Cattle Market Pulse

Cattleman's Livestock Market Report, Bowling Green, KY

Bowling Green, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 15, 2024

227 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $261.27/cwt +11.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,215/hd at 465 lb · 17 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $311.75/cwt +13.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,712/hd at 549 lb · 12 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $327.42/cwt ≈ $1,221/hd at 373 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 227 581 109
Feeder cattle 179 510 80
Slaughter cattle 24 53 29
Replacement cattle 24 18 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday: Today's feeder calf offering was lower in quantity but much higher on quality. Feeder steers and heifers sold sharply higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows traded 4.00-6.00 higher and slaughter bulls were 7.00-9.00 higher 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
384 384 5 340.00 $340.00 $1,306 +16.00
453 453 5 317.00 $317.00 $1,436 +20.89
548–549 549 12 310.00–313.00 $311.75 $1,712 +13.71
605–616 614 5 259.00–261.00 $259.39 $1,593 -7.27
665 665 1 268.00 $268.00 $1,782 —
730 730 2 232.50–236.00 $234.25 $1,710 -3.11
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925 925 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,619 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 2 318.00 $318.00 $763 —
298 298 2 302.00 $302.00 $900 —
363 363 4 291.00 $291.00 $1,056 +2.64
403 403 4 293.00 $293.00 $1,181 +22.30
462–477 465 17 260.00–267.00 $261.27 $1,215 +11.47
504 504 8 259.50 $259.50 $1,308 +13.28
561–595 570 8 236.00–241.00 $239.69 $1,366 +2.12
616 616 6 235.00 $235.00 $1,448 -1.56
675–690 683 2 205.00–210.00 $207.47 $1,417 -8.92
703 703 4 208.00 $208.00 $1,462 —
844 844 4 201.00 $201.00 $1,696 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 338 2 280.00–281.00 $280.49 $948 +60.49
475–485 482 3 220.00–221.00 $220.66 $1,064 —
530 530 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,272 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 339.00 $339.00 $915 —
359–386 373 11 315.00–338.00 $327.42 $1,221 —
407–445 417 4 308.00–322.00 $318.26 $1,327 +8.26
455–482 475 4 300.00–309.00 $306.85 $1,458 +0.85
528 528 6 303.00 $303.00 $1,600 +8.00
555–595 571 5 279.00–296.00 $288.91 $1,650 +3.91
634 634 8 263.00 $263.00 $1,667 —
670–691 678 11 234.00–244.00 $240.29 $1,629 -5.71
703 703 2 236.00 $236.00 $1,659 +18.85
770 770 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,617 —
805 805 2 187.50 $187.50 $1,509 -0.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,000 -25.00
415 415 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,141 +4.78
453 453 2 281.00 $281.00 $1,273 —
535 535 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,498 +14.00
615 615 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,359 +3.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,141 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1705 1341 75-80% 4 125.00–130.00 $127.78 $1,714 —
1255–1495 1355 75-80% 3 132.00–139.00 $135.26 $1,833 +16.47
1525 1525 75-80% 1 106.50 $106.50 $1,624 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–945 903 85-90% 2 84.00–86.00 $84.95 $767 —
1005–1060 1033 85-90% 2 75.00 $75.00 $775 —
1085–1265 1175 85-90% 2 105.00–111.00 $107.77 $1,266 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 80-85% 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,182 —
1125 1125 80-85% 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,384 —
1265 1265 80-85% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,644 +17.06

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1865 1573 2 134.00–149.00 $142.90 $2,248 —
1910 1910 1 154.00 $154.00 $2,941 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100–1200 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,725.00–2,050.00 $1,894.57
1150 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,750.00 $1,750.00
1165–1265 1215 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,100.00–1,500.00 $1,291.77
1235–1390 1351 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,600.00–1,750.00 $1,715.73
1490 1490 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,975.00 $1,975.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1185 1185 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000–1035 1012 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1300 1300 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1105–1150 1128 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,625.00–2,275.00 $1,956.49 —
1405 1405 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,425.00 $2,425.00 —

↑ 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.