Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 19, 2021

757 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $135.84/cwt +0.75 vs last sale · ≈ $779/hd at 574 lb · 77 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $119.40/cwt +5.93 vs last sale · ≈ $947/hd at 793 lb · 37 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $142.00/cwt +5.11 vs last sale · ≈ $721/hd at 508 lb · 29 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 757 557 292
Feeder cattle 537 431 254
Slaughter cattle 109 89 28
Replacement cattle 111 37 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold 3.00 to 8.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady with good demand. Slaughter cows sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with good 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
318–342 value added 328 5 159.00–161.00 $160.16 $525 —
362 value added 362 2 162.50 $162.50 $588 -1.50
365–380 373 2 156.00–157.50 $156.73 $585 +0.96
442 442 2 155.50 $155.50 $687 +6.28
455–475 465 4 150.00–156.00 $154.29 $717 —
465–490 value added 478 2 160.00–167.50 $163.85 $783 +9.85
502 502 2 153.00 $153.00 $768 +4.03
551 value added 551 5 168.00 $168.00 $926 +18.47
600–647 value added 617 21 141.00–142.50 $142.35 $878 +0.80
655 655 3 132.00–134.00 $132.67 $869 -1.31
661 value added 661 5 149.00 $149.00 $985 +8.00
701 value added 701 4 128.00 $128.00 $897 +0.05
725 725 3 123.00 $123.00 $892 +1.00
765–766 766 11 121.75–126.50 $122.18 $936 +0.50
830 830 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,013 +1.30
1075 1075 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,075 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 140.00 $140.00 $567 —
547 547 2 135.00 $135.00 $738 -2.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 2 139.00 $139.00 $341 —
255–260 257 3 137.50–143.00 $141.14 $363 —
360–370 365 5 132.50–141.00 $139.32 $509 +1.85
401–445 value added 413 13 136.00–144.00 $138.57 $572 -3.92
400–445 417 6 130.00–135.00 $132.25 $551 -2.75
460–495 472 17 130.00–140.00 $134.86 $637 -0.21
470–492 value added 482 7 140.00–146.00 $141.12 $680 -4.67
502 502 2 125.00 $125.00 $628 -5.51
500–532 value added 508 27 138.00–145.75 $143.26 $728 -0.02
560–578 value added 573 72 136.00–140.00 $136.62 $783 -0.87
575–590 585 5 121.00–126.00 $124.62 $729 +1.05
600–642 619 6 115.00–120.00 $117.84 $729 —
615–633 value added 629 5 125.00–131.00 $129.83 $817 -2.85
655–661 value added 659 5 128.00–130.50 $129.51 $853 -0.43
685 685 1 117.00 $117.00 $801 +1.34
710 710 1 104.00 $104.00 $738 -8.00
700–725 717 9 114.00–117.00 $116.02 $832 +10.34
782–795 value added 793 37 118.75–122.25 $119.40 $947 —
915 915 2 102.50 $102.50 $938 +7.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–290 278 2 121.00–130.00 $125.30 $348 —
300–335 317 3 114.00–127.50 $122.14 $387 -0.25
400–445 409 5 115.00–123.00 $116.74 $477 -9.80
500–542 519 12 115.00–120.00 $118.80 $617 -4.67
750 750 1 96.00 $96.00 $720 +6.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 3 124.00 $124.00 $453 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 2 157.50 $157.50 $394 —
300–310 307 3 155.00–156.00 $155.34 $477 —
355–390 375 3 149.00–158.00 $154.72 $580 +2.22
400–440 422 6 145.00–155.00 $148.64 $627 +0.14
450–490 474 7 143.00–155.00 $148.34 $703 +5.16
486 value added 486 3 157.00 $157.00 $763 —
502–545 530 12 141.00–152.00 $145.73 $772 +5.73
560–593 578 21 134.00–145.00 $141.80 $820 +4.14
605–640 value added 610 13 133.50–137.50 $134.58 $821 —
600–630 616 5 125.00–129.00 $126.80 $781 +2.31
662 value added 662 2 134.00 $134.00 $887 +6.33
650–685 670 10 119.00–130.00 $125.04 $838 +4.09
715 715 2 119.00 $119.00 $851 +7.10
730 value added 730 1 123.00 $123.00 $898 —
770 770 2 116.00 $116.00 $893 +17.00
810–820 815 3 104.00–109.00 $107.33 $875 +5.86
855–880 870 3 103.00–105.00 $103.66 $902 —
912 912 2 101.00 $101.00 $921 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 135.00 $135.00 $466 —
370 370 1 146.00 $146.00 $540 +10.23
460–482 472 5 127.00–139.00 $133.02 $628 -1.07
575 575 1 138.00 $138.00 $794 +7.00
685 685 2 113.00 $113.00 $774 -2.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 132.50 $132.50 $576 —
525 525 1 129.00 $129.00 $677 —
615 615 1 121.00 $121.00 $744 +9.00
930 930 1 100.00 $100.00 $930 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
895 895 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 975.00 $975.00 —
975 975 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,450.01 $1,450.01 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 2 124.00 $124.00 $403 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1580 1207 80-85% 9 62.50–69.00 $67.11 $810 —
1240 1240 80-85% 1 53.00 $53.00 $657 —
1035–1650 1280 80-85% 24 70.50–80.50 $75.05 $961 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700–1190 1007 85-90% 5 62.00–67.00 $65.33 $658 —
945–1420 1092 85-90% 5 43.00–56.00 $51.07 $558 —
965–1210 1117 85-90% 12 68.00–77.00 $71.38 $797 +6.56
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1600 1416 75-80% 9 71.50–74.50 $73.42 $1,040 —
1450–1570 1508 75-80% 4 67.50–69.00 $68.38 $1,031 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255 1255 1 80.00 $80.00 $1,004 —
1095–1670 1383 2 88.00–90.00 $89.21 $1,234 —
1650–2060 1820 12 100.00–106.50 $103.64 $1,886 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
790–1420 1112 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 12 800.00–1,075.00 $962.94
872–1367 1162 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 16 825.00–1,260.00 $1,069.71
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
722–997 860 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 675.00–775.00 $733.00
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00
980–1160 1070 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 675.00–725.00 $702.10

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
735 735 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 625.00 $625.00
810 810 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 775.00 $775.00
825–980 903 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 750.00–785.00 $769.00

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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
967–1485 1195 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 12 1,125.00–1,550.00 $1,299.44 +199.44
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1110–1320 1187 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,050.00–1,075.00 $1,067.06 —

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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.