Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 11, 2020

901 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Bluegrass Stockyard report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $121.02/cwt +0.03 vs last sale · ≈ $699/hd at 577 lb · 61 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $125.00/cwt -2.86 vs last sale · ≈ $601/hd at 481 lb · 37 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $127.91/cwt +1.87 vs last sale · ≈ $499/hd at 390 lb · 36 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 901 350 485
Feeder cattle 768 288 440
Slaughter cattle 108 52 43
Replacement cattle 25 10 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold mixed with lightweights 3.00 lower;, middleweights 450-600 lbs 2.00 higher and calves over 600 lbs steady to 2.00 lower. Quality was plain through attractive with plain and fleshy bawling calves facing discounts. Slaughter cows 3.00 to 4.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 higher with moderate demand.

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
320 fancy 320 1 160.00 $160.00 $512 —
325 325 1 160.00 $160.00 $520 —
350–353 fancy 352 5 160.00–165.00 $161.99 $570 —
360–395 381 5 145.00–156.00 $151.96 $579 -5.15
400–430 value added 417 6 149.00–152.50 $149.91 $625 -8.34
415–423 419 6 140.00–145.00 $141.33 $592 +1.33
460–485 473 9 140.00–146.00 $141.31 $668 +2.87
452–495 value added 481 8 147.00–159.00 $153.63 $739 —
500–531 519 12 133.00–140.00 $137.73 $715 +1.28
501–548 value added 537 17 143.00–153.00 $147.38 $791 +3.35
551–565 value added 553 9 142.00–147.00 $146.43 $810 —
570–592 583 8 133.00–138.00 $134.84 $786 +0.27
600–601 value added 601 18 134.25–137.00 $134.71 $810 +0.71
600–630 616 15 122.00–134.00 $128.43 $791 +1.08
660–684 680 6 123.00–127.00 $123.65 $841 -3.75
662–697 value added 686 30 130.25–134.75 $132.70 $910 —
717 value added 717 2 132.50 $132.50 $950 —
710–740 721 4 123.00–127.00 $124.99 $901 +2.99
751 value added 751 13 137.00 $137.00 $1,029 +5.48
750–790 766 4 126.00–129.00 $126.77 $971 -0.23
885–893 891 4 122.00–125.00 $124.26 $1,107 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–540 508 5 131.00–135.00 $131.85 $670 —
556–577 564 5 133.00–135.00 $133.82 $755 —
645 645 1 124.00 $124.00 $800 —
685 685 1 110.00 $110.00 $754 —
710–712 711 8 121.00 $121.00 $860 —
755 755 1 120.00 $120.00 $906 —
985 985 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,103 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 143.00 $143.00 $529 -3.00
415–430 423 2 130.00–134.00 $132.04 $559 —
465–488 473 10 131.00–135.00 $132.02 $624 +7.02
590 590 1 125.00 $125.00 $738 +5.48
825 825 1 119.00 $119.00 $982 +9.01
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–320 313 2 107.50–125.00 $116.04 $363 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 120.00 $120.00 $336 -9.37
300–345 326 7 119.00–128.00 $123.64 $403 -2.92
348 fancy 348 4 131.00 $131.00 $456 —
370–395 383 15 120.00–129.00 $123.59 $473 -2.45
365–399 fancy 395 21 130.00–134.00 $131.00 $517 —
400–422 value added 415 9 132.00–133.00 $132.89 $551 +2.23
400–445 418 11 121.00–128.00 $124.61 $521 -1.30
463 value added 463 4 130.00 $130.00 $602 -0.74
450–497 483 33 120.00–126.00 $124.39 $601 -2.19
515–535 value added 530 18 119.00–128.50 $125.00 $662 -4.15
500–546 536 7 111.00–118.00 $115.86 $621 +1.19
563–588 value added 576 47 119.00–126.00 $122.81 $707 +0.57
560–595 582 14 110.00–119.00 $115.01 $669 +0.67
610–640 620 17 120.00–126.50 $124.24 $770 +1.07
620 620 1 117.00 $117.00 $725 -6.17
630 value added 630 1 125.00 $125.00 $788 —
650–670 662 6 115.00–119.00 $117.34 $777 +8.81
655–670 663 2 119.00–120.00 $119.49 $792 +10.96
693 value added 693 4 122.00 $122.00 $845 —
702–736 714 11 113.00–114.00 $113.55 $811 +4.55
710–731 726 4 102.00–106.00 $105.02 $762 -3.98
765 765 1 103.00 $103.00 $788 +4.00
810–816 815 4 101.00–107.00 $102.49 $835 —
825 825 1 92.00 $92.00 $759 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 117.50 $117.50 $317 -2.50
330 330 1 105.00 $105.00 $346 —
360–375 365 6 102.50–117.50 $109.03 $398 -0.64
400–440 427 6 107.00–115.00 $111.02 $474 —
455–495 474 14 105.00–116.00 $110.62 $524 +1.59
525–530 528 2 105.00–106.00 $105.50 $557 -3.50
565–590 578 2 104.00–106.00 $104.98 $607 -5.02
625–645 632 3 102.50–105.00 $103.52 $654 —
665–675 670 2 106.00–109.00 $107.51 $720 —
780 780 1 103.00 $103.00 $803 —
827 827 2 82.00 $82.00 $678 -4.00
855 855 1 75.00 $75.00 $641 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–480 470 3 112.00–118.00 $115.73 $544 —
535 535 1 107.00 $107.00 $572 -5.00
765–780 777 5 94.00–104.00 $102.03 $793 +8.03
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
424 424 5 90.00 $90.00 $382 -11.99

