Cattle Market Pulse

Cattleman's Livestock Market Report

Bowling Green, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 8, 2024

581 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Cattleman's Livestock report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $279.50/cwt ≈ $1,839/hd at 658 lb · 37 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $246.22/cwt -8.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,253/hd at 509 lb · 33 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $285.00/cwt +14.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,570/hd at 551 lb · 28 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 581 222 215
Feeder cattle 510 182 143
Slaughter cattle 53 27 26
Replacement cattle 18 13 46

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday: Feeder steers sold 3.00-5.00 lower. Feeder heifers traded 5.00-7.00 lower. The demand for steers and heifers was somewhat lower on an average quality offering. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 3.00-5.00 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
363 363 4 324.00 $324.00 $1,176 —
413–420 415 4 302.00–317.00 $313.20 $1,300 -16.80
450–473 462 7 289.00–301.00 $296.11 $1,368 +15.13
505–534 528 14 294.00–303.00 $298.04 $1,574 +12.04
559 559 10 301.00 $301.00 $1,683 —
600–630 624 13 260.50–273.00 $266.66 $1,664 -4.34
658 value added 658 37 279.50 $279.50 $1,839 —
700–745 730 13 225.00–240.00 $237.36 $1,733 -13.14
773 773 2 228.00 $228.00 $1,762 -5.00
820–835 828 2 209.00–216.00 $212.47 $1,759 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 285.00 $285.00 $912 —
365–390 378 2 289.00–291.00 $289.97 $1,096 —
448 448 2 289.00 $289.00 $1,295 —
478 478 3 276.00 $276.00 $1,319 —
525 525 1 261.00 $261.00 $1,370 —
577–583 580 6 235.00–266.00 $250.58 $1,453 —
653–690 678 8 238.00–252.00 $249.74 $1,693 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
483 483 2 282.00 $282.00 $1,362 —
553 553 2 226.00 $226.00 $1,250 —
668 668 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,503 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–395 390 2 260.00–271.00 $265.43 $1,035 —
595 595 1 233.00 $233.00 $1,386 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328–335 329 5 287.50–299.00 $296.66 $976 —
359–366 363 9 285.00–291.00 $288.36 $1,047 -9.35
410–449 421 24 254.50–278.00 $270.70 $1,140 +4.83
453–470 461 7 244.00–260.00 $249.80 $1,152 -5.76
504–522 509 33 242.00–249.50 $246.22 $1,253 -8.22
555–586 573 25 235.00–247.00 $237.57 $1,361 +37.57
617–630 624 27 233.00–243.00 $236.56 $1,476 -8.94
670–690 688 15 209.00–221.00 $216.39 $1,489 -4.36
760 760 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,349 —
763 763 3 203.00 $203.00 $1,549 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278–295 284 3 285.00–290.00 $288.27 $819 —
360–370 363 6 255.00–266.00 $262.27 $952 -9.73
407–428 418 10 242.00–250.00 $246.12 $1,029 —
485 485 6 240.00 $240.00 $1,164 —
627–640 629 6 200.00–206.00 $204.98 $1,289 —
705 705 4 190.00 $190.00 $1,340 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 220.00 $220.00 $759 —
388 388 2 252.00 $252.00 $978 —
770 770 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,194 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955 955 3 173.00 $173.00 $1,652 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302–345 314 8 325.00–339.00 $332.46 $1,044 -5.46
402 402 4 310.00 $310.00 $1,246 -2.52
407 fancy 407 10 323.00 $323.00 $1,315 —
455 455 3 306.00 $306.00 $1,392 +15.00
502 502 20 295.00 $295.00 $1,481 +12.00
551 551 28 285.00 $285.00 $1,570 +14.00
654 654 8 246.00 $246.00 $1,609 +8.50
708–745 724 4 210.00–225.00 $217.15 $1,572 —
810 810 3 188.00 $188.00 $1,523 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 315.00 $315.00 $992 +45.00
425–440 433 2 257.50–282.50 $270.22 $1,170 —
492–495 493 4 285.00 $285.00 $1,405 +17.03
520 520 1 266.00 $266.00 $1,383 —
592 592 18 252.00 $252.00 $1,492 +7.00
648 648 2 217.50 $217.50 $1,409 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 275.00 $275.00 $949 —
390 390 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,034 —
495 495 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,089 —
500 500 2 239.00 $239.00 $1,195 —
550 550 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,226 —
810 810 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,418 —
985 985 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,330 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,190 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785 785 85-90% 1 123.00 $123.00 $966 —
780–1120 889 85-90% 4 88.00–96.00 $92.87 $826 —
800–1145 973 85-90% 2 75.00–77.00 $75.82 $738 -17.18
860–1205 999 85-90% 9 103.00–115.00 $109.37 $1,093 +16.37
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1140 1081 80-85% 5 122.00–126.00 $123.86 $1,339 +0.55
1185–1380 1262 80-85% 9 106.00–118.00 $112.94 $1,425 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1590 1375 75-80% 4 118.00–120.00 $118.79 $1,633 —
1270–1735 1466 75-80% 8 125.00–134.00 $129.48 $1,898 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1645 1410 7 124.00–138.00 $132.80 $1,872 —
1435–1925 1620 3 145.00–149.00 $146.23 $2,369 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1105–1540 1317 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,350.00–1,810.00 $1,598.72
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
840–905 882 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,300.00–1,350.00 $1,317.01
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1080 1080 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805–945 885 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,325.00–1,450.00 $1,389.10

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1280 1280 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

↑ 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.