Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass Stockyards Market Report

Richmond, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, April 17, 2026

400 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $440.14/cwt -1.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,919/hd at 663 lb · 76 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $476.00/cwt -23.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,756/hd at 579 lb · 41 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $382.16/cwt -47.61 vs last sale · ≈ $2,384/hd at 624 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 400 764 349
Feeder cattle 346 721 292
Slaughter cattle 38 38 39
Replacement cattle 16 5 18

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold steady on a light test. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady on a light test.

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
356–375 fancy 361 4 660.00–670.00 $667.40 $2,409 —
380–388 386 4 615.00–625.00 $622.54 $2,403 +32.54
437 fancy 437 2 550.00 $550.00 $2,404 —
443 443 3 515.00 $515.00 $2,281 -6.28
510–520 value added 515 2 527.50–532.50 $529.98 $2,729 +23.32
512–530 521 4 492.50–520.00 $506.01 $2,636 +32.71
579 value added 579 41 476.00 $476.00 $2,756 -27.32
635–641 639 7 410.00–422.50 $413.55 $2,643 —
647 value added 647 9 447.50 $447.50 $2,895 -14.96
661 value added 661 71 443.00 $443.00 $2,928 -8.19
690–695 693 5 395.00–405.00 $399.49 $2,768 -14.11
702–735 value added 712 13 382.50–395.00 $388.06 $2,763 -21.94
788 788 9 363.00 $363.00 $2,860 -9.50
865 865 1 327.50 $327.50 $2,833 -13.00
935 935 3 325.00 $325.00 $3,039 +6.27
993 993 8 319.00 $319.00 $3,168 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 450.00 $450.00 $2,025 —
540 540 1 437.50 $437.50 $2,362 —
670 670 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,479 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735 735 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,572 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,632 +8.01
360–380 372 3 492.50–505.00 $499.90 $1,860 -10.10
420 420 4 480.00–490.00 $485.00 $2,037 +5.98
470 470 1 472.50 $472.50 $2,221 +11.25
520–526 523 8 432.50–440.00 $436.86 $2,285 -6.06
553 553 3 447.50 $447.50 $2,475 +25.00
619 value added 619 16 385.00 $385.00 $2,383 -51.54
636–640 637 6 372.50–375.00 $374.58 $2,386 -16.81
681 681 3 347.50 $347.50 $2,366 -2.50
725–727 value added 726 3 337.50–340.00 $339.17 $2,462 -4.45
846 value added 846 4 330.00 $330.00 $2,792 —
882 882 2 310.00 $310.00 $2,734 —
1015 1015 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,740 —
1140 1140 1 222.50 $222.50 $2,536 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–320 315 2 475.00–480.00 $477.46 $1,504 +27.46
360 360 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,728 —
445 445 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,025 +9.13
450–490 466 9 435.00–455.00 $443.21 $2,065 -2.58
500–545 525 14 400.00–420.00 $411.14 $2,158 -7.84
579 579 5 400.00 $400.00 $2,316 +20.00
717 717 2 307.50 $307.50 $2,205 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
467–495 473 5 442.50–462.50 $458.31 $2,168 —
525 525 1 425.00 $425.00 $2,231 —
590 590 1 362.50 $362.50 $2,139 -62.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 452.50 $452.50 $1,561 —
435 435 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,784 —
485 485 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,013 -5.00
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,989 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,006 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 660.00 $660.00 $1,551 —
330 330 1 590.00 $590.00 $1,947 +20.09
345 fancy 345 1 640.00 $640.00 $2,208 —
365–395 377 3 597.50–615.00 $605.65 $2,283 +46.69
415–420 418 2 550.00 $550.00 $2,299 +17.64
460–490 470 3 500.00–515.00 $510.11 $2,398 -5.82
505–520 515 5 480.00–505.00 $496.98 $2,559 +6.20
515 fancy 515 2 520.00 $520.00 $2,678 —
585 585 1 440.00 $440.00 $2,574 -29.78
605–625 611 4 390.00–407.50 $399.42 $2,440 +15.78
650–686 675 8 370.00–392.50 $377.44 $2,548 -15.66
705 705 3 372.50 $372.50 $2,626 +5.00
820 820 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,460 -2.83
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 535.00 $535.00 $2,541 +2.50
505 505 1 472.50 $472.50 $2,386 +32.50
562–585 574 4 440.00–450.00 $444.90 $2,554 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 530.00 $530.00 $2,067 +9.01
405 405 1 510.00 $510.00 $2,066 -3.86
655 655 1 367.50 $367.50 $2,407 +2.50
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,326 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1195 1195 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,525.00 $2,525.00 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1375 1242 80-85% 8 167.00–179.00 $173.93 $2,160 —
1125–1365 1273 80-85% 8 180.00–188.00 $183.14 $2,331 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 725 85-90% 1 125.00 $125.00 $906 —
810–850 830 85-90% 2 129.00–135.00 $131.93 $1,095 —
870–1190 1071 85-90% 5 148.00–154.00 $151.88 $1,627 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1430–1500 1465 75-80% 2 174.00–175.00 $174.49 $2,556 -23.00
1485–1975 1657 75-80% 6 179.00–185.00 $181.99 $3,016 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1655 1655 1 184.00 $184.00 $3,045 —
1680–1690 1685 2 206.00–214.00 $210.01 $3,539 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
840 840 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,995.00 $1,995.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970–1170 1073 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,400.00–2,500.00 $2,448.29
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
875 875 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
825 825 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,425.00 $2,425.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1030–1275 1135 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 3 3,150.00–3,700.00 $3,404.41 —

↑ Back to top

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.