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 400lbs sold mostly steady with feeder steers over 400lbs 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold on a light test with a higher undertone noted.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–395 385 2 227.50–235.00 $231.15 $890 -15.02
415 415 2 230.00 $230.00 $954 -7.10
460–476 469 7 230.00–238.00 $234.32 $1,099 +3.37
510–512 511 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,226 +3.95
519 value added 519 12 246.00 $246.00 $1,277
560–596 587 4 236.00–239.00 $238.28 $1,399 +14.15
627–630 627 8 229.00 $229.00 $1,436 +13.64
818 value added 818 43 202.00 $202.00 $1,652
860 860 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,660 +12.00
955 value added 955 112 192.95 $192.95 $1,843
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222 222 2 200.00 $200.00 $444
283–290 285 4 205.00–217.50 $208.18 $593
340 340 1 210.00 $210.00 $714
430 430 1 216.00 $216.00 $929 -4.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 201.00 $201.00 $814 +1.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 200.00 $200.00 $640
360–365 363 2 212.50–217.50 $215.02 $781 +26.99
450 value added 450 5 216.00–224.00 $219.20 $986
450–490 468 11 197.50–212.50 $201.70 $944 +3.38
505–525 518 8 192.00–207.00 $199.71 $1,034 +15.71
522 value added 522 2 211.00 $211.00 $1,101 +1.00
550–595 576 5 193.00–199.00 $197.76 $1,139 -0.24
630 630 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,166 +10.00
660 660 2 181.00 $181.00 $1,195
676 value added 676 69 200.00 $200.00 $1,352
705 705 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,086 -9.30
760 760 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,148 -10.72
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 195.00 $195.00 $770 +16.89
450 450 1 191.00 $191.00 $860
500 500 1 183.00 $183.00 $915 +3.26
565 565 3 170.00 $170.00 $960 -6.80
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 170.00 $170.00 $484
370 370 1 182.50 $182.50 $675 +19.48
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 140.00 $140.00 $343

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
428 428 3 227.00 $227.00 $972 -10.53
523–545 531 9 211.00–227.00 $222.50 $1,181 -7.50
560–597 587 10 210.00–222.00 $214.14 $1,257 -5.64
617 617 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,222 -5.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 212.50 $212.50 $691 +2.54
350–375 363 2 200.00–212.00 $206.21 $749
462 462 2 198.00 $198.00 $915
590 590 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,062 -22.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 2 210.00 $210.00 $966
670 670 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,166
790 790 2 158.00 $158.00 $1,248
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 381 3 190.00 $190.00 $724
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 170.00 $170.00 $731

↑ Back to top

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1360 1230 80-85% 5 85.00–95.00 $90.50 $1,113 -8.75
1090–1440 1251 80-85% 14 98.00–117.00 $105.84 $1,324
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1960 1611 75-80% 7 96.00–107.00 $101.20 $1,630
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890–1220 1065 85-90% 5 85.00–95.50 $88.97 $948

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370 1370 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,493
1750–1815 1783 2 129.00–133.00 $130.96 $2,335

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
915 915 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00
1090 1090 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 960.00 $960.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
840 840 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
1090 1090 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1410 1410 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
800 800 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 910.00 $910.00

↑ Back to top

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.