Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 6, 2024

798 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $265.38/cwt +23.38 vs last sale · ≈ $1,953/hd at 736 lb · 85 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $253.64/cwt +15.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,603/hd at 632 lb · 74 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $247.90/cwt +18.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,823/hd at 735 lb · 71 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 798 1,014 930
Feeder cattle 764 941 831
Slaughter cattle 26 38 91
Replacement cattle 8 35 8

Market comments — USDA reporter

No trend due to being closed to last weeks thanksgiving holiday, however feeder calves sold noticeably higher. Good demand for all feeder classes with buyers very active.

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
402–432 412 7 310.00–330.00 $320.17 $1,319 +25.17
452–492 481 12 310.00–330.00 $322.56 $1,552 —
507–546 532 11 310.00–325.00 $317.65 $1,690 +45.24
547 value added 547 2 380.00 $380.00 $2,079 —
565–595 584 8 260.00–272.50 $268.11 $1,566 +2.86
605–622 value added 613 15 275.00–281.00 $276.40 $1,694 —
683–691 685 12 247.00–249.00 $247.50 $1,695 +4.50
708–732 714 10 241.00–252.50 $243.88 $1,741 +1.88
739 value added 739 75 268.25 $268.25 $1,982 —
760–770 764 5 230.00–246.00 $239.55 $1,830 +4.55
826–847 830 10 240.00–242.50 $241.99 $2,009 +5.92
865 value added 865 67 246.50 $246.50 $2,132 -5.40
915 915 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,013 —
932 value added 932 55 224.25 $224.25 $2,090 -19.15
1035 value added 1035 50 223.75 $223.75 $2,316 —
1074 value added 1074 50 215.25 $215.25 $2,312 -1.25
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 3 310.00 $310.00 $1,336 —
505 505 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,528 +42.50
555 555 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,498 —
762 762 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,714 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,456 +34.34
795 795 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,789 —
835 835 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,879 +3.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,238 —
510–545 532 3 242.50–261.00 $252.02 $1,341 —
585 585 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,448 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 285.00 $285.00 $741 +33.33
332–345 336 3 272.50–282.50 $279.08 $938 +29.08
355–395 366 5 260.00–277.50 $266.79 $976 +3.46
410–420 415 2 257.50 $257.50 $1,069 -7.90
448 value added 448 6 292.50 $292.50 $1,310 —
460–485 475 4 250.00–260.00 $253.74 $1,205 —
480 value added 480 1 279.00 $279.00 $1,339 —
503–517 value added 509 5 277.50–280.00 $278.98 $1,420 —
510–530 520 11 240.00–255.00 $248.29 $1,291 +10.79
566–572 567 13 242.50–247.50 $246.72 $1,399 +14.36
602–645 613 7 220.00–225.00 $221.49 $1,358 -4.55
634 value added 634 67 257.00 $257.00 $1,629 +10.92
673–692 686 12 220.00–238.00 $229.42 $1,574 -5.58
717–735 723 3 218.00–234.00 $228.58 $1,653 +3.58
736 value added 736 68 248.75 $248.75 $1,831 —
857 857 2 192.50 $192.50 $1,650 —
950–990 970 2 182.50–195.00 $188.88 $1,832 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 250.00 $250.00 $725 —
412–425 416 3 232.50–235.00 $234.15 $974 —
475 475 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,140 ±0.00
500–501 501 4 227.50–233.00 $231.63 $1,160 +1.63
590 590 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,298 -3.66
630 630 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,260 —
680–685 682 3 195.00–207.50 $203.31 $1,387 -6.69
710–735 723 2 205.00–207.50 $206.27 $1,491 —
760–790 775 2 190.00–200.00 $194.90 $1,510 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 265.00 $265.00 $702 —
360 360 1 257.50 $257.50 $927 —
480–486 485 5 245.00–258.00 $255.43 $1,239 —
545 545 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,294 —
600–645 631 6 215.00–217.50 $215.40 $1,359 +17.90
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432–435 433 3 220.00–225.00 $221.67 $960 -3.33
545 545 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,172 —
585 585 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,141 -5.00
675 675 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,316 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 3 237.50 $237.50 $938 —
475–485 480 2 222.50–230.00 $226.29 $1,086 +6.29

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,226 —
450–460 455 2 320.00–340.00 $330.11 $1,502 +47.61
505–535 525 4 282.50–310.00 $295.99 $1,554 —
565–587 582 7 270.00–285.00 $273.50 $1,592 +28.50
605–630 617 6 250.00–276.00 $267.73 $1,652 +34.37
665–685 680 5 250.00–277.50 $267.47 $1,819 —
702 702 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,667 +26.31
817 817 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,675 —
955 955 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,767 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–385 370 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,110 +2.50
470 470 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,492 +56.67
520 520 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,352 +33.26
580–595 587 5 260.00–262.50 $261.00 $1,532 +33.50
646 646 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,550 +16.68
651–660 653 4 230.00–240.00 $232.53 $1,518 +12.53
800 800 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,544 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,272 —
542 542 2 276.00 $276.00 $1,496 —
567 567 2 257.50 $257.50 $1,460 —
645 645 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,564 —
690 690 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,673 —
720 720 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,440 +16.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,302 +35.98
565 565 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,300 +30.00
660–680 670 2 212.50–222.50 $217.43 $1,457 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,445 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 237.50 $237.50 $831 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–995 956 85-90% 4 80.00–94.00 $89.54 $856 -22.83
920–1330 1086 85-90% 7 98.00–108.00 $104.47 $1,135 -16.04
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405 1405 75-80% 1 103.50 $103.50 $1,454 —
1530–1965 1655 75-80% 4 112.00–118.00 $114.94 $1,902 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1290 1107 80-85% 3 116.00–120.00 $117.99 $1,306 +0.60
1140 1140 80-85% 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,186 -13.39

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420 1420 1 151.00 $151.00 $2,144 —
1575–1810 1688 3 144.00–148.50 $145.77 $2,461 —

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Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
845 845 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00
900–920 910 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,110.00–1,260.00 $1,184.18
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1055 1055 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00
1540 1540 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00

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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.