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 142.50 $142.50 $406 —
335 335 1 140.00 $140.00 $469 -11.00
356–390 368 5 135.00–152.50 $142.78 $525 —
425 425 3 143.00–152.50 $146.17 $621 +6.08
465–495 480 7 131.00–140.00 $136.43 $655 -1.92
500–540 519 7 131.00–135.00 $133.73 $694 +2.73
527 fancy 527 2 140.00 $140.00 $738 —
567–590 581 11 123.00–133.00 $129.08 $750 —
600–635 612 11 112.00–125.00 $121.32 $742 +2.30
650–682 667 11 114.00–126.00 $118.25 $789 —
700 700 1 119.00 $119.00 $833 +13.00
842 842 2 95.00 $95.00 $800 -9.00
885 885 1 90.00 $90.00 $796 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 122.50 $122.50 $306 —
300–330 319 5 130.00–132.50 $131.51 $420 +6.51
410–446 434 12 121.00–136.00 $129.77 $563 -0.23
457–480 470 6 120.00–126.00 $123.79 $582 -8.21
515–530 521 4 117.00–124.00 $121.73 $634 —
580–583 582 5 115.00–122.00 $120.61 $702 —
600–617 611 3 110.00–111.00 $110.33 $674 +2.17
650–665 658 2 97.00–99.00 $98.01 $645 —
700–725 714 4 91.00–102.00 $96.02 $686 —
755–770 765 3 78.00–98.00 $89.97 $688 -3.03
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 110.00 $110.00 $324 -10.00
327 327 2 102.00 $102.00 $334 —
355 355 1 112.50 $112.50 $399 —
415 415 1 119.00 $119.00 $494 +12.00
487–490 489 4 115.00–116.00 $115.50 $565 —
510–545 532 6 101.00–112.00 $107.43 $572 -2.57
565–575 570 2 112.00–115.00 $113.51 $647 +1.51
612 612 2 100.00 $100.00 $612 +8.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585–595 590 2 119.00–121.00 $119.99 $708 —
735 735 1 99.00 $99.00 $728 —
770–780 775 2 91.00–97.00 $94.02 $729 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1150 1150 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1325 1196 80-85% 13 51.50–57.50 $54.19 $648 —
1195–1395 1295 80-85% 2 50.50 $50.50 $654 —
1185–1480 1387 80-85% 11 57.50–68.00 $62.01 $860 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–1210 1063 85-90% 13 37.00–46.00 $42.68 $454 —
1090–1120 1105 85-90% 2 56.00–62.00 $59.04 $652 —
1020–1235 1127 85-90% 7 47.00–53.00 $48.86 $551 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310–1875 1504 75-80% 11 57.50–66.50 $61.19 $920 —
1370–1665 1532 75-80% 5 51.50–57.50 $54.86 $840 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1780 1513 4 64.00–77.00 $72.19 $1,092 —
1380–1995 1700 11 79.00–88.00 $84.50 $1,436 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
990 990 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 610.00 $610.00
940–1150 1045 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 600.00–625.00 $613.76
1025–1360 1137 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 600.00–700.00 $658.03
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
905 905 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 740.00 $740.00
955 955 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 785.00 $785.00
1080–1185 1134 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 800.00–900.00 $836.33

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1435 fancy 1435 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00 —

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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.