Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 15, 2023

877 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 $207.90/cwt +47.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,928/hd at 928 lb · 177 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $210.04/cwt +8.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,768/hd at 842 lb · 128 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $201.92/cwt ≈ $1,801/hd at 892 lb · 80 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 877 930 1,075
Feeder cattle 799 831 915
Slaughter cattle 70 91 95
Replacement cattle 8 8 65

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: All feeder calves sold sharply higher with very good demand. Yearling steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. There was a good quality offering of feeder calves this week. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 lower. 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 $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314 fancy 314 5 312.50 $312.50 $981 —
390 390 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,092 +17.50
442 442 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,216 +23.35
447 value added 447 19 299.50 $299.50 $1,339 +29.87
502–520 511 4 251.00–262.50 $256.65 $1,311 +24.20
587 value added 587 27 266.00 $266.00 $1,561 —
600–630 625 7 211.00–225.00 $219.34 $1,371 +14.79
732 732 4 206.00 $206.00 $1,508 +24.00
762–771 767 8 194.00–202.00 $198.02 $1,519 +13.13
810 810 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,644 —
841–843 value added 842 127 205.75–214.00 $210.10 $1,769 —
885 885 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,726 —
878–897 value added 892 79 194.50–204.50 $202.01 $1,802 —
900–925 906 4 190.00–195.00 $192.48 $1,744 +32.48
914–937 value added 928 173 205.50–209.90 $208.26 $1,933 —
968–975 969 5 180.00–184.00 $183.20 $1,775 +10.20
984 value added 984 58 198.00 $198.00 $1,948 +4.92
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 245.00 $245.00 $833 —
475 475 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,104 -1.83
505–533 522 5 220.00–230.00 $223.87 $1,169 +0.87
700 700 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,260 +11.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,746 —
1330 1330 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,702 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,160 -2.08

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 4 222.50 $222.50 $719 +2.42
355–390 384 9 217.00–223.00 $220.57 $847 +16.57
400–422 411 4 211.00–220.00 $215.38 $885 +15.38
415 value added 415 14 226.00 $226.00 $938 —
487 value added 487 8 232.00 $232.00 $1,130 —
475–495 490 6 205.00–220.00 $214.31 $1,050 +24.54
500–538 516 16 201.00–215.00 $209.58 $1,081 +35.58
551–580 557 7 186.00–192.00 $189.73 $1,057 +5.22
600–621 615 6 182.00–195.00 $192.55 $1,184 +5.47
655–665 657 6 185.00–195.00 $193.31 $1,270 +17.28
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–340 327 3 190.00–200.00 $196.53 $643 +14.58
395 395 2 192.50–202.50 $197.50 $780 +2.50
405–415 409 4 187.50–190.00 $188.88 $773 +12.57
450–485 465 5 185.00–201.00 $191.15 $889 +14.05
500 500 1 170.00 $170.00 $850 +3.22
575 575 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,035 +7.00
650 650 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,105 +9.00
730 730 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,204 +22.00
775 775 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,162 +10.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 172.50 $172.50 $707 +22.50
475–485 480 3 160.00–175.00 $168.02 $806 —
550–597 579 5 160.00–170.00 $164.12 $950 +11.12
680 680 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,115 —
755 755 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,019 +25.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 125.00 $125.00 $675 —
570 570 1 127.50 $127.50 $727 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 168.00 $168.00 $890 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 140.00 $140.00 $819 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–335 318 2 255.00–265.00 $259.72 $826 -12.78
335 fancy 335 3 312.50 $312.50 $1,047 —
350–395 366 7 280.00–295.00 $285.59 $1,045 +25.59
445 445 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,190 -0.15
450–475 461 6 250.00–265.00 $261.27 $1,204 +3.77
501–502 fancy 501 5 253.00–259.00 $256.60 $1,286 —
500–545 527 8 227.50–247.50 $235.12 $1,239 +32.12
568 fancy 568 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,392 —
555–580 572 5 217.50–232.50 $222.21 $1,271 +10.55
610–642 630 12 200.00–219.00 $208.91 $1,316 +4.91
655–692 683 5 181.00–191.00 $184.13 $1,258 -4.67
730 730 3 160.00–177.50 $170.17 $1,242 -2.53
820 820 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,492 —
925 925 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,688 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 3 230.00 $230.00 $920 +25.00
475 475 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,116 +15.00
500–545 520 4 209.00–220.00 $214.58 $1,116 —
670–690 683 3 182.50–187.00 $185.53 $1,267 —
785–787 786 3 150.00–154.00 $152.67 $1,200 —
810–816 815 5 158.00–164.00 $162.81 $1,327 —
985 985 4 132.00 $132.00 $1,300 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 197.50 $197.50 $889 —
535 535 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,000 —
715 715 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,065 —
900 900 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,188 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 200.00 $200.00 $900 —
590 590 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,233 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665 665 1 125.00 $125.00 $831 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–970 925 85-90% 2 41.00–55.00 $48.34 $447 —
940 940 85-90% 1 90.00 $90.00 $846 —
880–1180 995 85-90% 6 63.00–71.50 $66.45 $661 —
785–1250 1057 85-90% 21 73.00–83.50 $77.80 $822 -0.74
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1480 1223 80-85% 8 81.00–91.50 $85.55 $1,046 -1.62
1065–1360 1227 80-85% 7 75.00–79.50 $77.54 $951 -9.63
1135–1565 1373 80-85% 4 94.50–99.50 $97.95 $1,345 -7.08
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1650 1463 75-80% 2 92.00–94.00 $93.13 $1,362 —
1490–1970 1717 75-80% 6 86.00–91.00 $88.08 $1,512 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1260 1217 3 103.00–107.50 $105.17 $1,280 —
1385–1910 1587 13 110.00–120.00 $113.49 $1,801 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1095–1110 1103 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 750.00–825.00 $787.76
1255 1255 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
845–955 900 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 950.00–1,025.00 $985.21

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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.