Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 28, 2021

469 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $144.26/cwt -4.13 vs last sale · ≈ $687/hd at 476 lb · 30 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $138.43/cwt -4.49 vs last sale · ≈ $725/hd at 524 lb · 29 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $159.85/cwt -0.50 vs last sale · ≈ $817/hd at 511 lb · 26 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 469 627 399
Feeder cattle 355 473 328
Slaughter cattle 67 130 54
Replacement cattle 47 24 17

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold mostly 2.00 to 5.00 lower with moderate demand for weaned thin-fleshed calves and light demand for fleshy bawling calves. Feeder heifers were mixed with calves under 600 lbs trading 3.00 lower; and good quality packages over 600 lbs trading 3.00 higher. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 higher with good demand for high dressing lean cows.

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
335 335 1 165.00 $165.00 $553 —
395 395 1 165.00 $165.00 $652 -5.82
403–435 420 10 150.00–157.00 $153.09 $643 -0.40
415–447 value added 436 3 165.00–168.00 $165.95 $724 -2.95
470 value added 470 1 168.00 $168.00 $790 +3.89
467–484 479 7 150.00–155.00 $151.39 $725 —
500–535 507 5 144.00–146.00 $144.82 $734 -7.99
502–513 value added 512 21 153.00–164.50 $163.43 $837 +1.63
550–590 value added 563 14 153.00–165.50 $162.02 $912 +0.72
600–617 value added 612 5 140.00–159.00 $149.96 $918 +1.19
705–732 value added 719 4 128.00–135.00 $131.43 $945 -8.09
735 735 2 124.00 $124.00 $911 —
833 833 4 125.50 $125.50 $1,045 -4.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 135.00 $135.00 $837 —
735 735 1 123.00 $123.00 $904 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 135.00 $135.00 $776 -4.52
635 635 1 134.00 $134.00 $851 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 132.50 $132.50 $398 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–295 288 2 130.00 $130.00 $374 -14.29
310–335 329 4 138.00–139.00 $138.24 $455 —
370–390 384 5 135.00–145.00 $138.22 $531 -4.56
400–445 value added 425 15 140.00–151.00 $146.07 $621 -2.04
430–445 438 5 131.00–139.00 $136.17 $596 -3.15
450 450 1 137.00 $137.00 $616 -0.78
450–493 value added 477 29 139.00–149.50 $144.51 $689 -4.96
502–545 521 8 123.00–135.00 $130.33 $679 -2.67
500–547 value added 525 21 135.00–147.00 $141.52 $743 -2.82
550–578 value added 565 14 135.00–145.00 $140.10 $792 +2.27
590 590 1 126.00 $126.00 $743 -4.00
606–640 value added 621 9 131.00–142.00 $133.80 $831 +0.46
640 640 1 125.00 $125.00 $800 +7.06
655–675 value added 662 3 128.00–130.00 $129.32 $856 +2.72
665 665 1 118.00 $118.00 $785 -6.00
717 717 2 111.00 $111.00 $796 —
750–775 763 2 111.00–115.00 $112.97 $862 -1.35
765–790 778 2 101.00–103.00 $102.02 $794 -1.98
885 885 2 95.00 $95.00 $841 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 133.00 $133.00 $412 +5.50
377–385 380 3 117.50–132.50 $127.43 $484 —
430 430 1 120.00 $120.00 $516 —
480–485 483 2 121.00–122.00 $121.50 $587 -3.98
510 510 1 117.00 $117.00 $597 -5.30
555–580 568 5 112.50–115.00 $114.51 $650 -14.49
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 120.00 $120.00 $444 —
560 560 1 123.00 $123.00 $689 —
637 637 2 110.00 $110.00 $701 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 105.00 $105.00 $415 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 142.00 $142.00 $398 -23.00
305–315 310 2 142.50–147.50 $145.04 $450 -11.20
375–395 380 4 140.00–152.50 $148.12 $563 -13.17
405–435 419 7 147.50–152.50 $149.25 $625 —
450–460 455 7 140.00–152.50 $148.48 $676 -7.71
500–513 value added 510 4 152.00–153.00 $152.75 $779 +1.30
500–536 524 15 140.00–150.00 $145.71 $764 +3.14
550–582 561 15 138.00–146.00 $141.94 $796 +8.94
605–645 615 7 129.00–134.50 $133.60 $822 —
665 665 1 126.00 $126.00 $838 +2.00
700–705 703 2 117.00–120.00 $118.51 $833 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 3 135.00–140.00 $138.33 $484 —
480 480 1 131.00 $131.00 $629 -4.99
555–560 559 5 129.00–133.00 $131.80 $737 +1.30
665–675 670 2 115.00–116.00 $115.50 $774 —
715 715 1 102.00 $102.00 $729 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 —— 1 136.00 $136.00 $748 —
600–602 601 —— 4 121.00–128.00 $124.51 $748 —
675 675 —— 1 120.00 $120.00 $810 —
705 705 —— 1 112.00 $112.00 $790 —
780 780 —— 1 105.00 $105.00 $819 —
1165 1165 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 87.00 $87.00 $1,014 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 125.00 $125.00 $294 —
525 525 1 121.00 $121.00 $635 +3.50

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–945 893 85-90% 4 48.00–54.00 $50.17 $448 —
840–1215 1008 85-90% 8 56.00–62.00 $58.70 $592 +10.30
945–1230 1102 85-90% 10 62.50–71.50 $65.82 $725 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1390 1250 80-85% 4 57.00–64.00 $61.15 $764 -3.16
1085–1540 1319 80-85% 14 65.50–74.00 $70.21 $926 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1510 1369 75-80% 6 65.50–72.50 $68.60 $939 +12.81
1110–1520 1384 75-80% 8 59.00–65.00 $62.69 $868 +6.90

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230 1230 1 75.00 $75.00 $922 —
1690–1910 1797 6 90.00–101.50 $94.56 $1,699 —
1090–2420 2024 5 85.00–88.50 $86.92 $1,759 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
765 765 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 76.00 $76.00 $581

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
990–1125 1035 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 900.00–1,030.00 $982.90
1260–1490 1375 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,010.00–1,030.00 $1,019.16
1380 1380 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 980.00 $980.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
995–1085 1040 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 630.00–680.00 $653.92
1095 1095 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00
1110 1110 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 660.00 $660.00

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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
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,090.00 $1,090.00 —
1245–1380 1332 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,110.00–1,440.00 $1,254.26 —
1460 1460 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00 -309.78
1620 1620 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,580.00 $1,580.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1000–1125 1052 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 600.00–750.00 $690.17 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
892 892 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 650.00 $650.00 —

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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.