Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, June 30, 2021

700 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $133.72/cwt +23.72 vs last sale · ≈ $992/hd at 742 lb · 135 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $143.11/cwt +17.99 vs last sale · ≈ $954/hd at 666 lb · 74 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $139.71/cwt ≈ $1,172/hd at 839 lb · 66 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 700 403 395
Feeder cattle 633 319 277
Slaughter cattle 38 51 98
Replacement cattle 29 33 20

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold steady in a light test with good demand; over 600 lbs 3.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower 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
380 value added 380 1 166.00 $166.00 $631 -6.50
405 405 1 150.00 $150.00 $608 —
415–445 value added 429 4 160.00–177.50 $166.84 $716 -4.18
455–475 465 3 152.00–155.00 $153.32 $713 -4.16
464–495 value added 484 14 165.00–173.00 $167.74 $812 —
520 520 1 153.00 $153.00 $796 +1.98
527–537 value added 534 8 156.00–165.00 $160.27 $856 —
550 value added 550 5 156.00 $156.00 $858 —
556–570 560 4 146.00–149.00 $146.76 $822 -2.84
615–640 value added 621 45 147.00–159.00 $156.12 $970 +10.47
637 637 2 141.00 $141.00 $898 +0.33
655 value added 655 1 141.00 $141.00 $924 -4.00
681 681 4 143.50 $143.50 $977 +3.49
706–740 value added 711 30 138.00–140.00 $138.14 $982 —
717 717 4 134.00 $134.00 $961 —
751 value added 751 6 139.25 $139.25 $1,046 —
765 765 1 134.50 $134.50 $1,029 +1.50
800–841 839 66 134.50–139.95 $139.71 $1,172 —
900–915 908 2 120.00 $120.00 $1,090 —
1017 1017 5 120.75 $120.75 $1,228 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 133.00 $133.00 $605 —
555–570 560 10 130.00–141.00 $138.78 $777 +3.78
610 610 1 130.00 $130.00 $793 -7.50
735 735 1 122.00 $122.00 $897 —
855–886 880 5 122.00–128.50 $127.24 $1,120 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 132.00 $132.00 $508 —
430 430 1 136.00 $136.00 $585 —
470–486 480 5 124.00–130.00 $127.65 $613 —
550–595 565 3 121.00–127.00 $123.11 $696 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 4 135.00 $135.00 $850 -4.00
665 665 1 138.00 $138.00 $918 -3.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
297 value added 297 2 145.00 $145.00 $431 —
320 value added 320 2 155.00 $155.00 $496 +7.50
380 value added 380 2 145.00 $145.00 $551 +2.11
420–446 value added 434 8 146.00–152.00 $150.23 $652 —
455–491 value added 472 14 140.00–146.00 $142.17 $671 -6.25
477–480 478 3 133.00–135.00 $133.67 $639 +3.67
500–530 515 2 130.00–134.00 $132.06 $680 +2.06
515–545 value added 520 15 136.00–146.00 $140.90 $733 +2.10
550–560 value added 556 18 140.00–146.00 $144.50 $803 -0.75
562–580 571 6 130.00–134.00 $131.16 $749 +0.06
600–630 value added 615 2 132.00–135.00 $133.46 $821 -3.22
615 615 1 121.00 $121.00 $744 —
650–668 value added 666 72 138.00–144.25 $143.59 $956 —
680 680 2 126.00 $126.00 $857 +0.88
700–746 value added 742 135 122.00–134.25 $133.72 $992 —
775 775 1 111.00 $111.00 $860 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 120.00 $120.00 $426 -0.62
373 value added 373 3 132.00 $132.00 $492 —
457–465 460 3 121.00–126.00 $124.31 $572 +2.94
525–530 528 2 123.00–128.00 $125.51 $663 +5.51
585–597 593 3 118.00–129.00 $125.38 $744 +13.38
625–640 633 2 118.00 $118.00 $747 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
551 551 3 124.00 $124.00 $683 -2.00
747 747 2 111.00 $111.00 $829 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 119.00 $119.00 $595 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 —— 1 150.00 $150.00 $472 —
370 fancy 370 —— 3 165.00 $165.00 $610 —
380 380 —— 1 157.50 $157.50 $598 -7.50
430 430 —— 1 151.00 $151.00 $649 —
460–480 470 —— 2 140.00–142.00 $141.02 $663 -14.98
520 fancy 520 —— 1 151.00 $151.00 $785 —
520–535 526 —— 4 141.00–145.00 $143.50 $755 -3.50
580 580 —— 1 137.00 $137.00 $795 —
625–640 633 —— 2 124.00–129.00 $126.53 $801 -0.51
646 value added 646 —— 4 150.50 $150.50 $972 —
650 650 —— 1 131.00 $131.00 $852 +6.33
740 740 —— 1 127.00 $127.00 $940 —
750 750 —— 4 128.00 $128.00 $960 +14.00
805–825 815 —— 3 119.00–123.00 $120.98 $986 —
1270 1270 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,270 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 136.00 $136.00 $571 —
540 540 1 130.00 $130.00 $702 —
575–580 578 2 128.00–129.00 $128.50 $743 +5.50
655–660 658 2 111.00–119.00 $115.02 $757 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 120.00 $120.00 $486 —
510–520 515 2 115.00–120.00 $117.52 $605 —
565 565 1 124.00 $124.00 $701 +14.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1480 1334 80-85% 7 63.50–69.00 $66.44 $886 -7.13
1230–1480 1357 80-85% 7 70.00–77.00 $73.78 $1,001 +12.78
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1095 1053 85-90% 4 65.50–72.50 $68.54 $722 +3.98
950–1310 1080 85-90% 4 53.00–59.00 $55.49 $599 -9.07
990–1220 1103 85-90% 4 60.00–64.50 $61.97 $684 -11.11
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1605 1496 75-80% 4 70.50–74.00 $72.05 $1,078 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445–1465 1455 2 90.00–92.00 $90.99 $1,324 —
1565–1960 1748 3 95.00–99.00 $97.81 $1,710 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
825–1185 993 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 700.00 $700.00
1000–1160 1080 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 675.00–750.00 $715.28
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1215 1215 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 925.00 $925.00
1250 1250 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
875–880 878 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 550.00–650.00 $599.86

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
880 880 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
735 735 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 800.00 $800.00 —
895–1290 1125 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 975.00–1,025.00 $1,005.89 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1335–1540 1438 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,100.00–1,275.00 $1,181.26 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 1 61.00 $61.00 $470 —

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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.