Sale reports / Kentucky / Bowling Green Livestock Auction / 2026-04-21

Bowling Green Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Bowling Green, Kentucky · Tue, Apr 21
● Final28 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2188
Feeder Cattle receipts
65 head
▲ 5 vs last sale 60▼ 21 vs year ago 86 · −24.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
17 head
▼ 1 vs last sale 18▼ 30 vs year ago 47 · −63.8%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: No trend on feeder calves due to low comparable receipts. Slaughter cows and bulls steady on a light test.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $382.50/cwt on 5 head, up $30.66 from the prior sale (only 12 head in that comparison). That ranks 10 of 14 comparable sales and sits +37.57 against this barn's trailing median of $344.93.
Average price
$382.50
▲ 30.66 vs prior sale
5 head · 581 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,222
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$274
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1-2
$37.50/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−37.72
vs KY average
−39.67 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2587397.502,3333thin
Large 1-2572360.002,0592thin
One grade step is worth $37.50/cwt here — about $274 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 sale5 hd
382.50
—
KY average27 barns · 1,277 hd
420.22
−37.72
National average167 barns · 11,519 hd
422.17
−39.67
This barn, trailing median14 sales
344.93
+37.57
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

14 sales
441390339288median 344.9303/1004/0706/1610/0610/27
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $426.80, low $301.75, median $344.93 across 14 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—Average1,882203.123,8233thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,370182.002,4932thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,345161.002,1651thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,018155.561,5838thin

Every lot

28 lots · USDA AMS · United Producers Inc. - 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 · Steers4 lots · lightest first
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Value Added480510.00/cwt510.00–510.002,4482
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added605420.00/cwt420.00–420.002,5411
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2610380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,3181
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Value Added665397.50/cwt397.50–397.502,6431
Feeder Cattle · Heifers13 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2295535.00/cwt535.00–535.001,5781
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2340460.00/cwt460.00–460.001,5641
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2351504.96/cwt495.00–515.001,7724
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2387451.62/cwt450.00–455.001,7483
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Value Added426485.00/cwt485.00–485.002,0666
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2445467.50/cwt467.50–467.502,0802
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Value Added450475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,1381
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2483421.51/cwt417.50–430.002,0363
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2497446.00/cwt446.00–446.002,21716
Heifers550–600Large 1-2572360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,0592
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added587397.50/cwt397.50–397.502,3333
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2645350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,2581
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2735310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,2792
Feeder Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2325555.00/cwt555.00–555.001,8041
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2385505.00/cwt505.00–505.001,9441
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2412500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,0602
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2448470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,1062
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2528440.81/cwt440.00–445.002,3276
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls——1,882203.12/cwt199.00–205.003,8233
Slaughter Cattle · Cows5 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,005143.08/cwt141.00–145.001,4382
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,022159.72/cwt155.00–165.001,6326
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,345161.00/cwt161.00–161.002,1651
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,360175.00/cwt175.00–175.002,3801
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,380189.00/cwt189.00–189.002,6081

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.