Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 11, 2021

611 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $143.91/cwt -4.02 vs last sale · ≈ $742/hd at 516 lb · 53 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $147.71/cwt +7.77 vs last sale · ≈ $1,144/hd at 774 lb · 49 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $135.02/cwt +0.77 vs last sale · ≈ $853/hd at 632 lb · 34 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 611 822 1,003
Feeder cattle 490 737 887
Slaughter cattle 60 77 101
Replacement cattle 61 8 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday middleweight steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower with moderate demand. Yearlings sold steady in a limited comparison. Very humid and steamy heat index today and tomorrow after thunderstorms moved through early-week. More new-crop un-weaned calves starting to show up in the market as of late and those calves facing discounts. Weaned thin-fleshed calf packages still in very good demand. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower with moderate demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
280 280 2 156.00 $156.00 $437 —
330 330 1 165.00 $165.00 $544 ±0.00
345 fancy 345 1 170.00 $170.00 $586 —
370 fancy 370 1 170.00 $170.00 $629 —
395 395 1 167.50 $167.50 $662 +0.06
400–435 427 8 152.50–159.00 $155.70 $665 -3.30
422–435 value added 427 4 159.00–170.00 $162.05 $692 -9.86
460–495 480 4 151.00–155.00 $152.99 $734 -7.01
540 540 1 150.00 $150.00 $810 -2.32
541 value added 541 5 157.00 $157.00 $849 -10.93
573–587 577 7 146.00–150.00 $147.16 $849 -5.84
581 value added 581 15 165.00 $165.00 $959 +6.04
612–648 value added 628 8 148.00–166.00 $157.81 $991 +2.27
620–645 633 3 144.00–147.00 $145.68 $922 -2.32
655–662 660 3 132.00–139.00 $136.68 $902 -5.75
680–690 value added 689 17 149.00–159.25 $158.66 $1,093 +3.16
759–777 value added 774 45 139.00–150.10 $148.76 $1,151 +8.82
762–795 779 4 135.75–136.00 $135.87 $1,058 —
885 885 1 131.50 $131.50 $1,164 —
925 925 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,202 +1.00
1000 1000 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,230 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
531 531 3 145.00 $145.00 $770 —
800–805 803 2 125.00–126.00 $125.50 $1,008 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510–515 513 2 139.00–140.00 $139.50 $716 -6.28
590 590 1 130.00 $130.00 $767 -15.00
620 620 1 134.00 $134.00 $831 -3.98
805 805 1 115.00 $115.00 $926 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 3 120.00 $120.00 $678 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225–230 228 2 140.00–147.50 $143.71 $328 —
275–285 280 2 135.00–141.00 $138.05 $387 —
300 300 1 142.50 $142.50 $428 +4.50
320 fancy 320 1 155.00 $155.00 $496 -0.64
361–395 fancy 378 6 154.00 $154.00 $582 -0.17
385–393 388 8 145.00–147.50 $146.55 $569 +5.55
400–435 value added 409 4 146.00–147.00 $146.73 $600 -8.49
410–430 421 8 135.00–145.00 $138.67 $584 -5.09
465–485 value added 476 6 147.00–150.00 $149.00 $709 -3.44
450–493 480 9 136.00–140.00 $137.75 $661 -6.12
500–545 514 8 130.00–138.00 $136.57 $702 -3.43
500–545 value added 516 45 139.00–148.00 $145.21 $749 -3.26
557–595 576 11 129.00–140.00 $133.75 $770 -3.25
602–642 621 9 120.00–131.00 $125.31 $778 -6.59
600–648 value added 636 25 134.00–140.50 $138.52 $881 +1.71
650–665 659 4 124.00–133.00 $127.26 $839 —
700–725 709 5 108.00–116.00 $111.22 $789 -1.78
715–721 720 4 122.00 $122.00 $878 +9.00
752 value added 752 7 138.00 $138.00 $1,038 —
755 755 1 114.00 $114.00 $861 +1.50
776 776 3 124.00 $124.00 $962 +11.50
825 825 1 105.00 $105.00 $866 -20.00
905 905 1 103.00 $103.00 $932 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 125.00 $125.00 $300 -10.00
