Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 6, 2023

821 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 $227.34/cwt +2.69 vs last sale · ≈ $2,248/hd at 989 lb · 274 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $240.00/cwt +7.94 vs last sale · ≈ $2,146/hd at 894 lb · 60 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $229.75/cwt +1.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,111/hd at 919 lb · 56 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 821 1,344 1,020
Feeder cattle 737 1,183 912
Slaughter cattle 63 97 78
Replacement cattle 21 64 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold mostly steady. Yearling steers sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Fleshy, bawling new crop calves and plain quality calves still facing discounts. Weaned packages of feeder claves still bringing premiums. Slaughter cows and 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 $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 250.00 $250.00 $862 —
365 365 2 247.50 $247.50 $903 —
430–435 fancy 433 2 272.50–282.50 $277.47 $1,201 —
425–445 438 3 230.00–240.00 $233.23 $1,022 -6.73
490 490 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,200 +12.92
512 512 2 239.00 $239.00 $1,224 +8.85
567–571 value added 568 10 247.00–250.00 $249.10 $1,415 -5.90
555–578 571 13 227.00–236.00 $230.37 $1,315 -0.54
645 645 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,445 -0.89
654 value added 654 16 238.00 $238.00 $1,557 —
658–670 661 18 220.00–232.00 $228.65 $1,511 +8.65
721 721 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,730 +26.00
764 764 7 231.50 $231.50 $1,769 +9.22
814 value added 814 30 233.25 $233.25 $1,899 -14.25
834 834 5 226.00 $226.00 $1,885 —
894 value added 894 60 240.00 $240.00 $2,146 +7.00
919 value added 919 56 229.75 $229.75 $2,111 -0.05
975–997 value added 989 274 223.00–230.00 $227.34 $2,248 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362 362 2 195.00 $195.00 $706 —
450–460 453 4 219.00–220.00 $219.75 $995 —
555 555 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,221 +2.50
603 603 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,206 —
666 666 4 232.00 $232.00 $1,545 +42.00
785 785 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,648 —
820–845 833 2 204.00–214.00 $208.92 $1,740 —
1170 1170 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,872 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615–640 623 3 174.00–180.00 $176.05 $1,097 —
685 685 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,356 —
705 705 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,234 +10.00
840 840 1 184.00 $184.00 $1,546 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 225.00 $225.00 $956 +15.00
695 695 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,439 +34.00
787 787 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,574 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530–545 538 2 180.00–185.00 $182.47 $982 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412–415 413 3 189.00–190.00 $189.33 $782 -30.67
516–536 525 7 204.00–205.00 $204.44 $1,073 -26.56
575 575 2 196.00 $196.00 $1,127 —
612–617 615 5 167.00–175.00 $170.81 $1,050 -54.19
645 value added 645 2 193.00 $193.00 $1,245 —
695–696 696 5 171.00–182.00 $179.80 $1,251 —
755 755 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,340 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 175.00 $175.00 $560 -2.50
432–446 441 6 175.00–182.50 $177.45 $783 -18.76
455 455 1 177.50 $177.50 $808 -9.21
500–505 503 4 182.50–188.00 $183.88 $925 -9.68
562–590 572 4 173.00–178.00 $175.71 $1,005 +3.51
607–625 613 3 150.00–159.00 $155.94 $956 -29.06
690–697 695 3 150.00–160.00 $153.31 $1,066 -12.79
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 160.00 $160.00 $528 —
375 375 2 160.00 $160.00 $600 —
420 420 1 152.50 $152.50 $640 —
451 451 3 187.50 $187.50 $846 —
510 510 1 170.00 $170.00 $867 -33.00
550 550 1 175.00 $175.00 $962 -20.18
605–620 613 2 170.00–185.00 $177.59 $1,089 +0.09
650–675 658 3 160.00–174.00 $167.24 $1,100 -3.76
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430–435 433 2 154.00–157.00 $155.49 $673 -7.30
460–465 463 2 142.50–150.00 $146.27 $677 -18.39
550 550 3 166.00 $166.00 $913 +18.50
795 795 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,192 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482 482 2 170.00 $170.00 $819 -5.24
600 600 1 165.00 $165.00 $990 +9.00
685 685 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,075 +7.00
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 150.00 $150.00 $728 +5.67
635 635 1 140.00 $140.00 $889 —
680 680 2 140.00 $140.00 $952 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 245.00 $245.00 $821 —
365 365 3 220.00–240.00 $233.33 $852 -4.17
415–440 428 2 240.00–257.50 $249.01 $1,066 +9.01
455–460 456 5 224.00–225.00 $224.20 $1,022 +0.90
505–542 521 10 221.00–234.00 $230.66 $1,202 -0.66
550–590 564 4 207.50–219.00 $215.49 $1,215 -1.15
620–635 630 3 196.00–209.00 $204.74 $1,290 -2.61
655–696 683 9 180.00–199.00 $192.83 $1,317 -6.17
720 720 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,282 +2.00
765–785 772 5 168.00–174.00 $171.59 $1,325 -0.41
845 845 4 167.00–169.00 $168.50 $1,424 —
870 870 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,392 —
900 900 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,485 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327–345 333 3 195.00–200.00 $198.27 $660 —
360 360 1 237.50 $237.50 $855 —
415 415 1 182.50 $182.50 $757 —
480–497 491 3 212.50–221.00 $215.27 $1,057 —
510 510 1 190.00 $190.00 $969 —
625 625 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,188 —
655 655 1 150.00 $150.00 $982 —
705 705 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,255 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 217.50 $217.50 $740 +14.39
440 440 1 220.00 $220.00 $968 +30.00
468–475 469 5 190.00 $190.00 $891 -19.18
505 505 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,023 +0.44
560 560 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,064 +11.24
616 616 3 177.00 $177.00 $1,090 -15.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 202.50 $202.50 $871 —
520–545 528 3 160.00–180.00 $173.12 $914 -4.28
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 3 195.00 $195.00 $878 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 1 120.00 $120.00 $924 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 152.50 $152.50 $534 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800 800 85-90% 1 57.00 $57.00 $456 —
910–1250 1043 85-90% 6 73.50–82.00 $77.25 $806 —
880–1230 1050 85-90% 11 84.50–92.00 $87.52 $919 +51.55
895–1285 1078 85-90% 5 64.00–71.00 $67.61 $729 +31.64
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1435 1283 80-85% 15 88.00–96.00 $91.39 $1,173 -3.25
1195–1490 1367 80-85% 5 99.00–102.50 $100.90 $1,379 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1480–1605 1525 75-80% 6 84.00–93.00 $89.55 $1,366 —
1385–1755 1554 75-80% 12 94.50–104.50 $99.35 $1,544 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1570 1403 2 118.00–123.00 $120.80 $1,695 —
1685 1685 1 134.50 $134.50 $2,266 —
1505–2000 1797 3 100.00–112.00 $105.80 $1,901 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1035 1035 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00
1255–1355 1305 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,125.00–1,225.00 $1,176.92
1205–1470 1315 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,225.00–1,400.00 $1,314.35

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815 815 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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
965–1265 1115 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,375.00–1,550.00 $1,474.27 —
1135 1135 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —
1255 1255 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00 —

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1035 1035 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00 —

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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.