Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, April 3, 2026

288 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $576.29/cwt +57.24 vs last sale · ≈ $2,754/hd at 478 lb · 24 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $514.91/cwt +39.49 vs last sale · ≈ $2,387/hd at 464 lb · 22 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $396.67/cwt -1.80 vs last sale · ≈ $2,541/hd at 641 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 288 427 40
Feeder cattle 237 366 25
Slaughter cattle 39 19 14
Replacement cattle 12 42 1

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold sharply higher. Good quality offering of feeders with favorable body condition. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher.

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
225 225 1 640.00 $640.00 $1,440 —
350 350 1 600.00 $600.00 $2,100 —
420 420 2 585.00 $585.00 $2,457 —
433–435 value added 434 4 625.00–635.00 $632.49 $2,745 —
450–460 value added 455 2 580.00–597.50 $588.85 $2,679 —
470–495 487 4 527.50–540.00 $531.94 $2,591 +31.94
500–545 value added 530 6 545.00–550.00 $548.43 $2,907 +23.41
545 545 1 470.00 $470.00 $2,562 —
550 550 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,722 +42.50
560 value added 560 3 525.00–535.00 $531.67 $2,977 +31.67
600–630 606 5 435.00–450.00 $439.53 $2,664 +27.03
616 value added 616 4 483.00 $483.00 $2,975 +24.48
650 650 1 390.00 $390.00 $2,535 -14.79
710 710 1 390.00 $390.00 $2,769 +51.68
775 775 2 360.00 $360.00 $2,790 —
910 910 2 337.00 $337.00 $3,067 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527 527 2 452.50 $452.50 $2,385 —
590 590 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,360 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 540.00 $540.00 $2,268 —
570 570 1 457.50 $457.50 $2,608 —
650 650 1 385.00 $385.00 $2,502 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 540.00 $540.00 $2,133 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,280 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 545.00 $545.00 $1,281 —
295 295 1 515.00 $515.00 $1,519 —
340 340 1 530.00 $530.00 $1,802 —
365–390 383 6 520.00–532.50 $529.18 $2,027 -6.23
382–397 fancy 390 4 550.00–565.00 $557.36 $2,174 —
401–410 value added 403 4 537.50–552.50 $548.69 $2,211 +41.19
420–440 430 2 495.00–500.00 $497.44 $2,139 +34.94
458 value added 458 11 525.00 $525.00 $2,404 —
450–485 469 11 497.50–517.50 $504.82 $2,368 +29.40
505–540 517 5 437.50–445.00 $443.53 $2,293 +16.21
521–545 value added 527 4 465.00–467.50 $466.85 $2,460 —
626 626 4 380.00 $380.00 $2,379 +19.18
648 value added 648 8 405.00 $405.00 $2,624 —
757 value added 757 4 350.00 $350.00 $2,650 —
765–775 770 2 315.00–325.00 $320.03 $2,464 —
812 812 2 322.50 $322.50 $2,619 +37.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–480 473 2 450.00–460.00 $455.08 $2,153 +27.58
530 530 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,908 -36.38
580–598 593 7 350.00–367.50 $355.33 $2,107 -24.67
620–630 625 2 330.00–345.00 $337.44 $2,109 —
720 720 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,160 —
755–765 760 2 280.00–302.50 $291.18 $2,213 —
800 800 1 252.50 $252.50 $2,020 —
895 895 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,193 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 4 430.00 $430.00 $2,344 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 457.50 $457.50 $2,036 —
660 660 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,914 —
735 735 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,948 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 482.50 $482.50 $2,123 +42.50
505–535 520 2 385.00–397.50 $391.07 $2,034 +11.07
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,082 +10.00
830 830 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,909 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 fancy 323 3 655.00 $655.00 $2,116 —
325–345 335 2 570.00–615.00 $593.17 $1,987 —
405 fancy 405 1 640.00 $640.00 $2,592 +70.00
412–435 420 7 550.00–580.00 $567.06 $2,382 +12.06
460–470 fancy 465 2 592.50–595.00 $593.76 $2,761 —
475–495 479 22 560.00–582.50 $574.70 $2,753 +55.65
500–535 518 3 470.00–500.00 $480.48 $2,489 +26.18
525 fancy 525 2 537.50 $537.50 $2,822 —
570–575 573 3 435.00–440.00 $438.34 $2,512 +0.84
607–640 617 5 392.50–400.00 $397.48 $2,452 —
675 675 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,565 —
700–705 703 2 370.00–385.00 $377.53 $2,654 +2.53
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 2 500.00 $500.00 $2,100 —
470–490 480 2 530.00–540.00 $534.90 $2,568 +44.90
500 500 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,225 —
570 570 2 405.00 $405.00 $2,308 —
720 720 1 362.50 $362.50 $2,610 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 530.00 $530.00 $2,067 +5.00
405 405 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,944 ±0.00
570 570 1 472.50 $472.50 $2,693 +27.50
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 2 230.00 $230.00 $2,082 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,868 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1315 1220 80-85% 5 169.00–174.00 $172.13 $2,100 -0.92
1255 1255 80-85% 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,882 -46.00
1115–1420 1324 80-85% 10 181.00–196.00 $189.36 $2,507 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1005 908 85-90% 2 105.00–119.00 $111.25 $1,010 —
900–1135 1001 85-90% 4 141.00–146.00 $144.28 $1,444 —
1035–1145 1085 85-90% 5 154.00–159.00 $155.97 $1,692 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 75-80% 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,932 —
1375–1650 1524 75-80% 6 180.00–186.00 $182.84 $2,786 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1355 1278 2 196.00–199.00 $197.41 $2,523 —
1575 1575 1 174.00 $174.00 $2,740 —
1695–1710 1703 2 215.00–217.00 $216.00 $3,678 +19.07

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1005 1005 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00
1150 1150 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00
1205 1205 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00
1155–1325 1220 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,050.00–2,400.00 $2,250.96
1250 1250 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
730 730 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00

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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.