Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, August 18, 2023

1,186 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $231.56/cwt -7.59 vs last sale · ≈ $2,137/hd at 923 lb · 326 head

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $243.45/cwt -6.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,984/hd at 815 lb · 118 head

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $225.06/cwt +33.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,931/hd at 858 lb · 68 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,186	1,075	1,254
Feeder cattle	1,084	1,022	1,117
Slaughter cattle	82	53	71
Replacement cattle	20	—	66

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 300lbs to 400lbs sold 6.00 to 8.00 higher with feeder steers over 400lbs mostly steady. Yearling steers sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Feeder heifers 300lbs to 400lbs sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with feeder heifers over 400lbs mostly steady. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
320	320	2	277.50	$277.50	$888	+25.00
350–367 fancy	361	3	297.50–300.00	$299.19	$1,080	—
355–395	375	3	262.50–280.00	$273.86	$1,027	+8.86
405–422	416	3	250.00–258.00	$255.41	$1,063	-12.09
467–485 value added	478	5	269.00–270.00	$269.61	$1,289	—
455–495	481	10	249.00–265.00	$256.30	$1,233	—
500–545	527	20	246.00–265.00	$254.17	$1,339	+4.10
538 value added	538	11	268.00	$268.00	$1,442	—
560–590	575	3	240.00–250.00	$243.33	$1,399	-20.75
605–635	618	13	232.00–249.00	$241.86	$1,495	-7.89
631–637 value added	635	31	253.00–253.50	$253.36	$1,609	—
665–695	675	19	235.00–249.00	$242.13	$1,634	+3.12
700–746	709	32	230.00–238.00	$234.99	$1,666	-19.01
764–773	769	34	232.00–241.25	$236.92	$1,822	+9.42
815–816 value added	815	118	242.00–244.95	$243.45	$1,984	-6.21
903–943 value added	923	326	226.00–236.75	$231.56	$2,137	-7.59
954 value added	954	55	227.75	$227.75	$2,173	+3.95
955	955	1	210.00	$210.00	$2,006	—
1080	1080	1	182.00	$182.00	$1,966	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
355	355	1	247.50	$247.50	$879	—
430	430	2	247.50	$247.50	$1,064	+2.50
452–495	468	5	230.00–245.00	$237.52	$1,112	—
500–546	529	6	220.00–234.00	$228.88	$1,211	—
550–591	578	11	210.00–235.00	$225.07	$1,301	—
685	685	1	226.00	$226.00	$1,548	+6.00
705	705	1	201.00	$201.00	$1,417	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
605	605	2	228.00	$228.00	$1,379	—
846	846	3	180.00	$180.00	$1,523	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
520	520	2	200.00	$200.00	$1,040	—
665–670	668	3	189.00–200.00	$192.65	$1,287	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
395	395	1	202.50	$202.50	$800	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
345	345	1	250.00	$250.00	$862	+5.00
367–385 fancy	372	4	257.50	$257.50	$958	—
350–395	373	12	230.00–245.00	$237.55	$886	+14.14
417 value added	417	4	256.00	$256.00	$1,068	—
400–445	425	7	228.00–245.00	$235.19	$1,000	-3.81
455–488	470	19	230.00–246.00	$239.92	$1,128	-18.06
510–538	524	8	233.00–244.00	$241.51	$1,266	+1.47
552–587	567	22	230.00–235.00	$232.00	$1,315	-6.98
615–646	636	22	224.00–237.00	$234.47	$1,491	+8.14
667–687	675	13	220.00–231.00	$224.31	$1,514	—
700–730	720	3	190.00–200.00	$193.24	$1,391	-13.21
802–815	805	5	188.00–194.00	$192.78	$1,552	-1.22
857 value added	857	65	226.40	$226.40	$1,940	—
876	876	3	196.00	$196.00	$1,717	+4.00
905	905	2	194.00	$194.00	$1,756	—
975	975	1	184.00	$184.00	$1,794	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
325	325	1	220.00	$220.00	$715	—
373–385	375	5	217.50–220.00	$219.49	$823	+6.99
435	435	2	220.00	$220.00	$957	—
470	470	4	213.00–225.00	$216.00	$1,015	—
540	540	2	225.00	$225.00	$1,215	—
580–590	583	4	219.00–220.00	$219.25	$1,278	—
640	640	3	216.00	$216.00	$1,382	—
655–680	662	12	196.00–211.00	$201.79	$1,336	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
350–383	375	4	192.50–202.50	$194.83	$731	—
480	480	1	207.50	$207.50	$996	—
540	540	2	204.00	$204.00	$1,102	—
556–580	561	5	197.00–205.00	$198.65	$1,114	—
607	607	2	185.00	$185.00	$1,123	+1.67

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
492	492	2	210.00	$210.00	$1,033	—
560	560	1	190.00	$190.00	$1,064	—
615	615	1	180.00	$180.00	$1,107	-3.09
650–655	653	3	177.00–180.00	$179.01	$1,169	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
637	637	2	158.00	$158.00	$1,006	+14.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
240	240	1	245.00	$245.00	$588	—
360–395	382	7	250.00–270.00	$256.36	$979	-13.74
400–435	420	9	240.00–262.00	$248.88	$1,045	+8.88
465–485	473	5	237.50–242.50	$239.82	$1,134	-8.86
517–525	522	7	225.00–240.00	$231.27	$1,207	-8.29
552	552	2	226.00	$226.00	$1,248	-10.53
630–631	631	4	210.00–220.00	$212.50	$1,341	-13.95
680	680	1	210.00	$210.00	$1,428	—
705–710	707	4	191.00–211.00	$204.52	$1,446	-1.97
750–765	754	4	190.00–210.00	$201.94	$1,523	+1.94
890–895	893	2	182.50–190.00	$186.26	$1,663	-3.74

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
295	295	2	237.50	$237.50	$701	—
405	405	3	220.00–230.00	$223.33	$904	-6.67
480	480	1	210.00	$210.00	$1,008	-19.34
510–530	523	3	210.00–218.00	$215.40	$1,127	-9.34
555–580	566	4	200.00–207.00	$205.03	$1,160	-10.13
655–675	659	5	200.00	$200.00	$1,318	—
740	740	2	180.00	$180.00	$1,332	—
800	800	1	176.00	$176.00	$1,408	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
492	492	2	193.00	$193.00	$950	—
520	520	1	204.00	$204.00	$1,061	—
570	570	1	222.50	$222.50	$1,268	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
387	387	2	190.00	$190.00	$735	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
580	580	1	200.00	$200.00	$1,160	—

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1075–1390	1203	80-85%	9	100.50–109.00	$105.22	$1,266	—
990–1595	1338	80-85%	22	110.00–124.50	$115.68	$1,548	+12.07

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
915–1015	965	85-90%	2	79.00–80.00	$79.53	$767	-2.21
995	995	85-90%	1	55.50	$55.50	$552	-26.24
790–1160	1007	85-90%	13	100.50–112.00	$105.97	$1,067	—
790–1425	1050	85-90%	11	92.00–99.50	$97.19	$1,020	+3.03

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1450–1750	1587	75-80%	9	111.00–125.00	$116.57	$1,850	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1175–1340	1247	6	120.50–126.50	$123.69	$1,542	—
1215–2085	1687	3	130.00–142.00	$137.90	$2,326	—

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1015	1015	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	900.00	$900.00
1000–1405	1203	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	925.00–1,485.00	$1,252.15
930–1345	1216	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	7	1,200.00–1,400.00	$1,319.25

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
760–785	773	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	750.00–775.00	$762.70

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1190	1190	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	1,925.00	$1,925.00	—

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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.