Sale reports / Kentucky / Owensboro Livestock Auction / 2026-03-23

Owensboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Owensboro, Kentucky · Mon, Mar 23
● Final61 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2201
Feeder Cattle receipts
400 head
▲ 223 vs last sale 177▼ 120 vs year ago 520 · −23.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
50 head
▲ 29 vs last sale 21▲ 9 vs year ago 41 · +22.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
11 head
▲ 5 vs last sale 6▼ 2 vs year ago 13 · −15.4%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week feeder classes sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Good demand for feeder classes with serval offerings of thinner light weight feeders. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold steady. Good demand for slaughter classes.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $376.28/cwt on 29 head, down $5.05 from the prior sale (only 15 head in that comparison). That ranks 11 of 27 comparable sales and sits −13.88 against this barn's trailing median of $390.16.
Average price
$376.28
▼ 5.05 vs prior sale
29 head · 542 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,041
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$490
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$74.62/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−35.96
vs KY average
−48.91 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2547387.522,12024
Medium and Large 2515360.001,8541thin
Medium and Large 2-3521312.911,6304thin
One grade step is worth $74.62/cwt here — about $490 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 sale29 hd
376.28
—
KY average25 barns · 1,211 hd
412.24
−35.96
National average176 barns · 15,314 hd
425.19
−48.91
This barn, trailing median27 sales
390.16
−13.88
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
456407358309median 390.1603/0204/2006/1509/1411/02
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $441.67, low $322.89, median $390.16 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—High1,791180.143,2275thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,591160.942,56110
CowsBoner 80-85%Very Low1,222154.131,88421
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low881121.231,0697thin

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 Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,268$2,9902thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,320$2,3251thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,120$2,0001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,250$3,0501thin

Every lot

61 lots · USDA AMS · Kentuckiana Livestock Market - Owensboro, 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 · Steers11 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2377568.94/cwt520.00–601.002,14512
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy410580.00/cwt580.00–580.002,3781
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2419537.68/cwt509.00–553.002,2536
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2454508.90/cwt478.00–515.002,31020
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2515432.00/cwt432.00–432.002,2252
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2570410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,3371
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2587425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,4953
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2602435.00/cwt435.00–435.002,6199
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2-3608320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,9462
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2695364.00/cwt364.00–364.002,5302
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2735370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,7202
Feeder Cattle · Heifers20 lots · lightest first
Heifers150–200Medium and Large 1-2180647.00/cwt647.00–647.001,1653
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1-2Fancy227666.19/cwt620.00–675.001,51210
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2270520.00/cwt520.00–520.001,4041
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2Fancy277640.00/cwt640.00–640.001,7738
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2309556.47/cwt525.00–587.001,71916
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2375499.89/cwt492.00–502.001,87528
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3383422.06/cwt315.00–440.001,6167
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2412464.02/cwt427.00–480.001,9127
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2460452.00/cwt452.00–452.002,07920
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3493389.95/cwt380.00–400.001,9222
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3508317.21/cwt300.00–350.001,6113
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2515360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,8541
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2518403.61/cwt380.00–410.002,09114
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2-3560300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,6801
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2588365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,14610
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2625314.96/cwt310.00–320.001,9692
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2657347.49/cwt320.00–350.002,28312
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2725300.00/cwt300.00–300.002,1751
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2Value Added747335.50/cwt335.50–335.502,50648
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2850301.00/cwt301.00–301.002,5591
Feeder Cattle · Bulls13 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1-2Fancy215737.09/cwt720.00–755.001,5852
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2272596.33/cwt590.00–617.001,6229
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2Fancy275708.00/cwt708.00–708.001,94728
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2326570.76/cwt557.00–577.001,8616
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy359587.00/cwt587.00–587.002,10714
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2365465.00/cwt465.00–465.001,6971
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy406532.00/cwt532.00–532.002,1608
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2428502.12/cwt471.00–512.002,14922
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2488447.00/cwt447.00–447.002,1812
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2505444.06/cwt400.00–450.002,2439
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2573354.05/cwt350.00–358.002,0292
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2575410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,35812
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2641345.23/cwt325.00–371.002,2139
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,540156.40/cwt150.00–165.002,4092
Bulls——1,850180.00/cwt180.00–180.003,3301
Bulls——2,013203.96/cwt200.00–210.004,1062
Slaughter Cattle · Cows9 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%80085.00/cwt85.00–85.006801
Cows—Lean 85-90%862150.25/cwt149.00–151.001,2953
Cows—Lean 85-90%928104.29/cwt100.00–111.009683
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,152162.80/cwt150.00–169.001,8759
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,251135.92/cwt124.00–149.001,7004
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,260113.10/cwt111.00–115.001,4253
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,302177.73/cwt170.00–186.002,3145
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,519169.07/cwt160.00–180.002,5686
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,699148.75/cwt141.00–158.002,5274
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1202,000.00/head2,000.00–2,000.002,0001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2682,989.50/head2,975.00–3,000.002,9902
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3202,325.00/head2,325.00–2,325.002,3251
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2503,050.00/head3,050.00–3,050.003,0501
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows1 lot · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,021213.87/cwt198.00–232.002,1844

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.