Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 8, 2024

486 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $243.00/cwt +2.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,954/hd at 804 lb · 65 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $333.39/cwt +30.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,581/hd at 474 lb · 63 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $257.99/cwt +3.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,700/hd at 659 lb · 40 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 486 812 805
Feeder cattle 431 747 725
Slaughter cattle 49 58 42
Replacement cattle 6 7 38

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold mostly steady with the exception of 450lbs to 650lbs steers 7.00 to 9.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher with some instances of sharply higher. Yearling steers sold steady. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 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 $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 297.50 $297.50 $967 —
375–380 379 5 307.50–325.00 $321.54 $1,219 -9.98
405–445 423 7 295.00–337.50 $320.36 $1,355 -4.88
460–475 value added 474 60 334.00–340.00 $334.40 $1,585 —
470–495 478 3 310.00–315.00 $313.28 $1,497 +10.28
506 value added 506 9 332.00 $332.00 $1,680 +10.00
505–523 513 18 297.50–317.50 $303.98 $1,559 -13.52
568–591 573 19 280.00–300.00 $294.39 $1,687 +9.69
610 value added 610 2 289.00 $289.00 $1,763 -2.00
653–672 655 17 245.00–260.00 $246.81 $1,617 -0.69
662 value added 662 23 266.25 $266.25 $1,763 +11.25
705–735 720 2 235.00–248.00 $241.36 $1,738 -2.22
746 value added 746 8 250.50 $250.50 $1,869 —
781–785 781 16 231.00–238.50 $238.03 $1,859 -3.52
804 value added 804 65 243.00 $243.00 $1,954 -0.50
907 907 2 214.00 $214.00 $1,941 —
955–960 957 3 204.00–220.00 $214.65 $2,054 —
1110 1110 1 193.00 $193.00 $2,142 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–480 463 3 280.00–292.50 $285.76 $1,323 +13.34
550–560 555 2 276.00–277.50 $276.74 $1,536 +27.07
680 680 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,445 -11.50
750–790 770 2 205.00–213.00 $208.90 $1,609 -13.10
820–832 828 3 201.00–213.00 $209.04 $1,731 +4.04
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
542–545 544 4 260.00 $260.00 $1,414 —
635 635 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,349 —
680 680 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,547 -2.50
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935 935 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,543 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 220.00 $220.00 $880 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,176 +10.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 272.50 $272.50 $777 -26.19
340 340 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,020 +26.81
350 fancy 350 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,032 —
355–395 373 3 270.00–285.00 $279.25 $1,042 +15.91
427–440 431 8 265.00–280.00 $272.11 $1,173 -6.71
465 465 1 272.00 $272.00 $1,265 -7.50
515–545 525 4 250.00–267.50 $255.16 $1,340 +1.88
530–537 value added 535 3 275.00–280.00 $278.35 $1,489 +16.26
555–562 value added 559 4 265.00–267.50 $266.24 $1,488 —
550–593 575 14 245.00–260.00 $250.64 $1,441 +3.42
710 value added 710 2 232.50 $232.50 $1,651 —
705–730 712 5 202.50–220.00 $209.45 $1,491 +8.45
750 750 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,612 +4.65
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 240.00–250.00 $245.00 $845 ±0.00
400–445 425 9 248.00–260.00 $255.38 $1,085 +0.39
455 455 2 240.00–250.00 $245.00 $1,115 -10.97
570 570 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,368 +6.24
672 672 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,478 +31.52
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,057 —
460–472 468 3 230.00–235.00 $233.36 $1,092 -9.06
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,271 +23.61
590 590 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,386 ±0.00
610 610 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,397 +24.00
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,070 —
640 640 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,261 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352 352 2 210.00 $210.00 $739 +2.70

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 fancy 317 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,078 —
345 345 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,035 —
370–395 386 4 300.00–320.00 $312.49 $1,206 -9.95
395 fancy 395 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,284 —
402–440 415 3 300.00–310.00 $306.46 $1,272 -1.25
465 fancy 465 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,395 -32.50
480–490 484 7 270.00–282.50 $275.42 $1,333 -33.34
505–545 525 4 252.50–265.00 $257.61 $1,352 -9.00
555–590 573 2 255.00–262.50 $258.64 $1,482 -3.92
600–635 616 4 242.50–254.00 $250.02 $1,540 +14.91
655 655 1 253.00 $253.00 $1,657 —
750 750 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,631 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–425 420 3 270.00–280.00 $276.75 $1,162 +9.25
515–530 523 2 240.00–245.00 $242.46 $1,268 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 3 252.50 $252.50 $896 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435–440 438 2 280.00–285.00 $282.49 $1,237 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 2 205.00 $205.00 $748 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,155 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–1090 974 85-90% 8 93.00–103.00 $98.39 $958 —
930–1210 1083 85-90% 7 105.00–116.00 $111.01 $1,202 —
1085 1085 85-90% 1 80.00 $80.00 $868 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 80-85% 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,107 —
1120–1380 1238 80-85% 12 116.00–127.00 $121.06 $1,499 +3.39
1155–1320 1262 80-85% 3 111.00–114.00 $113.08 $1,427 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1755 1477 75-80% 5 105.00–113.00 $108.98 $1,610 —
1405–1935 1526 75-80% 8 118.00–126.00 $122.20 $1,865 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305 1305 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,396 —
1400–1560 1480 2 129.00–131.00 $129.95 $1,923 —
1645–2155 1882 3 136.00–145.00 $138.95 $2,615 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020–1275 1148 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,650.00–1,825.00 $1,747.22

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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
1180 1180 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00 —
1200–1460 1330 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 2,050.00–2,300.00 $2,187.22 —

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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.