Cattle Market Pulse

Paris Stockyards Market Report

Paris, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 18, 2026

517 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Paris Stockyards report →

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $468.61/cwt -11.73 vs last sale · ≈ $2,480/hd at 529 lb · 27 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $457.31/cwt +17.89 vs last sale · ≈ $2,825/hd at 618 lb · 24 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $411.01/cwt -22.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,150/hd at 523 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 517 564 0
Feeder cattle 375 498 0
Slaughter cattle 61 55 0
Replacement cattle 81 11 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower on a plainer quality offering. There was moderate to good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 2.00 lower. There was 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
242 242 2 575.00 $575.00 $1,392 -25.00
315 315 1 525.00 $525.00 $1,654 —
375–380 378 2 512.00–520.00 $515.97 $1,950 -4.03
410 fancy 410 1 600.00 $600.00 $2,460 +63.00
418–440 425 6 500.00–520.00 $513.10 $2,181 -4.51
525 fancy 525 3 515.00 $515.00 $2,704 —
506–540 526 16 442.50–467.50 $451.36 $2,374 -20.97
536–545 value added 537 8 475.00–497.00 $485.73 $2,608 -11.79
560–575 568 7 440.00–457.50 $451.97 $2,567 -14.08
606–628 value added 617 16 461.00–470.00 $465.58 $2,873 —
600–642 618 7 426.00–440.00 $434.18 $2,683 -5.24
630 fancy 630 1 487.00 $487.00 $3,068 —
661 value added 661 4 437.00 $437.00 $2,889 —
650–694 682 7 409.00–420.00 $411.67 $2,808 +26.92
700–749 741 12 370.00–377.00 $375.90 $2,785 -3.90
810 810 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,794 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,610 -20.00
425–438 435 5 470.00–480.00 $478.05 $2,080 -23.48
495 495 1 470.00 $470.00 $2,326 —
540–545 543 2 430.00–435.00 $432.49 $2,348 -16.16
610 610 2 410.00–415.00 $412.50 $2,516 +5.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,323 —
270–280 275 2 510.00–520.00 $514.91 $1,416 —
330 330 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,666 -14.13
350 fancy 350 2 495.00–500.00 $497.50 $1,741 —
350–397 378 9 450.00–465.00 $455.17 $1,721 -22.07
420–430 fancy 425 2 465.00–475.00 $469.94 $1,997 -13.42
410–447 433 13 425.00–440.00 $432.31 $1,872 -25.56
460 fancy 460 1 460.00 $460.00 $2,116 -10.00
475–498 486 8 400.00–420.00 $408.82 $1,987 -43.92
500–542 523 22 400.00–420.00 $411.01 $2,150 -22.96
555–590 580 10 382.00–402.50 $392.55 $2,277 -16.43
614 value added 614 10 410.00 $410.00 $2,517 -12.21
618–640 622 10 362.00–382.50 $375.74 $2,337 +5.34
660–695 679 4 332.00–355.00 $340.79 $2,314 -36.71
708–746 732 12 330.00–347.50 $339.99 $2,489 +25.95
760–781 778 8 325.00–345.00 $342.56 $2,665 —
885 885 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,854 —
917 917 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,889 +5.00
1165 1165 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,563 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 462.50 $462.50 $1,596 -20.79
405 405 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,721 +15.00
455–460 458 2 402.00–405.00 $403.49 $1,848 —
500–545 519 5 390.00–397.00 $393.84 $2,044 —
560–575 565 4 370.00–375.00 $373.73 $2,112 -6.84
620 620 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,139 -12.50
680 680 1 322.00 $322.00 $2,190 -6.31
752 752 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,993 —
915 915 2 285.00 $285.00 $2,608 —
1035 1035 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,588 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385 1385 1 206.00 $206.00 $2,853 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
195 195 1 625.00 $625.00 $1,219 —
300–315 308 2 520.00 $520.00 $1,602 —
350–377 370 4 500.00–507.00 $504.08 $1,865 +64.08
420 420 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,932 -40.00
455–490 471 4 470.00–477.00 $474.68 $2,236 -37.82
480 fancy 480 2 492.00 $492.00 $2,362 —
500–545 522 8 452.50–477.00 $468.08 $2,443 +23.08
535 value added 535 4 475.00 $475.00 $2,541 —
565–578 fancy 575 6 455.00–475.00 $468.40 $2,693 -1.60
570–595 581 5 425.00–437.00 $430.18 $2,499 -13.46
600–627 618 3 412.00–425.00 $416.21 $2,572 +26.21
655–660 658 3 365.00–375.00 $368.32 $2,424 -10.00
730–732 731 4 360.00–367.00 $363.50 $2,657 —
755–770 764 7 350.00–362.00 $358.84 $2,742 +21.34
860 860 2 297.50 $297.50 $2,558 —
970 970 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,668 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,494 —
355–360 358 2 460.00–470.00 $464.97 $1,665 +114.97
410 410 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,866 +5.00
465–495 480 2 440.00 $440.00 $2,112 -30.00
530 530 2 430.00 $430.00 $2,279 —
570 570 1 410.00 $410.00 $2,337 —
645 645 1 372.50 $372.50 $2,403 +6.92
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1135–1540 1372 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 3 3,400.00–3,475.00 $3,439.40 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1170 1147 80-85% 3 165.00–168.00 $166.32 $1,908 —
1130–1225 1173 80-85% 4 172.00–179.00 $176.55 $2,071 +1.09
1110–1365 1243 80-85% 9 189.00–197.00 $193.17 $2,401 —
1040–1425 1250 80-85% 12 179.00–187.00 $183.67 $2,296 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–915 858 85-90% 2 160.00–165.00 $162.33 $1,393 -15.67
810–975 905 85-90% 3 152.00–158.00 $155.85 $1,410 -34.15
845–1005 948 85-90% 5 170.00–176.00 $173.69 $1,647 -16.31
865–1035 950 85-90% 2 180.00–183.00 $181.63 $1,725 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1545 1545 75-80% 1 172.00 $172.00 $2,657 -14.12
1455–1710 1588 75-80% 5 191.00–200.00 $194.90 $3,095 +18.90
1490–1940 1653 75-80% 3 183.00–186.00 $184.23 $3,045 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1665 1501 4 217.00–224.00 $220.65 $3,312 —
2030 2030 1 239.00 $239.00 $4,852 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1035–1165 1097 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 230.00–242.00 $237.75 $2,608

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910–1120 1050 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,500.00–2,400.00 $2,024.17
1070–1345 1245 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 2,800.00–2,950.00 $2,904.28
930–1515 1253 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 8 1,975.00–3,100.00 $2,683.11

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1060–1750 1336 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 12 2,550.00–4,400.00 $3,746.66 —
1345–1542 1463 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 6 3,950.00–5,100.00 $4,643.67 +118.67
1690 1690 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 4,650.00 $4,650.00 —
1705 1705 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 4,500.00 $4,500.00 —
1640–1855 1748 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 4,650.00–5,500.00 $5,048.86 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
675 675 1 269.00 $269.00 $1,816 —

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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.