Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 6, 2026

791 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $327.95/cwt ≈ $3,014/hd at 919 lb · 113 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $371.99/cwt +42.08 vs last sale · ≈ $3,032/hd at 815 lb · 69 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $380.24/cwt ≈ $2,884/hd at 758 lb · 64 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 791 424 667
Feeder cattle 728 398 617
Slaughter cattle 50 20 50
Replacement cattle 13 6 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Friday: Feeder steers under 600 lbs sharply higher, over 600 lbs steady to 5.00 higher, Feeder heifers 5.00-8.00 higher, Very good to Good demand for a desirable conditioned set of feeders and yearlings. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 higher, 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
235 fancy 235 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,292 —
290–298 fancy 296 4 605.00–635.00 $627.65 $1,858 —
330 330 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,518 -90.00
300–340 fancy 335 17 525.00–617.50 $604.47 $2,025 —
365–390 fancy 382 3 547.50–562.50 $555.00 $2,120 —
415 415 2 517.50 $517.50 $2,148 +29.49
422–432 fancy 424 30 540.00–572.50 $569.04 $2,413 +31.54
450 fancy 450 1 562.50 $562.50 $2,531 —
455–490 473 2 502.50–507.50 $504.91 $2,388 -15.09
500–542 value added 522 14 467.50–522.50 $501.91 $2,620 —
535 535 1 435.00 $435.00 $2,327 -52.50
554–560 value added 554 38 458.00–498.00 $496.94 $2,753 —
555 555 1 425.00 $425.00 $2,359 -26.61
636–642 value added 639 6 390.00–432.50 $414.51 $2,649 —
680 680 1 375.00 $375.00 $2,550 -37.01
650–699 value added 688 27 402.50–423.00 $413.59 $2,845 —
710–740 value added 720 11 370.00–400.00 $388.85 $2,800 —
725 725 4 345.00 $345.00 $2,501 -17.92
754–797 value added 758 63 368.00–382.00 $380.60 $2,885 —
780 780 1 357.50 $357.50 $2,788 —
814–835 value added 815 69 360.00–372.75 $371.99 $3,032 —
866 866 4 347.50 $347.50 $3,009 +20.02
900–935 value added 919 113 324.50–332.00 $327.95 $3,014 —
990 990 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,920 —
1020 value added 1020 51 310.50 $310.50 $3,167 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,014 —
770 770 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,483 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–282 fancy 280 9 510.00–565.00 $554.15 $1,552 —
297 297 2 450.00 $450.00 $1,336 —
310 310 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,457 -30.00
322–345 fancy 332 5 500.00–540.00 $517.41 $1,718 -32.59
355–395 fancy 389 27 530.00–580.00 $551.14 $2,144 +6.14
405–445 fancy 420 14 465.00–545.00 $494.53 $2,077 —
405–440 423 5 410.00–432.50 $425.87 $1,801 -81.06
455–465 fancy 462 3 475.00–477.50 $476.68 $2,202 —
475–495 488 4 420.00–445.00 $434.97 $2,123 -42.53
500–545 value added 522 51 405.00–439.00 $433.98 $2,265 —
535 535 1 397.50 $397.50 $2,127 -20.94
550–585 value added 566 14 407.50–425.00 $414.92 $2,348 —
590–597 595 3 365.00–390.00 $381.73 $2,271 -24.65
610–620 value added 611 11 365.00–390.00 $387.69 $2,369 —
623 623 4 330.00 $330.00 $2,056 -21.77
654–680 value added 658 13 350.00–370.00 $353.18 $2,324 -11.57
663–690 671 5 330.00–347.50 $340.38 $2,284 -5.38
720 value added 720 10 347.00 $347.00 $2,498 —
778 778 3 336.00 $336.00 $2,614 +34.13
840 840 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,646 —
1010 1010 1 296.00 $296.00 $2,990 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,402 —
405–410 408 2 380.00–395.00 $387.45 $1,581 —
480 480 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,824 -35.00
540 540 1 347.50 $347.50 $1,876 —
585 585 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,989 —
660–695 677 3 300.00–312.50 $304.90 $2,064 —
705–730 713 3 290.00–315.00 $299.09 $2,133 —
855 855 1 257.50 $257.50 $2,202 —
900 900 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,340 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 fancy 215 1 620.00 $620.00 $1,333 —
310 310 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,457 -75.00
375–385 380 3 450.00–470.00 $456.75 $1,736 -98.25
417–435 fancy 423 3 470.00–482.50 $478.22 $2,023 -63.47
435–445 442 3 415.00–435.00 $427.46 $1,889 -67.81
470 470 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,974 -55.00
450–495 fancy 473 2 515.00–540.00 $526.90 $2,492 —
510–545 522 3 447.50–450.00 $449.13 $2,344 —
500–545 fancy 530 3 467.50–492.50 $484.64 $2,569 —
550–595 573 2 435.00–447.50 $441.00 $2,527 -20.69
610–635 fancy 624 4 380.00–403.00 $395.01 $2,465 -39.99
635 635 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,254 -52.50
690 690 1 357.50 $357.50 $2,467 —
752 752 2 312.50 $312.50 $2,350 —
915 915 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,676 —
1080 1080 1 222.50 $222.50 $2,403 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,320 —
450–470 460 2 400.00–440.00 $420.43 $1,934 +20.43
580 580 1 410.00 $410.00 $2,378 —
665 665 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,161 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1440 1304 80-85% 14 161.00–179.00 $169.33 $2,208 —
1240–1460 1347 80-85% 6 143.00–158.00 $150.54 $2,028 +5.54
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–965 945 85-90% 2 130.00–134.00 $131.96 $1,247 +17.62
810–1150 1025 85-90% 8 136.00–159.00 $150.36 $1,541 —
1015–1215 1115 85-90% 2 110.00 $110.00 $1,226 —
1135 1135 85-90% 1 177.00 $177.00 $2,009 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–1670 1610 75-80% 3 164.00–167.00 $165.68 $2,667 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1505 1463 2 184.00–186.00 $184.97 $2,706 —
1505 1505 1 175.00 $175.00 $2,634 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
810–1090 924 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 165.00–235.00 $189.47 $1,751
910–1160 1037 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 8 160.00–182.50 $170.23 $1,765
1260 1260 (<2 yrs)Open 1 267.50 $267.50 $3,370

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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.