Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Wednesdays

Sale of Wednesday, September 2, 2026

68 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (287)

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 68 169 693
Feeder cattle 56 131 508
Slaughter cattle 4 18 72
Replacement cattle 8 20 113

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday: No trends due to limited comparisons.

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
526 value added 526 4 387.50 $387.50 $2,038 —
527 527 2 327.50 $327.50 $1,726 -9.93
565–570 568 2 332.50–337.50 $335.01 $1,903 -7.49
605–640 622 9 310.00–323.00 $319.61 $1,988 -8.39
660–695 678 2 321.00–325.00 $322.95 $2,190 —
700 700 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,205 —
767 767 2 311.00 $311.00 $2,385 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–420 415 2 352.50–370.00 $361.36 $1,500 -16.14
452 452 2 352.50 $352.50 $1,593 +12.48
500–520 510 2 322.50–326.00 $324.22 $1,654 -5.78
530 530 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,510 -45.00
665–692 683 3 292.50–301.00 $295.26 $2,017 +15.26
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–225 213 2 260.00–300.00 $281.18 $599 —
570 570 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,311 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,445 -2.50
595 595 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,636 -5.00

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Feeder Bulls

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
676 676 3 282.50 $282.50 $1,910 —
813 813 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,992 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,658 -35.00
455 455 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,684 -15.91
507 507 2 337.50 $337.50 $1,711 -4.65
565 565 1 334.00 $334.00 $1,887 +6.57
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,260 -75.00
465 465 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,453 -37.52
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1265 1265 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,070 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1530 1213 85-90% 2 135.00–136.00 $135.63 $1,645 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170 1170 80-85% 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,767 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1395 1395 75-80% 1 152.00 $152.00 $2,120 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960 960 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,488

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1005–1440 1243 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,300.00–2,750.00 $2,508.91
1525 1525 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
955 955 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00

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Price trend

high 465.18 low 319.61 Sep 2025 Sep 2026

600–649 lb Medium and Large 1-2 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Aug 26, 2026)

Markets near Mt. Sterling