Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 8, 2023

930 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 $192.71/cwt -11.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,901/hd at 987 lb · 161 head

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $177.13/cwt ≈ $1,284/hd at 725 lb · 82 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $184.51/cwt -16.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,081/hd at 586 lb · 33 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	930	1,301	1,085
Feeder cattle	831	1,219	1,056
Slaughter cattle	91	71	29
Replacement cattle	8	11	0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 500lbs sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher with feeder steers over 500lbs 8.00 to 10.00 lower. Feeder heifers sold 6.00 to 10.00 lower. Yearling steers sold 8.00 to 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with some extremely high dressing individuals.

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
290	290	1	255.00	$255.00	$740	—
382	382	2	262.50	$262.50	$1,003	—
415–442	426	5	247.50–257.50	$251.65	$1,072	+7.43
429–440 value added	430	14	265.00–270.00	$269.63	$1,159	—
455–475	468	3	245.00–257.50	$249.05	$1,166	+15.79
460–495 value added	478	2	260.00–267.50	$263.89	$1,261	+3.89
505–518	515	5	230.00–242.50	$232.45	$1,197	—
555	555	4	225.00	$225.00	$1,249	-13.16
605–641	626	12	202.00–211.00	$204.55	$1,280	-11.21
742	742	2	182.00	$182.00	$1,350	-24.13
770–790	784	25	181.00–191.00	$184.89	$1,450	-32.11
806 value added	806	26	201.50	$201.50	$1,624	-23.25
900	900	5	160.00	$160.00	$1,440	—
961	961	3	173.00	$173.00	$1,663	—
984–989 value added	987	158	192.75–193.25	$193.08	$1,906	-11.38
1200	1200	1	161.00	$161.00	$1,932	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
462–495	490	14	230.00–235.00	$234.33	$1,148	+10.09
535	535	1	223.00	$223.00	$1,193	+19.00
605–625	620	4	186.00–188.00	$186.49	$1,156	+6.49
655–665	658	6	180.00–197.00	$191.66	$1,261	-1.60
734	734	6	169.00	$169.00	$1,240	-15.52
778	778	7	160.00	$160.00	$1,245	-22.00
840	840	1	170.00	$170.00	$1,428	-16.00

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
355	355	1	207.50	$207.50	$737	—
507–512	510	4	191.00–195.00	$192.99	$984	—
565–576	574	6	202.00–202.50	$202.08	$1,160	-3.92
636	636	4	169.00	$169.00	$1,075	—
690	690	1	150.00	$150.00	$1,035	—
735	735	2	151.00	$151.00	$1,110	-20.00

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
490	490	1	190.00	$190.00	$931	—
510	510	1	215.00	$215.00	$1,096	-16.00
565–575	570	2	210.00–213.00	$211.51	$1,206	—
685	685	1	180.00	$180.00	$1,233	—
930	930	1	178.00	$178.00	$1,655	—

Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
690	690	1	140.00	$140.00	$966	—
735	735	3	142.00	$142.00	$1,044	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
660	660	2	160.00	$160.00	$1,056	-20.00
705	705	1	160.00	$160.00	$1,128	±0.00

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
470	470	1	165.00	$165.00	$776	—
505	505	1	169.00	$169.00	$853	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1285	1285	1	152.00	$152.00	$1,953	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
305–312	310	3	210.00–225.00	$220.08	$682	-4.92
370	370	1	204.00	$204.00	$755	-22.65
405	405	2	200.00	$200.00	$810	-19.61
465–498	479	26	186.00–199.00	$189.77	$909	-7.71
547	547	7	174.00	$174.00	$952	—
555–591	586	33	180.00–191.00	$184.51	$1,081	-13.96
605–626	619	18	184.00–190.00	$187.08	$1,158	-6.92
655–693	670	26	173.00–180.00	$176.03	$1,179	-23.97
700–730	722	23	151.00–167.00	$158.94	$1,148	—
722–742 value added	726	59	178.00–186.25	$184.22	$1,337	—
765	765	1	174.00	$174.00	$1,331	+4.00
770 value added	770	26	184.50	$184.50	$1,421	—
815–845	836	19	140.00–154.00	$151.97	$1,270	-5.03
860	860	1	148.00	$148.00	$1,273	—
930	930	1	127.00	$127.00	$1,181	—
950	950	1	130.00	$130.00	$1,235	—
1015	1015	1	120.00	$120.00	$1,218	—
1110	1110	1	117.50	$117.50	$1,304	—
1250	1250	1	130.00	$130.00	$1,625	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
312–326	320	5	180.00–185.00	$181.95	$582	-12.12
365	365	2	195.00	$195.00	$712	+5.00
410–427	422	8	170.00–180.00	$176.31	$744	-19.54
460–495	475	7	170.00–182.50	$177.10	$841	-3.70
501–536	511	11	160.00–171.00	$166.78	$852	-16.76
560	560	2	173.00	$173.00	$969	-10.89
603–640	609	12	165.00–172.00	$169.74	$1,034	-12.26
685	685	4	161.00	$161.00	$1,103	-9.95
742	742	4	143.00	$143.00	$1,061	-5.26
770	770	1	140.00	$140.00	$1,078	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
340	340	1	172.50	$172.50	$586	—
391	391	3	168.00	$168.00	$657	—
422	422	2	150.00	$150.00	$633	—
505–545	530	6	149.00–155.00	$152.85	$810	-18.58
590	590	1	153.00	$153.00	$903	-17.00
720	720	1	116.00	$116.00	$835	—
780	780	1	110.00	$110.00	$858	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
275	275	1	165.00	$165.00	$454	—
460–495	478	2	159.00–165.00	$161.89	$774	-8.11
520	520	2	166.00	$166.00	$863	—
565–585	575	2	157.00–162.50	$159.80	$919	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
330	330	1	190.00	$190.00	$627	—
375	375	1	180.00	$180.00	$675	—
565–595	580	2	176.00–180.00	$177.95	$1,032	+1.34
655	655	1	177.00	$177.00	$1,159	+14.77

Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
390	390	1	168.00	$168.00	$655	—
710	710	1	110.00	$110.00	$781	—
790	790	1	125.00	$125.00	$988	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
375	375	1	165.00	$165.00	$619	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
435	435	1	162.00	$162.00	$705	—

Medium 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
460	460	1	120.00	$120.00	$552	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
305	305	2	272.50	$272.50	$831	+32.50
375	375	1	260.00	$260.00	$975	+16.77
390 fancy	390	1	285.00	$285.00	$1,112	+20.00
410–445	436	4	260.00–270.00	$267.65	$1,167	+26.13
467	467	2	257.50	$257.50	$1,203	+26.21
537	537	2	203.00	$203.00	$1,090	-16.45
557–587	572	14	206.00–217.00	$211.66	$1,211	+1.18
618	618	20	204.00	$204.00	$1,261	+0.73
670–672	672	5	184.00–190.00	$188.80	$1,269	-3.58
710–737	728	3	170.00–174.00	$172.70	$1,257	—
765	765	1	165.00	$165.00	$1,262	+2.00

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
435	435	1	205.00	$205.00	$892	-10.00
465	465	2	220.00	$220.00	$1,023	+7.50
572	572	4	180.00	$180.00	$1,030	-17.00
630	630	2	169.00	$169.00	$1,065	—
705–720	713	2	144.00–150.00	$146.97	$1,048	+7.97

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
275	275	1	212.50	$212.50	$584	—
310	310	1	220.00	$220.00	$682	—
385	385	1	235.00	$235.00	$905	—
530	530	2	207.00	$207.00	$1,097	—
625	625	1	180.00	$180.00	$1,125	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
295	295	1	195.00	$195.00	$575	—
515	515	1	182.00	$182.00	$937	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1410–1490	1450	Young (2-4 yrs)	N/A	2	1,500.00–1,550.00	$1,525.69	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
295	295	1	197.50	$197.50	$583	—
555	555	1	160.00	$160.00	$888	—

Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
900	900	1	110.00	$110.00	$990	—

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1055–1475	1227	80-85%	18	83.50–91.50	$87.17	$1,070	-5.59
1130–1475	1287	80-85%	13	73.00–82.50	$79.68	$1,025	-4.04
1260–1445	1353	80-85%	2	102.00–108.50	$105.03	$1,421	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
845–1290	1003	85-90%	8	61.00–69.50	$66.89	$671	-11.67
740–1235	1064	85-90%	22	74.00–83.50	$78.54	$836	—
1095–1140	1118	85-90%	2	85.50–87.00	$86.23	$964	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1525–1600	1563	75-80%	2	70.00–77.00	$73.58	$1,150	—
1275–2115	1576	75-80%	10	81.00–91.00	$84.53	$1,332	—
1625–1915	1770	75-80%	2	92.00–95.00	$93.38	$1,653	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1410–1840	1653	5	105.00–110.00	$107.52	$1,777	—
1755	1755	1	119.50	$119.50	$2,097	+3.23
2015–2055	2035	2	126.50–132.50	$129.53	$2,636	—

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
950	950	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	800.00	$800.00
1170	1170	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,385.00	$1,385.00
1205	1205	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	975.00	$975.00
1405	1405	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,250.00	$1,250.00

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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.