Sale reports / Kentucky / Owensboro Livestock Auction / 2026-05-18

Owensboro Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Owensboro, Kentucky · Mon, May 18
● Final57 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2201
Feeder Cattle receipts
251 head
142 vs last sale 109 28 vs year ago 279 · 10.0%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
49 head
21 vs last sale 28 9 vs year ago 58 · 15.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
6 head
2 vs last sale 4 4 vs year ago 2 · +200.0%
Also sold hereSpecial Graded Feeder Cattle SaleThu Aug 13, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week steers and heifers sold mostly steady with spots 5.00 lower on a good quality offering of feeder classes. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 lower and slaughter bulls sold steady with good demand for slaughter classes.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $414.28/cwt on 25 head, up $0.24 from the prior sale. That ranks 20 of 26 comparable sales and sits +12.85 against this barn's trailing median of $401.43.
Average price
$414.28
0.24 vs prior sale
25 head · 533 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,206
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$410
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$95.70/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+3.20
vs KY average
3.98 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2530420.702,23023
Medium and Large 2565356.002,0111thin
Medium and Large 2-3560325.001,8201thin
One grade step is worth $95.70/cwt here — about $410 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

26 sales
456420384348median 401.4301/0502/2304/2006/0808/10
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $441.67, low $362.03, median $401.43 across 26 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale25 hd
414.28
KY average30 barns · 1,724 hd
411.08
+3.20
National average175 barns · 12,602 hd
418.26
−3.98
This barn, trailing median26 sales
401.43
+12.85
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

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
BullsAverage1,944221.344,3034thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,588165.292,6256thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,220161.531,97116
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low986141.571,3969thin

Every lot, as filed

57 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
CowsLean 85-90%745100.00/cwt100.00–100.007451
CowsLean 85-90%1,020166.57/cwt164.00–169.001,6992
BullsMedium and Large 2350–400367475.00/cwt475.00–475.001,7433
BullsMedium and Large 2600–650633320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,0262
BullsMedium and Large 2-3500–550540350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,8901
SteersMedium and Large 2-3700–750740280.00/cwt280.00–280.002,0722
HeifersMedium 1-2600–650625325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,0311
HeifersLarge 1-2900–950945212.00/cwt212.00–212.002,0031
BullsMedium and Large 1-2300–350320555.00/cwt555.00–555.001,7761
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Fancy350–400373524.63/cwt522.00–525.001,95717
BullsMedium and Large 1-2Fancy400–450447501.00/cwt501.00–501.002,2399
BullsMedium and Large 1-2Fancy350–400352574.00/cwt574.00–574.002,0208
HeifersMedium and Large 2-3550–600560325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,8201
SteersMedium and Large 2500–550530440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,3321
SteersMedium and Large 1-2450–500483501.62/cwt490.00–510.002,4237
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2300–350335455.00/cwt455.00–455.001,5241
SteersMedium and Large 1-2500–550539470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,5333
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2500–550502396.00/cwt396.00–396.001,9883
BullsMedium and Large 1-21000–10501,005251.00/cwt251.00–251.002,5231
BullsMedium and Large 1-2850–900850270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,2951
BullsMedium and Large 1-2400–450438458.00/cwt455.00–461.002,0066
SteersMedium and Large 1-2300–350349590.00/cwt590.00–590.002,0594
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2250–300256625.00/cwt625.00–625.001,6004
SteersMedium and Large 1-2650–700686380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,60717
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,120251.00/cwt251.00–251.002,8111
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2550–600590371.00/cwt371.00–371.002,1892
BullsMedium and Large 1-2650–700669370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,4757
BullsMedium and Large 1-2450–500486449.56/cwt442.00–451.002,1856
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2650–700670325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,1783
SteersMedium and Large 1-2350–400385515.00/cwt515.00–515.001,9831
BullsMedium and Large 1-2250–300280615.00/cwt615.00–615.001,7224
SteersMedium and Large 1-2400–450433504.89/cwt490.00–515.002,1865
BullsMedium and Large 1-2500–550514460.82/cwt460.00–465.002,36912
BullsMedium and Large 1-2750–800767330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,5317
HeifersMedium and Large 2550–600565356.00/cwt356.00–356.002,0111
SteersMedium and Large 1-2550–600577450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,5979
SteersMedium and Large 1-2900–950920300.00/cwt300.00–300.002,7601
SteersMedium and Large 1-2600–650625410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,5631
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Value Added500–550528430.34/cwt430.00–431.002,27218
BullsMedium and Large 2-31050–11001,060200.00/cwt200.00–200.002,1201
HeifersMedium and Large 2-3450–500495350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,7331
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2750–800773331.00/cwt331.00–331.002,5598
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2700–750728320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,3307
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2350–400379470.31/cwt450.00–485.001,7825
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2400–450446448.37/cwt426.00–450.002,00014
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2600–650644361.00/cwt361.00–361.002,32510
BullsMedium and Large 1-2550–600571425.76/cwt410.00–430.002,43117
CowsBoner 80-85%1,232163.83/cwt153.00–174.002,01813
CowsLean 85-90%988120.58/cwt120.00–121.001,1912
CowsLean 85-90%1,028149.95/cwt143.00–156.001,5414
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,525176.00/cwt176.00–176.002,6842
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,620159.94/cwt154.00–166.002,5914
Bulls1,795215.00/cwt215.00–215.003,8592
Bulls2,093227.68/cwt225.00–230.004,7652
CowsBoner 80-85%1,095178.00/cwt178.00–178.001,9491
CowsBoner 80-85%1,208138.33/cwt131.00–145.001,6712
Dairy HeifersLarge 3450–500480250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,2001

How this sale compares

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.