Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 17, 2025

418 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $389.57/cwt +65.47 vs last sale · ≈ $2,476/hd at 636 lb · 81 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $372.82/cwt +61.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,447/hd at 656 lb · 77 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $391.34/cwt +51.45 vs last sale · ≈ $2,234/hd at 571 lb · 69 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 418 438 1,177
Feeder cattle 373 393 990
Slaughter cattle 33 42 150
Replacement cattle 12 3 37

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Friday: Feeder steers and heifers were mostly steady on a limited test, However the high quality weaned and vaccinated packages and loads were met with very good demand and sharply higher prices. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 lower, Slaughter bulls steady, Good demand for slaughter classes.

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
260 fancy 260 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,326 —
420–435 fancy 428 2 460.00–465.00 $462.54 $1,980 —
501 value added 501 4 437.50 $437.50 $2,192 —
615 value added 615 6 400.00 $400.00 $2,460 —
640 640 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,272 +3.18
728 728 3 340.00 $340.00 $2,475 ±0.00
805 805 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,656 —
1080 1080 1 295.00 $295.00 $3,186 -2.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765 765 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,429 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 fancy 200 1 465.00 $465.00 $930 —
290 290 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,058 —
300 300 1 367.50 $367.50 $1,102 —
353–385 370 8 360.00–380.00 $369.66 $1,368 —
410–435 421 7 360.00–377.50 $366.05 $1,541 +18.55
467–487 480 8 355.00–370.00 $363.76 $1,746 +14.76
500–541 531 4 330.00–340.00 $332.36 $1,765 -4.55
535 value added 535 1 357.50 $357.50 $1,913 —
550–577 569 4 340.00 $340.00 $1,935 +0.11
571 value added 571 65 394.50 $394.50 $2,253 —
615–640 628 5 312.50–325.00 $318.45 $2,000 -5.65
636 value added 636 76 394.25 $394.25 $2,507 —
656 value added 656 74 375.00 $375.00 $2,460 —
655–675 665 3 312.00–325.00 $318.97 $2,121 +7.47
720 720 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,250 +2.54
820 820 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,296 —
875–885 882 3 280.00–290.00 $283.31 $2,499 —
945 945 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,552 -35.00
1011–1020 1016 6 282.50 $282.50 $2,870 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,139 +45.00
360–385 375 3 330.00–340.00 $334.98 $1,256 +45.18
440 440 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,452 +22.41
480 480 2 325.00–340.00 $332.50 $1,596 +22.57
555–582 573 3 275.00–325.00 $308.86 $1,770 —
835 835 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,837 -40.00
905 905 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,900 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220 1220 1 215.00 $215.00 $2,623 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 fancy 230 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,035 —
275 fancy 275 3 470.00 $470.00 $1,292 —
315 315 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,244 -25.00
320 fancy 320 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,424 —
376–385 fancy 380 5 425.00–430.00 $426.01 $1,619 —
405 fancy 405 2 452.50–467.50 $460.00 $1,863 —
435 435 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,740 -46.35
450–496 fancy 475 7 420.00–452.50 $435.92 $2,071 —
480–495 488 4 382.50–395.00 $388.65 $1,897 —
500–545 524 4 347.50–362.50 $356.09 $1,866 +3.14
558–586 574 12 350.00–377.50 $362.87 $2,083 +20.79
600–635 620 7 320.00–340.00 $327.82 $2,032 -2.90
670 670 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,178 -3.62
745 745 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,365 +0.36
755 755 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,303 —
810 810 1 302.50 $302.50 $2,450 —
995 995 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,388 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–495 480 3 322.50–360.00 $344.06 $1,651 -11.15
570–595 579 5 300.00–320.00 $309.97 $1,795 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215 1215 80-85% 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,616 —
1175–1400 1294 80-85% 8 138.00–151.00 $145.60 $1,884 -3.40
1220–1480 1336 80-85% 5 155.00–162.00 $159.07 $2,125 +5.64
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925 925 85-90% 1 100.00 $100.00 $925 —
985–1115 1034 85-90% 4 139.00–145.00 $140.74 $1,455 —
1075 1075 85-90% 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,419 +28.92
1145 1145 85-90% 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,763 +17.12
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–1625 1595 75-80% 2 161.00–165.00 $162.96 $2,599 +7.50

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410–1790 1595 3 172.00–176.00 $173.50 $2,767 -10.87
1685 1685 1 190.00 $190.00 $3,202 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
660–1230 995 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 160.00–232.50 $193.21 $1,922
1190 1190 (<2 yrs)Open 1 200.00 $200.00 $2,380
1280 1280 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 182.50 $182.50 $2,336

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1290 1290 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00

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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
1190–1290 1240 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,950.00–3,000.00 $2,973.99 —
1425–1500 1463 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 3,200.00–3,500.00 $3,353.85 —

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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.