295 295 2 130.00 $130.00 $384 —
315–345 328 3 120.00–127.50 $124.15 $407 +0.15
392 392 2 132.00 $132.00 $517 +12.00
467–485 474 4 125.00–130.00 $127.24 $603 -9.76
510–515 513 2 125.00–131.00 $128.01 $657 -1.63
550–580 565 2 120.00–128.00 $124.11 $701 -8.24
630 630 1 120.00 $120.00 $756 +2.00
657–675 663 3 91.00 $91.00 $603 -31.11
705–745 725 2 104.00 $104.00 $754 —
750–790 770 2 100.00–110.00 $105.13 $810 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 130.00 $130.00 $760 -7.00
670 670 1 110.00 $110.00 $737 -13.00
715–745 735 3 108.00–115.00 $110.27 $810 —
770 770 2 113.00 $113.00 $870 +8.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 157.50 $157.50 $543 —
352 352 2 165.00 $165.00 $581 +6.33
420–434 fancy 433 10 157.50–165.00 $164.27 $711 -3.75
415–445 438 8 144.00–156.00 $151.05 $662 —
460–475 465 5 145.00–150.00 $148.22 $689 -3.92
468 fancy 468 3 157.00 $157.00 $735 -12.01
520–545 535 9 137.00–148.00 $141.23 $756 -4.63
540 fancy 540 1 150.00 $150.00 $810 -2.00
550–595 576 10 136.00–148.00 $142.92 $823 -2.92
605–640 622 5 127.00–138.00 $131.94 $821 —
655–685 value added 670 2 137.00 $137.00 $918 —
675–680 678 3 125.00–129.00 $126.33 $857 -8.53
710–745 726 10 114.00–127.00 $120.32 $874 -13.18
795 795 2 123.00 $123.00 $978 -1.82
825 825 1 116.00 $116.00 $957 +1.00
945 945 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,030 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–245 215 3 142.50–145.00 $143.45 $308 —
285 285 1 140.00 $140.00 $399 +1.00
300 300 1 140.00 $140.00 $420 —
415–430 425 3 135.00–139.00 $137.70 $585 —
515 515 1 132.00 $132.00 $680 -2.82
560–580 573 3 127.00–134.00 $129.28 $741 +2.94
650–695 671 4 116.00–123.00 $120.82 $811 -1.18
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 1 133.00 $133.00 $785 -12.00
625 625 2 127.00–129.00 $128.00 $800 —
667–695 679 5 119.00–129.00 $124.73 $847 -0.27
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 120.00 $120.00 $570 -12.50
545 545 2 108.00–117.00 $112.50 $613 +0.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1445 1445 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)N/A 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1425 1314 75-80% 4 64.50–69.00 $66.94 $880 —
1245–1710 1465 75-80% 14 69.00–73.50 $70.69 $1,036 -2.76
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1370 1170 80-85% 4 62.50–67.00 $65.13 $762 —
1170–1395 1303 80-85% 9 68.00–73.00 $70.34 $917 —
1255–1470 1363 80-85% 2 59.50–60.00 $59.77 $815 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1030 956 85-90% 5 52.00–56.50 $53.28 $509 -11.18
1065 1065 85-90% 1 63.00 $63.00 $671 +2.78

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–2095 1563 5 90.00–97.00 $94.75 $1,481 —
1345–2125 1755 11 99.00–110.50 $104.55 $1,835 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1090–1452 1292 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 22 900.00–1,325.00 $1,091.07
1210–1526 1385 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 12 1,050.00–1,275.00 $1,179.71
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1070 1070 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 730.00 $730.00
1195 1195 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 810.00 $810.00

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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
1250–1565 1384 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,275.00–1,410.00 $1,350.03 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1190 1190 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
925 925 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 875.00 $875.00 —

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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.