Sale reports / Kentucky / Cattleman's Livestock Auction - Bowling Green / 2026-05-04

Cattleman's Livestock Auction - Bowling Green

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Bowling Green, Kentucky · Mon, May 4
● Final50 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2213
Feeder Cattle receipts
121 head
▼ 155 vs last sale 276▼ 17 vs year ago 138 · −12.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
22 head
▲ 8 vs last sale 14▲ 7 vs year ago 15 · +46.7%
Replacement Cattle receipts
14 head
▲ 2 vs last sale 12▲ 3 vs year ago 11 · +27.3%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Monday: Feeder steers sold sharply lower. Feeder heifers traded 2.00-4.00 lower. Today's smaller offering and very few weaned calves contributed to the lower prices. No test on slaughter cows and bulls due to limited comparisons.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $406.85/cwt on 11 head, up $0.97 from the prior sale (only 17 head in that comparison). That ranks 26 of 27 comparable sales and sits +32.87 against this barn's trailing median of $373.98.
Average price
$406.85
▲ 0.97 vs prior sale
11 head · 528 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,149
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$148
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$18.36/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−6.64
vs KY average
−21.05 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2533413.532,2037thin
Medium and Large 2-3520395.172,0554thin
One grade step is worth $18.36/cwt here — about $148 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale11 hd
406.85
—
KY average26 barns · 1,247 hd
413.50
−6.64
National average182 barns · 12,459 hd
427.90
−21.05
This barn, trailing median27 sales
373.98
+32.87
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

27 sales
427390353317median 373.9803/0204/2006/2209/2111/02
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $412.71, low $330.64, median $373.98 across 27 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—High1,900210.003,9901thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,362164.732,2445thin
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,149160.091,8398thin
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,007151.801,5295thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,058$3,4833thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,455$3,0923thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,237$2,9923thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,075$3,5001thin

Every lot

50 lots · USDA AMS · Cattleman's Livestock - Bowling Green, KY
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers9 lots · lightest first
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2400522.50/cwt522.50–522.502,0904
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2-3445475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,1141
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2452515.00/cwt515.00–515.002,3286
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2-3478481.55/cwt465.00–490.002,3023
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2535474.89/cwt465.00–480.002,54112
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2603425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,5632
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2-3605375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,2691
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2695375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,6061
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2805325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,6161
Feeder Cattle · Heifers14 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2-3315500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,5751
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3353458.35/cwt455.00–460.001,6183
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2374530.00/cwt530.00–530.001,9824
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2408476.37/cwt470.00–482.501,9444
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2-3433445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,9273
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2465450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,0932
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3490400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,9601
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2497425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,1128
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2503430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,1633
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3520395.17/cwt390.00–400.002,0554
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2555401.18/cwt390.00–405.002,2274
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2614348.33/cwt335.00–350.002,1399
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2663337.81/cwt335.00–340.002,2407
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2735307.50/cwt307.50–307.502,2601
Feeder Cattle · Bulls11 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2278632.50/cwt632.50–632.501,7582
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2335584.89/cwt577.50–592.501,9592
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3435452.27/cwt442.50–462.501,9672
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2-3460437.36/cwt425.00–450.002,0122
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2475475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,2561
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2504480.00/cwt480.00–480.002,4195
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2-3515430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,2151
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2-3565400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,2601
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2585420.00/cwt420.00–420.002,4572
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2600410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,4603
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2-3617350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,1603
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls——1,900210.00/cwt210.00–210.003,9901
Slaughter Cattle · Cows8 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%908145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,3172
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,000139.00/cwt139.00–139.001,3901
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,080175.00/cwt175.00–175.001,8901
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,132159.38/cwt152.50–163.001,8043
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,140155.00/cwt155.00–155.001,7671
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,142170.00/cwt170.00–170.001,9413
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,185146.30/cwt141.00–151.001,7342
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,362164.73/cwt157.50–169.002,2445
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows6 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Small and Medium 1-29802,900.00/head2,900.00–2,900.002,9001
Bred Cows—Medium 1-21,0052,900.00/head2,900.00–2,900.002,9001
Bred Cows—Medium 1-21,0453,400.00/head3,400.00–3,400.003,4002
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,0853,650.00/head3,650.00–3,650.003,6501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3533,037.71/head2,900.00–3,150.003,0382
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,6933,187.96/head2,950.00–3,400.003,1882
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-21,0753,500.00/head3,500.00–3,500.003,5001

This sale against other markets

Kentucky weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Kentucky auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.