Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 3, 2024

432 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $258.59/cwt +15.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,785/hd at 690 lb · 77 head

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $317.58/cwt +2.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,694/hd at 533 lb · 26 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $243.51/cwt -6.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,407/hd at 578 lb · 14 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	432	423	492
Feeder cattle	336	347	436
Slaughter cattle	61	65	52
Replacement cattle	35	11	4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady on a light test. Good demand for weaned feeders with favorable condition. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
330	330	1	350.00	$350.00	$1,155	—
392	392	5	349.00	$349.00	$1,368	+24.95
400–440	408	8	318.00–325.00	$323.15	$1,318	-3.73
460–497	485	4	308.00–330.00	$313.72	$1,522	—
508–530	514	4	290.00–295.00	$291.29	$1,497	-24.11
537 value added	537	22	318.00–324.00	$322.36	$1,731	—
565	565	7	290.00	$290.00	$1,638	-32.00
600 value added	600	2	290.00	$290.00	$1,740	-17.00
600–620	610	4	270.00–280.00	$274.46	$1,674	-12.54
667 value added	667	2	288.00	$288.00	$1,921	—
685	685	2	262.50	$262.50	$1,798	-19.50
720–747	744	10	257.00–263.00	$257.58	$1,916	+9.58
791	791	3	248.00	$248.00	$1,962	-4.84

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
492	492	2	301.00	$301.00	$1,481	+13.50
560–580	567	3	280.00–285.00	$281.71	$1,597	—
615–635	625	2	250.00	$250.00	$1,562	+4.97
655	655	1	252.00	$252.00	$1,651	—
780	780	1	235.00	$235.00	$1,833	+5.00

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
420	420	1	292.50	$292.50	$1,228	—
530–540	535	2	290.00–296.00	$292.97	$1,567	-4.53
580	580	2	269.00–280.00	$274.50	$1,592	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1277	1277	2	170.00	$170.00	$2,171	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
775	775	1	210.00	$210.00	$1,628	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
210	210	1	305.00	$305.00	$640	-15.00
261 fancy	261	4	355.00	$355.00	$927	—
340	340	1	302.50	$302.50	$1,028	—
403–430	421	12	265.00–280.00	$275.45	$1,160	+4.80
455–495	471	11	255.00–269.00	$263.43	$1,241	-10.92
500–540	515	13	249.00–263.00	$258.43	$1,331	+1.93
550–595	578	14	240.00–254.00	$243.51	$1,407	-6.32
602–645	621	4	224.00–230.00	$227.17	$1,411	-20.43
650–680	670	3	226.00–236.00	$229.91	$1,540	-13.36
691 value added	691	74	259.75	$259.75	$1,795	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
345	345	1	269.00	$269.00	$928	-16.00
390	390	2	251.00–265.00	$258.00	$1,006	-13.46
435	435	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,088	-5.27
450–475	458	3	249.00–250.00	$249.35	$1,142	-3.07
515–545	531	4	234.00–245.00	$238.57	$1,267	-5.43
650–657	655	3	210.00–220.00	$213.31	$1,397	-16.69

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
373–385	376	4	230.00–247.50	$243.02	$914	-6.98
430	430	1	230.00	$230.00	$989	-10.00
450–462	458	3	220.00–230.00	$223.28	$1,023	-17.23
510	510	2	211.00	$211.00	$1,076	—
570	570	1	220.00	$220.00	$1,254	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
325–335	330	2	320.00–340.00	$329.85	$1,089	+5.24
345 fancy	345	1	360.00	$360.00	$1,242	—
365–380	371	5	340.00–350.00	$345.98	$1,284	+27.94
425	425	1	310.00	$310.00	$1,318	-16.15
467–480	472	10	317.50–325.00	$322.47	$1,522	—
505 fancy	505	2	300.00	$300.00	$1,515	-12.50
530	530	1	274.00	$274.00	$1,452	-17.00
550–570	563	3	270.00–273.00	$272.02	$1,531	-21.90
607–615	610	3	250.00–270.00	$263.28	$1,606	-7.14
675	675	1	270.00	$270.00	$1,822	+6.32
702	702	2	239.00	$239.00	$1,678	-5.08
805–815	808	3	220.00–223.00	$221.99	$1,794	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
245	245	1	280.00	$280.00	$686	—
275	275	1	290.00	$290.00	$798	—
440	440	1	290.00	$290.00	$1,276	-0.76
465	465	1	296.00	$296.00	$1,376	—
525	525	2	250.00	$250.00	$1,312	-10.00
575	575	1	230.00	$230.00	$1,322	-35.21
622	622	2	240.00	$240.00	$1,493	+1.00

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
451	451	3	248.00	$248.00	$1,118	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1280	1280	(<2 yrs)	N/A	3	2,200.00	$2,200.00	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
520	520	1	260.00	$260.00	$1,352	—
575	575	1	265.00	$265.00	$1,524	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
435	435	1	235.00	$235.00	$1,022	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
775–905	819	85-90%	8	102.00–114.00	$108.80	$891	—
750–870	825	85-90%	3	87.50–97.00	$93.78	$774	—
890–1230	1009	85-90%	8	115.00–125.00	$118.68	$1,197	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
905–1315	1175	80-85%	13	117.00–128.50	$123.64	$1,453	—
1155–1320	1242	80-85%	5	131.00–137.00	$134.18	$1,667	+10.40

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1220–1490	1373	75-80%	8	119.00–128.00	$124.03	$1,703	—
1410–2655	1637	75-80%	9	129.00–147.00	$133.61	$2,187	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1150–1285	1215	3	129.00–139.00	$134.85	$1,638	—
1530–1580	1555	2	147.00–148.00	$147.51	$2,294	—
2630	2630	1	155.00	$155.00	$4,076	—

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
830	830	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,275.00	$1,275.00
960	960	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	1,200.00	$1,200.00
1110	1110	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	1,400.00	$1,400.00
1145	1145	Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	1,400.00	$1,400.00
1110–1235	1157	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	1,225.00–1,825.00	$1,526.51
1195	1195	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	1,650.00	$1,650.00
1200	1200	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,475.00	$1,475.00

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
895–935	915	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	1,110.00–1,375.00	$1,239.60
945	945	Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	1,150.00	$1,150.00
960	960	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,150.00	$1,150.00
870–1065	970	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	1,075.00–1,200.00	$1,158.12

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1110	1110	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	2,400.00	$2,400.00	—
1125	1125	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	2,550.00	$2,550.00	—
1060–1370	1188	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	4	2,350.00–2,850.00	$2,621.37	—
1450	1450	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	1	2,450.00	$2,450.00	—
1560–1720	1620	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	3	2,500.00–2,750.00	$2,581.28	—

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
815	815	3	147.00	$147.00	$1,198	—

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
960	960	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	2,050.00	$2,050.00	—

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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.