Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 1, 2024

812 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $244.82/cwt +0.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,866/hd at 762 lb · 170 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $240.54/cwt +4.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,930/hd at 802 lb · 78 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $233.80/cwt +2.80 vs last sale · ≈ $1,625/hd at 695 lb · 49 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 812 804 472
Feeder cattle 747 777 427
Slaughter cattle 58 26 39
Replacement cattle 7 1 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold 8.00 to 12.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Yearling steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Good demand on all feeder classes with a good quality offering. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold on a light test.

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
225–245 235 2 320.00–340.00 $330.43 $777 —
290 290 1 337.50 $337.50 $979 —
357–385 374 5 327.50–334.00 $331.52 $1,240 +13.56
423 value added 423 3 347.50 $347.50 $1,470 +8.33
400–435 428 5 323.00–335.00 $325.24 $1,392 +31.60
457 457 2 303.00 $303.00 $1,385 +13.00
500 500 3 317.50 $317.50 $1,588 +44.21
525 value added 525 10 322.00 $322.00 $1,690 —
550–592 577 9 270.00–289.00 $284.70 $1,643 +22.44
559–591 value added 578 30 297.00–308.00 $302.95 $1,751 +14.95
622 value added 622 15 291.00 $291.00 $1,810 +18.50
605–636 630 20 240.50–257.50 $243.33 $1,533 —
655 655 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,621 —
687 value added 687 17 255.00 $255.00 $1,752 -1.00
700–723 710 11 240.00–248.00 $243.58 $1,729 +7.65
760 value added 760 70 249.50 $249.50 $1,896 -0.50
755–795 764 100 230.00–245.25 $241.55 $1,845 +13.55
800 800 14 227.00 $227.00 $1,816 —
803 value added 803 64 243.50 $243.50 $1,955 +7.33
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–475 470 2 265.00–280.00 $272.42 $1,280 +2.42
590 590 3 243.00–253.00 $249.67 $1,473 —
600–615 608 2 220.00–231.00 $225.43 $1,371 —
692 692 2 224.00 $224.00 $1,550 +10.00
740–745 743 4 220.00–228.00 $224.01 $1,664 —
773 773 3 222.00 $222.00 $1,716 —
805 805 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,650 —
885–891 887 11 209.50–210.00 $209.68 $1,860 —
990 990 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,881 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,158 —
695 695 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,598 —
736 736 13 229.00 $229.00 $1,685 —
792 792 7 211.00 $211.00 $1,671 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,126 —
645 645 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,371 —
667 667 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,321 —
790 790 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,560 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–265 254 4 295.00–300.00 $298.69 $759 —
305–345 318 3 265.00–285.00 $273.19 $869 +8.19
375–385 377 6 260.00–270.00 $263.34 $993 -20.00
390 fancy 390 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,131 —
402–445 424 14 270.00–300.00 $278.82 $1,182 +8.82
412–437 value added 425 4 312.50–320.00 $316.14 $1,344 —
455–462 460 10 265.00–285.00 $279.50 $1,286 +23.50
500–505 value added 501 6 261.00–267.50 $262.09 $1,313 —
500–545 517 25 245.00–259.00 $253.28 $1,309 +18.13
565–585 576 17 240.00–256.00 $247.22 $1,424 +17.77
615 value added 615 23 251.00 $251.00 $1,544 —
607–643 620 12 225.00–241.00 $234.36 $1,453 +18.36
685–699 value added 695 49 231.75–237.00 $233.80 $1,625 +2.80
725 725 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,457 +11.04
757–785 770 6 205.00–216.00 $210.35 $1,620 —
820 820 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,599 +1.00
855 855 3 185.00 $185.00 $1,582 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 245.00 $245.00 $796 —
375 375 1 240.00 $240.00 $900 -20.00
415–440 427 6 250.00–267.50 $254.99 $1,089 —
450–490 471 5 250.00–262.50 $255.97 $1,206 +15.97
535 535 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,204 +17.50
585–595 590 2 232.50–235.00 $233.76 $1,379 —
605 605 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,316 +21.35
650–687 677 4 186.00–192.00 $188.48 $1,276 -12.85
725 725 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,378 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
267 267 2 250.00 $250.00 $668 —
340 340 1 250.00 $250.00 $850 —
385 385 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,001 —
415 415 1 240.00 $240.00 $996 -15.00
450–485 468 2 240.00–247.50 $243.89 $1,141 —
560–580 570 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,340 —
640 640 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,312 -13.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
287 287 2 220.00 $220.00 $631 —
465–495 480 4 240.00–245.00 $242.42 $1,164 +22.42
585 585 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,155 +7.50
630 630 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,166 —
775 775 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,271 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 225.00 $225.00 $720 —
370–390 380 2 200.00–215.00 $207.30 $788 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850 850 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,020 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–270 260 3 320.00–327.50 $322.60 $839 —
350–390 361 4 320.00–325.00 $322.44 $1,164 +9.94
400 fancy 400 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,340 —
400–445 426 5 297.50–320.00 $307.71 $1,311 +22.71
460 fancy 460 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,530 —
460–470 465 2 307.50–310.00 $308.76 $1,436 +38.76
500–505 501 4 262.50–268.00 $266.61 $1,336 -22.39
575–585 580 2 255.00–270.00 $262.56 $1,523 +8.60
600–620 607 3 230.00–245.00 $235.11 $1,427 -1.02
805 805 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,433 +2.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,066 —
415–435 425 2 267.50 $267.50 $1,137 —
450 450 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,282 —
570 570 1 247.00 $247.00 $1,408 —
615 615 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,215 —
665–690 680 3 210.00–215.00 $211.63 $1,439 —
855 855 2 173.00 $173.00 $1,479 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,428 —
620 620 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,364 —
655–695 675 2 215.00–222.00 $218.60 $1,476 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1610 1610 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 640 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,152 -8.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–985 938 85-90% 5 70.00–82.00 $76.25 $715 —
850–1160 1012 85-90% 9 98.00–109.00 $103.95 $1,052 —
790–1200 1026 85-90% 9 87.00–96.00 $91.94 $943 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1320 1197 80-85% 9 102.00–112.00 $108.25 $1,296 —
1095–1370 1231 80-85% 10 114.00–122.00 $117.67 $1,449 +3.00
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1555 1411 75-80% 10 106.00–112.00 $108.61 $1,532 —
1370–1470 1432 75-80% 5 115.00–123.00 $118.02 $1,690 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1440 1245 2 105.00–108.00 $106.73 $1,329 —
2145 2145 1 145.00 $145.00 $3,110 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1250 1250 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00
1325 1325 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,076 —
715 715 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,001 —

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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.