Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 18, 2021

587 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $155.00/cwt ≈ $1,254/hd at 809 lb · 68 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $146.00/cwt ≈ $1,045/hd at 716 lb · 39 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $147.95/cwt +16.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,295/hd at 875 lb · 37 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 587 611 618
Feeder cattle 422 490 553
Slaughter cattle 88 60 41
Replacement cattle 77 61 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold unevenly steady with good demand for weaned packages. Very good demand for yearling packages. Fleshy new crop calves facing discounts. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 higher 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
300 300 1 167.50 $167.50 $502 +2.50
380 380 1 160.00 $160.00 $608 -7.50
400 400 1 156.00 $156.00 $624 +0.30
450–485 value added 473 3 159.00–162.50 $160.11 $757 —
505–545 528 4 148.00–157.00 $153.14 $809 +3.14
550–595 571 4 143.00–154.00 $148.18 $846 +1.02
600–625 value added 612 4 149.00–155.00 $152.00 $930 -5.81
625 625 1 141.00 $141.00 $881 -4.68
670 670 1 147.00 $147.00 $985 +10.32
716 value added 716 39 146.00 $146.00 $1,045 —
770–780 775 2 133.00–137.00 $134.99 $1,046 -0.88
809 thin fleshed 809 68 155.00 $155.00 $1,254 —
875 thin fleshed 875 37 147.95 $147.95 $1,295 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 157.50 $157.50 $488 —
478 478 3 136.00 $136.00 $650 —
510–525 518 2 131.00–141.00 $135.93 $704 -3.57
555–577 576 22 136.00–139.00 $138.87 $800 +8.87
615 615 1 131.00 $131.00 $806 -3.00
720 720 1 132.00 $132.00 $950 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885 885 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,150 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 131.00 $131.00 $275 -12.71
302–325 310 3 139.00–143.00 $141.60 $439 -0.90
310–345 fancy 331 4 150.00–156.00 $153.95 $510 -1.05
360–390 375 2 140.00–145.00 $142.60 $535 -3.95
400–415 value added 404 5 149.00–151.00 $150.00 $606 +3.27
405–440 422 3 139.00–141.00 $140.02 $591 +1.35
450–490 value added 472 12 145.00–150.00 $146.87 $693 -2.13
482–495 487 6 136.00–140.00 $138.67 $675 +0.92
520–530 526 6 134.00–138.00 $136.99 $721 +0.42
567–575 568 7 133.00–136.00 $133.43 $758 -0.32
600–635 618 6 122.00–129.00 $127.48 $788 +2.17
620 620 1 120.00 $120.00 $744 -5.31
625 625 1 131.00 $131.00 $819 +5.69
657–660 659 4 124.00–129.00 $126.49 $834 -0.77
661 661 8 130.50 $130.50 $863 +3.24
700–710 703 3 113.00–116.00 $114.34 $804 +3.12
720–740 728 5 120.00–124.00 $121.40 $884 -0.60
765–780 773 2 115.00–116.00 $115.50 $893 -8.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–392 377 4 131.00–148.00 $135.95 $513 +3.95
500–540 524 5 116.00–125.00 $121.43 $636 -6.58
570–597 581 5 121.00–125.00 $122.64 $713 -1.47
630–645 638 2 94.00–105.00 $99.56 $635 -20.44
650–690 670 2 114.00–118.00 $115.94 $777 +24.94
780 780 1 111.00 $111.00 $866 +5.87
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605 605 1 121.00 $121.00 $732 —
650 650 2 119.00 $119.00 $774 +9.00
740 740 1 110.00 $110.00 $814 -0.27

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 160.00 $160.00 $608 -5.00
400–425 411 5 152.50–156.00 $153.90 $633 +2.85
465–495 482 9 144.00–154.00 $147.04 $709 -1.18
500–545 523 9 137.00–145.00 $140.12 $733 -1.11
553–595 560 6 137.00–139.00 $138.32 $775 -4.60
605–625 618 5 127.00–135.00 $129.79 $802 -2.15
705 705 1 109.00 $109.00 $768 -11.32
850 850 1 115.00 $115.00 $978 —
1020 1020 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,122 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 2 147.50 $147.50 $502 —
385 385 1 135.00 $135.00 $520 —
450–490 474 4 136.00–142.00 $139.76 $662 —
540–547 545 6 127.00–131.00 $128.66 $701 -3.34
560–565 562 3 122.00–130.00 $126.65 $712 -2.63
620–645 633 5 110.00–119.00 $114.86 $727 —
665 665 2 107.00 $107.00 $712 -13.82
730 730 1 95.00 $95.00 $694 —
760–765 763 2 102.00 $102.00 $778 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 153.00 $153.00 $451 —
685 685 1 110.00 $110.00 $754 -14.73
935 935 1 96.00 $96.00 $898 —
Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
880–1000 943 (<2 yrs)N/A 3 1,025.00–1,150.00 $1,069.17 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 105.00 $105.00 $420 —
455 455 2 114.00 $114.00 $519 -6.00

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1295 1169 80-85% 8 60.00–62.50 $61.59 $720 -3.54
1015–1335 1202 80-85% 19 63.00–69.50 $65.92 $792 —
1105–1320 1215 80-85% 14 70.00–76.50 $73.44 $892 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–1155 1000 85-90% 14 47.00–62.00 $57.08 $571 —
890–1260 1069 85-90% 4 63.50–65.50 $64.48 $689 +1.48
1045–1260 1153 85-90% 2 66.00–67.50 $66.68 $769 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1575 1356 75-80% 8 70.00–75.50 $72.43 $982 —
1215–1685 1396 75-80% 8 66.00–69.00 $68.06 $950 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–2005 1665 6 99.00–112.00 $103.77 $1,728 —
1470–1915 1680 3 94.00–96.00 $94.96 $1,595 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
955–1365 1110 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 900.00–1,075.00 $1,009.65
1090–1350 1263 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 900.00–940.00 $928.50
1175–1555 1360 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 885.00–1,050.00 $970.95
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
735–1110 923 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 670.00–725.00 $703.09
820–1100 980 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 610.00–825.00 $706.13
805–1275 1040 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 625.00–760.00 $707.75

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1320 1320 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,385.00 $1,385.00 —
1268–1470 1342 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,200.00–1,285.00 $1,229.14 —
1005–1500 1384 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 7 1,050.00–1,325.00 $1,234.37 -115.66
1275–1595 1412 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,400.00–1,600.00 $1,478.55 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1220 1220 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 885.00 $885.00 —
1290 1290 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.