Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 23, 2025

306 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $377.73/cwt +12.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,619/hd at 429 lb · 18 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $366.33/cwt +10.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,751/hd at 478 lb · 13 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $310.97/cwt -17.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,785/hd at 574 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 306 301 346
Feeder cattle 232 241 308
Slaughter cattle 56 40 34
Replacement cattle 18 20 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with some instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady. 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
270 270 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,228 +50.00
345 345 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,484 —
415 415 6 430.00 $430.00 $1,784 +25.74
505–529 522 7 382.50–397.50 $393.35 $2,053 +43.25
560–580 572 5 365.00–375.00 $368.92 $2,110 +33.92
615–617 value added 616 4 362.50–365.00 $363.75 $2,241 +30.25
616–640 622 4 340.00–350.00 $342.57 $2,131 +29.95
665–695 674 8 325.00–340.00 $336.16 $2,266 +14.73
700–725 713 2 300.00–315.00 $307.37 $2,192 —
915 915 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,425 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
442 442 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,702 —
485 485 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,758 +37.50
550 550 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,925 +50.00
671 671 6 300.00 $300.00 $2,013 —
765 765 3 280.00 $280.00 $2,142 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,904 —
1045 1045 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,404 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,708 +2.50
595 595 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,874 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,029 +120.00
255–285 278 4 420.00–450.00 $426.89 $1,187 —
310 310 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,256 +15.00
355–390 373 5 375.00–390.00 $380.56 $1,419 -0.80
420 value added 420 6 405.00 $405.00 $1,701 —
405–445 433 12 357.50–377.50 $364.09 $1,577 -1.58
455–492 478 13 360.00–377.50 $366.33 $1,751 +10.08
520–535 524 4 320.00–325.00 $323.72 $1,696 -12.04
557–578 574 10 310.00–315.00 $310.97 $1,785 -9.65
600–647 634 5 290.00–292.50 $291.01 $1,845 +0.10
722 722 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,949 —
810 810 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,025 +17.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,140 —
342 342 2 352.50 $352.50 $1,206 —
462 462 2 332.50 $332.50 $1,536 -2.50
572–592 584 5 292.50–305.00 $300.51 $1,755 —
665 665 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,662 -15.00
700–720 709 5 247.50–252.50 $249.48 $1,769 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530–537 534 6 290.00–310.00 $302.88 $1,617 —
550–596 580 6 302.50–315.00 $308.18 $1,787 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,386 —
580 580 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,508 -27.50
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,320 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,046 -55.00
296 296 4 450.00 $450.00 $1,332 -60.00
330 330 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,304 —
340 fancy 340 2 435.00 $435.00 $1,479 —
371–385 375 4 390.00–402.50 $399.29 $1,497 —
400 400 1 397.50 $397.50 $1,590 —
501–535 522 8 360.00–365.00 $362.76 $1,894 +34.98
558 558 4 360.00 $360.00 $2,009 +28.73
610–617 615 3 317.50–330.00 $325.86 $2,004 +33.36
745 745 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,937 —
867 867 2 240.00 $240.00 $2,081 -15.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 402.50 $402.50 $1,187 —
395 395 3 370.00–382.50 $374.17 $1,478 —
425 425 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,636 —
465–470 468 2 370.00–387.50 $378.70 $1,772 —
507–540 518 3 342.50–345.00 $344.13 $1,783 —
590 590 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,888 —
620 620 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,891 +27.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,794 —
520 520 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,768 —
582 582 2 325.00 $325.00 $1,892 —
635 635 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,794 —
900 900 1 222.50 $222.50 $2,002 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480–497 491 3 360.00 $360.00 $1,768 +32.47
585 585 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,696 —
625 625 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,781 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
532 532 2 305.00 $305.00 $1,623 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1270 1180 80-85% 3 135.00–146.00 $139.33 $1,644 —
1105–1445 1243 80-85% 8 151.00–161.00 $158.19 $1,966 -4.61
1070–1485 1289 80-85% 18 162.00–185.00 $169.38 $2,183 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1610 1474 75-80% 14 158.00–168.00 $162.64 $2,397 —
1455–1500 1478 75-80% 2 153.00–157.00 $155.03 $2,291 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860 860 85-90% 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,127 —
975 975 85-90% 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,355 —
865–1225 1045 85-90% 2 116.00–125.00 $119.72 $1,251 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510–2055 1727 5 190.00–197.00 $193.99 $3,350 +6.29
1790 1790 1 165.00 $165.00 $2,954 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1010–1215 1082 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,050.00–2,400.00 $2,228.20
1120 1120 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,775.00 $1,775.00
1140 1140 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00
1090–1300 1200 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,000.00–2,325.00 $2,136.32
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815–885 850 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,410.00–1,725.00 $1,561.01

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
907 907 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,900.00 $1,900.00

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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
1065 1065 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00 —
1085 1085 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00 —
1085 1085 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00 —
1460 1460 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,150.00 $3,150.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695 695 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,512 —

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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.