Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 5, 2025

1,065 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $348.37/cwt +15.82 vs last sale · ≈ $2,911/hd at 835 lb · 248 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $333.05/cwt -3.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,589/hd at 777 lb · 140 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $316.00/cwt +21.25 vs last sale · ≈ $3,072/hd at 972 lb · 120 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,065 1,084 798
Feeder cattle 1,039 1,023 764
Slaughter cattle 19 54 26
Replacement cattle 7 7 8

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: No trend due to being closed last week for the thanksgiving holiday, however their was a higher undertone for all classes of feeders, yearlings and slaughter cattle.

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
398 398 4 402.50 $402.50 $1,602 +2.50
410–435 422 6 417.50–437.50 $426.37 $1,799 +41.37
457–481 468 9 397.50–422.50 $413.79 $1,937 +41.29
506 value added 506 4 432.50 $432.50 $2,188 —
505–547 527 12 390.00–420.00 $409.13 $2,156 +39.13
555 value added 555 4 415.00 $415.00 $2,303 —
550–575 567 3 387.50–390.00 $388.31 $2,202 +35.81
605–648 638 7 337.50–357.50 $351.58 $2,243 +28.04
650–665 658 14 330.00–347.50 $337.29 $2,219 +9.79
703 703 3 325.00 $325.00 $2,285 +12.36
757–794 value added 777 136 327.00–347.25 $333.36 $2,590 -6.64
787 787 4 322.50 $322.50 $2,538 +27.50
803–840 827 15 300.00–317.50 $303.40 $2,509 —
831–837 value added 836 233 349.00–352.00 $351.27 $2,937 +18.72
855 value added 855 24 325.50 $325.50 $2,783 +0.04
907 value added 907 58 324.00 $324.00 $2,939 +7.86
912 912 5 290.00 $290.00 $2,645 —
972 value added 972 120 316.00 $316.00 $3,072 +21.25
1055 1055 1 290.00 $290.00 $3,060 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,931 —
575–585 576 7 330.00–350.00 $332.90 $1,918 +42.90
637 637 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,911 -0.82
797 797 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,431 +49.17
810–825 818 2 287.50–295.00 $291.22 $2,382 —
915 915 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,654 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 2 360.00 $360.00 $1,710 +20.00
556–572 562 5 362.50–365.00 $363.98 $2,046 +49.52
760 760 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,128 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,040 —
580 580 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,972 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,674 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
252 252 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,058 +40.00
355–390 373 2 370.00–375.00 $372.38 $1,389 -2.62
405–446 436 4 352.50–360.00 $354.24 $1,544 —
436 value added 436 4 395.00 $395.00 $1,722 +17.50
460–496 487 16 350.00–360.00 $358.23 $1,745 +23.23
510–535 522 8 330.00–352.50 $337.14 $1,760 +59.69
551–585 572 21 320.00–337.50 $330.30 $1,889 +45.61
624–635 628 10 310.00–328.00 $325.27 $2,043 +50.27
650–660 655 11 297.50–315.00 $312.73 $2,048 +50.72
665 value added 665 77 344.00 $344.00 $2,288 —
700–745 721 4 295.00–300.00 $296.83 $2,140 +58.03
790 790 1 282.50 $282.50 $2,232 —
800–822 817 12 270.00–290.00 $286.31 $2,339 —
830 value added 830 66 316.25 $316.25 $2,625 —
1070 1070 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,354 —
1120 1120 1 200.00 $200.00 $2,240 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 328 3 340.00 $340.00 $1,115 +20.00
365–382 376 4 335.00–352.50 $339.87 $1,278 —
425 425 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,360 -17.50
460–497 491 7 310.00–335.00 $322.73 $1,585 +40.84
535 535 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,699 —
590 590 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,770 +35.00
670–685 681 4 285.00–287.50 $285.61 $1,945 +35.61
745 745 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,900 —
800 800 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,760 +20.00
890 890 2 240.00 $240.00 $2,136 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–482 475 5 280.00–292.50 $287.42 $1,365 +7.42
507–520 511 3 297.50–312.50 $307.42 $1,571 +27.42
623 623 3 305.00 $305.00 $1,900 —
825 825 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,815 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,225 —
600 600 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,530 +50.00
660 660 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,254 —
845 845 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,352 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,152 +2.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
212 212 2 415.00 $415.00 $880 —
255 255 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,135 —
350 350 3 400.00–422.50 $407.50 $1,426 —
420 420 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,722 +36.18
455–490 473 2 392.50–402.50 $397.69 $1,881 +33.74
505–540 521 9 350.00–372.50 $356.70 $1,858 +49.69
597 597 2 347.50 $347.50 $2,075 +33.01
615–645 638 4 300.00–322.50 $315.54 $2,013 +15.56
675 675 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,025 ±0.00
702 fancy 702 9 316.00 $316.00 $2,218 —
712 712 2 277.50 $277.50 $1,976 +40.00
785 785 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,159 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
452 452 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,672 —
570 570 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,568 -21.71
730 730 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,898 —
1120 1120 1 182.50 $182.50 $2,044 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,536 +27.98
737 737 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,861 —
895 895 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,924 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1520 1520 75-80% 1 138.00 $138.00 $2,098 -6.36
1395–2035 1809 75-80% 4 161.00–178.00 $168.63 $3,051 —
2065 2065 75-80% 1 156.00 $156.00 $3,221 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1365 1325 80-85% 3 153.00–159.00 $156.62 $2,075 —
1580 1580 80-85% 1 173.00 $173.00 $2,733 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115 1115 85-90% 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,483 —
1210 1210 85-90% 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,718 —
1235 1235 85-90% 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,593 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1665–2075 1870 2 183.00–188.00 $185.77 $3,474 —
1915–1995 1955 2 193.00–194.00 $193.49 $3,783 —

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Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
935 935 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00
950 950 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
985 985 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1060 1060 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00
1525 1525 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00

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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.