Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 18, 2024

1,177 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 $241.96/cwt -4.52 vs last sale · ≈ $2,129/hd at 880 lb · 177 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $252.94/cwt +5.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,963/hd at 776 lb · 169 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $221.00/cwt +6.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,168/hd at 981 lb · 99 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,177 1,035 881
Feeder cattle 990 940 815
Slaughter cattle 150 88 56
Replacement cattle 37 7 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 lower. Yearling steers sold steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter cows and 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
410–415 413 3 277.50–292.50 $285.00 $1,177 -32.50
510–548 543 34 252.50–267.50 $259.77 $1,411 -30.28
580–597 589 5 255.00–265.00 $258.97 $1,525 -1.98
610–623 620 14 250.00–266.00 $261.84 $1,623 +17.42
660–680 674 4 242.50–252.50 $248.79 $1,677 +6.93
715 715 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,662 -16.87
770 770 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,732 -22.00
754–796 value added 776 168 250.00–256.25 $253.11 $1,964 —
817–831 value added 821 90 241.50–252.70 $249.43 $2,048 —
860–898 value added 880 176 236.00–245.80 $242.06 $2,130 -4.49
890 890 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,002 -7.50
929–945 931 7 220.00–231.50 $229.83 $2,140 +2.31
936 value added 936 57 235.75 $235.75 $2,207 -4.09
981 value added 981 99 221.00 $221.00 $2,168 —
1007 1007 2 216.00 $216.00 $2,175 —
1013 value added 1013 54 229.60 $229.60 $2,326 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–490 480 2 240.00–250.00 $244.90 $1,176 -10.31
505 505 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,212 -20.00
627 627 2 242.50 $242.50 $1,520 —
730 730 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,570 —
815 815 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,720 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735–740 738 2 223.00–225.00 $224.00 $1,653 -6.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
625 625 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,375 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 317 4 240.00 $240.00 $761 -7.50
352–375 360 6 232.50–245.00 $234.67 $845 -7.83
427 427 2 232.50 $232.50 $993 -13.46
442 value added 442 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,149 —
487 487 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,230 +2.62
522–542 535 6 237.50–245.00 $241.62 $1,293 +5.64
560–591 578 11 230.00–240.00 $232.70 $1,345 -6.15
600–638 627 6 220.00–225.00 $220.80 $1,384 -1.66
662–666 664 5 225.00–227.50 $226.00 $1,501 +3.53
750 750 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,556 +15.00
879 879 12 203.00 $203.00 $1,784 +15.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–333 332 4 210.00–220.00 $217.52 $722 -2.48
455–460 458 5 225.00–235.00 $229.48 $1,051 -3.02
515 515 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,159 ±0.00
555–575 562 3 220.00–225.00 $223.29 $1,255 -4.21
610 610 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,312 +10.78
740 740 2 182.50 $182.50 $1,350 —
775 775 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,472 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–410 408 2 215.00–217.50 $216.26 $882 +7.62
450–470 458 5 210.00–215.00 $212.05 $971 —
580–595 585 3 186.00–202.50 $196.91 $1,152 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 210.00 $210.00 $872 -20.00
535 535 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,190 —
727 727 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,454 —
790 790 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,540 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 347 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,093 —
355–390 375 8 300.00–317.50 $311.18 $1,167 +2.33
410 fancy 410 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,230 -12.50
411–435 418 5 260.00–270.00 $264.09 $1,104 -15.91
460–485 473 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,253 -6.84
507–545 515 5 250.00–257.50 $255.91 $1,318 +6.41
570 570 4 250.00–255.00 $253.75 $1,446 +9.41
615–633 629 4 240.00–252.50 $243.06 $1,529 +3.04
652–680 661 8 237.50–245.00 $241.86 $1,599 +5.75
700–720 708 5 215.00–227.50 $222.98 $1,579 +12.98
750 750 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,612 +31.72
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,058 -30.00
500 500 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,150 —
570 570 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,297 —
600–605 601 4 220.00–235.00 $225.02 $1,352 +5.02
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655–657 656 3 215.00–230.00 $225.01 $1,476 —
735 735 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,599 +12.50
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,126 —
567 567 2 217.50 $217.50 $1,233 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 240.00 $240.00 $960 —
585 585 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,228 +10.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1470 1470 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1640 1464 75-80% 24 119.00–129.50 $127.16 $1,862 —
1310–1815 1546 75-80% 21 130.50–140.50 $133.86 $2,069 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1380 1204 80-85% 21 119.00–129.00 $125.37 $1,509 —
1130–1500 1255 80-85% 23 130.00–141.50 $134.84 $1,692 -0.15
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850 850 85-90% 1 93.00 $93.00 $790 —
815–1065 932 85-90% 3 103.00–111.00 $106.63 $994 —
970–1215 1041 85-90% 8 123.00–133.50 $129.05 $1,343 —
875–1210 1044 85-90% 16 114.00–120.00 $118.05 $1,232 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,536 —
1440–1560 1500 2 148.00–149.00 $148.52 $2,228 —
1540–1840 1723 7 161.00–173.00 $166.13 $2,862 +1.33

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
850 850 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
1095 1095 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00
1130–1155 1143 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,575.00–1,875.00 $1,726.64
1060–1310 1170 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,500.00–1,725.00 $1,614.17

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,800.00 $1,800.00
1142 1142 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,200.00 $2,200.00

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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
1480 1480 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00 —
1555–1565 1560 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 2,100.00–2,650.00 $2,375.88 —
1585–1645 1615 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 2,400.00–2,900.00 $2,719.45 —
1385–1880 1656 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 12 2,550.00–2,950.00 $2,799.03 —
1670 1670 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00 —

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1045–1140 1098 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 7 2,750.00–2,900.00 $2,815.84 —

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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.