Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 4, 2024

1,060 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $244.77/cwt ≈ $2,142/hd at 875 lb · 303 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $242.33/cwt ≈ $1,747/hd at 721 lb · 78 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $254.48/cwt +31.48 vs last sale · ≈ $1,352/hd at 531 lb · 30 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,060 107 821
Feeder cattle 1,000 82 737
Slaughter cattle 50 23 63
Replacement cattle 10 2 21

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: No trend on feeders or yearlings due to light comparable receipts last week, however there was a higher undertone noted for both feeders and yearlings. Good quality offering in todays sale. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with slaughter bulls steady 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
390 390 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,209 —
422 value added 422 2 345.00 $345.00 $1,456 —
465 465 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,372 —
502 value added 502 11 303.00 $303.00 $1,521 —
511–536 520 8 280.00–282.50 $280.97 $1,461 +14.97
557–585 565 10 266.00–275.00 $269.79 $1,524 —
569 value added 569 15 295.00 $295.00 $1,679 —
600–625 622 13 262.50–275.00 $264.71 $1,646 —
682–687 684 12 244.00–255.00 $251.11 $1,718 +13.11
690 value added 690 11 259.50 $259.50 $1,791 —
720 value added 720 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,879 —
731–745 739 9 247.50–254.00 $249.56 $1,844 +16.56
755–781 769 21 242.00–250.00 $247.06 $1,900 —
830 830 2 227.50–235.00 $231.25 $1,919 +3.25
856–895 value added 875 289 239.75–251.20 $245.68 $2,150 —
857–881 878 14 225.00–227.00 $226.07 $1,985 —
945 945 1 222.50 $222.50 $2,103 —
975 975 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,950 —
1000–1020 value added 1013 167 233.40–234.70 $234.26 $2,373 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475–495 485 6 255.00–270.00 $262.65 $1,274 —
515–535 525 2 272.50–275.00 $273.73 $1,437 —
571 571 4 252.50 $252.50 $1,442 —
665–693 684 7 240.00 $240.00 $1,642 —
760 760 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,634 —
956 956 3 215.00 $215.00 $2,055 —
1017 1017 5 217.00 $217.00 $2,207 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,092 —
466 466 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,235 —
512–545 535 12 257.50–262.50 $260.69 $1,395 +26.89
550 550 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,444 —
625–647 641 6 235.00–247.00 $243.88 $1,563 —
710 710 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,580 +4.50
755–795 775 2 220.00–227.50 $223.65 $1,733 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,458 —
605–642 635 5 230.00 $230.00 $1,460 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 238.00 $238.00 $797 +5.50
350 fancy 350 1 272.50 $272.50 $954 —
390–395 391 4 247.50–257.50 $250.65 $980 +20.65
413–445 432 12 242.50–258.00 $251.66 $1,087 +31.66
475–495 485 4 242.50–252.50 $247.55 $1,201 +23.81
520 value added 520 14 267.00 $267.00 $1,388 —
505–549 541 16 232.50–245.00 $243.52 $1,317 +20.52
571 value added 571 7 272.50 $272.50 $1,556 —
575–595 586 11 232.50–242.50 $236.14 $1,384 —
600–647 620 18 222.50–237.50 $231.81 $1,437 —
656–663 661 17 222.50–233.00 $229.81 $1,519 —
720 value added 720 67 246.10 $246.10 $1,772 —
727 727 11 212.00–221.00 $219.36 $1,595 —
788–795 792 7 211.00–219.00 $215.59 $1,707 —
915 915 2 207.00 $207.00 $1,894 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 222.50 $222.50 $846 -2.60
407 407 2 220.00 $220.00 $895 +30.00
450–480 465 2 230.00–235.00 $232.42 $1,081 —
515–540 528 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,162 —
555–570 566 4 220.00–227.50 $225.66 $1,277 —
657–681 671 5 210.00–220.00 $216.09 $1,450 —
705 705 2 197.50–200.00 $198.75 $1,401 —
875 875 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,597 —
955 955 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,624 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 4 242.50 $242.50 $1,067 +37.50
490 490 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,127 —
505 505 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,111 —
596 596 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,371 —
730 730 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,515 —
833 833 3 213.00 $213.00 $1,774 —
855–875 862 3 205.00–210.00 $208.31 $1,796 —
932–935 933 3 192.00–202.00 $195.34 $1,823 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 222.50 $222.50 $979 +27.50
490 490 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,090 +52.50
545 545 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,144 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605 605 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,150 +15.00
750 750 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,275 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 fancy 360 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,107 —
360 360 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,026 +33.71
420–425 423 3 270.00–272.50 $271.67 $1,149 +41.67
450–490 465 6 250.00–270.00 $255.75 $1,189 +11.94
557–590 568 3 247.50–257.50 $254.04 $1,443 +24.04
605–630 618 2 237.50–245.00 $241.33 $1,491 —
685 685 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,456 —
710–732 725 3 220.00–222.50 $221.68 $1,607 —
750–795 765 3 205.00–212.50 $207.60 $1,588 —
815 815 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,386 —
975 975 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,667 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550–575 558 3 225.00–237.50 $233.21 $1,301 —
650 650 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,349 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,050 —
632 632 2 227.50 $227.50 $1,438 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1395 1237 80-85% 7 113.00–120.00 $117.08 $1,448 +6.08
1140–1390 1281 80-85% 9 123.00–130.00 $126.96 $1,626 +23.64
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1510 1426 75-80% 4 111.00–120.00 $115.97 $1,654 +11.47
1325–1740 1531 75-80% 12 122.00–129.50 $123.96 $1,898 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–1115 938 85-90% 6 99.00–108.00 $102.98 $966 —
915–990 962 85-90% 3 120.00–124.00 $122.39 $1,177 —
900–1105 1009 85-90% 6 114.00–119.00 $116.52 $1,176 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265 1265 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,771 —
1280–1605 1443 2 148.00–150.00 $148.89 $2,148 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1005–1410 1208 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,250.00–1,700.00 $1,512.73

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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
760 thin fleshed 760 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00 —
945 945 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,725.00 $1,725.00 —
1190 1190 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00 —
1210 1210 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00 —
1085–1340 1213 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,800.00–2,325.00 $2,090.10 —
1205–1405 1305 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,925.00–1,950.00 $1,936.54 —

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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.