Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 25, 2021

578 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $147.10/cwt ≈ $1,370/hd at 931 lb · 78 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $143.07/cwt -1.07 vs last sale · ≈ $689/hd at 482 lb · 15 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $139.29/cwt +2.30 vs last sale · ≈ $714/hd at 513 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 578 587 814
Feeder cattle 515 422 733
Slaughter cattle 31 88 54
Replacement cattle 32 77 27

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady with good demand; very good demand for weaned 400-500 lbs steers. Slaughter cows and 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
315–345 fancy 328 3 178.00–182.50 $180.12 $591 —
355–375 364 4 160.00–170.00 $167.06 $608 +7.06
405–420 410 3 157.00–158.00 $157.66 $646 +1.66
400–445 value added 420 7 164.00–179.00 $169.58 $712 —
470–480 value added 477 3 170.00–180.00 $173.36 $827 +13.25
485 485 1 155.00 $155.00 $752 —
500–505 503 2 150.00–154.00 $151.99 $765 -1.15
550 value added 550 2 157.00 $157.00 $864 —
560–585 573 2 140.00–147.00 $143.58 $823 -4.60
610–632 625 4 144.00 $144.00 $900 +3.00
652–695 value added 666 3 145.00–150.00 $146.74 $977 —
710 value added 710 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,008 -4.00
720 720 1 131.00 $131.00 $943 —
760 value added 760 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,079 —
787 787 2 132.00 $132.00 $1,039 -2.99
931 thin fleshed 931 78 147.10 $147.10 $1,370 —
1056 thin fleshed 1056 158 141.70 $141.70 $1,496 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 149.00 $149.00 $559 —
405 405 1 143.00 $143.00 $579 —
500–535 515 3 134.00–140.00 $137.71 $709 +1.78
575 575 1 140.00 $140.00 $805 +1.13
605–645 627 3 123.00–137.00 $127.69 $801 -3.31
670 670 1 122.00 $122.00 $817 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 151.00 $151.00 $642 —
472 472 2 151.00 $151.00 $713 —
800 800 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,016 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–225 218 2 137.00–140.00 $138.45 $302 +7.45
340–345 343 2 135.00–143.00 $139.03 $477 -2.57
355–382 value added 373 3 150.00–154.00 $152.73 $570 —
392 392 2 147.00 $147.00 $576 +4.40
400–445 value added 423 11 148.00–153.00 $150.64 $637 +0.64
435 435 1 142.50 $142.50 $620 +2.48
460–490 value added 479 12 140.00–148.00 $143.92 $689 -2.95
492–495 493 3 137.00–141.00 $139.66 $689 +0.99
502–515 value added 506 9 140.00–143.00 $140.90 $713 —
521–540 525 5 136.00–136.50 $136.40 $716 -0.59
565 value added 565 2 142.00 $142.00 $802 —
558–582 572 11 132.00–137.00 $134.75 $771 +1.32
607 value added 607 4 135.25 $135.25 $821 —
615–635 621 4 121.00–130.00 $127.77 $793 +7.77
690–695 693 2 122.00–129.00 $125.49 $870 -5.01
720–730 723 3 124.00–126.00 $124.67 $901 +3.27
786 786 3 122.50 $122.50 $963 +7.00
915 915 2 111.00 $111.00 $1,016 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290–295 293 2 130.00–136.00 $133.03 $390 —
317 317 2 124.00 $124.00 $393 —
480 480 3 110.00 $110.00 $528 —
508–530 517 5 112.00–113.00 $112.59 $582 -8.84
600 600 2 105.00 $105.00 $630 —
720 720 2 108.00 $108.00 $778 —
806 806 3 96.00 $96.00 $774 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560–570 565 2 128.00–129.00 $128.50 $726 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–335 325 2 151.00–157.50 $154.15 $501 —
350–380 365 2 155.00–160.00 $157.40 $575 -2.60
370 fancy 370 1 170.00 $170.00 $629 —
400–425 408 5 144.00–156.00 $151.92 $620 -1.98
426–435 fancy 428 4 158.00 $158.00 $676 —
465 fancy 465 1 166.00 $166.00 $772 —
477 477 2 147.00 $147.00 $701 -0.04
500–545 529 5 138.00–151.00 $145.47 $770 +5.35
555–575 570 7 134.50–140.00 $137.22 $782 -1.10
605–610 608 2 120.00–125.00 $122.49 $745 -7.30
655 655 2 126.00 $126.00 $825 —
700–735 712 3 128.00–130.00 $129.31 $921 +20.31
780 780 1 123.00 $123.00 $959 —
805 805 1 107.00 $107.00 $861 —
915 915 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,043 —
1030 1030 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,174 +4.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–260 255 2 144.00–147.50 $145.72 $372 —
340–345 343 2 150.00 $150.00 $514 +2.50
365–390 380 3 132.50–152.00 $143.05 $544 +8.05
460–465 463 2 135.00 $135.00 $625 -4.76
540 540 2 134.00 $134.00 $724 +5.34
575 575 1 130.00 $130.00 $748 +3.35
605–617 613 3 109.00–114.00 $112.36 $689 -2.50
650–672 665 4 103.00–113.00 $109.31 $727 +2.31
730 730 1 106.00 $106.00 $774 +11.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475–495 485 2 140.00–144.00 $141.96 $689 —
535 535 1 135.00 $135.00 $722 —
575 575 1 125.00 $125.00 $719 —
620 620 1 111.00 $111.00 $688 —
662 662 2 110.00 $110.00 $728 ±0.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 80-85% 1 54.00 $54.00 $637 -7.59
1080–1415 1283 80-85% 10 70.00–78.50 $74.22 $952 —
1290 1290 80-85% 1 66.50 $66.50 $858 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740–1070 905 85-90% 2 66.00–67.50 $66.61 $603 —
865–1170 1048 85-90% 3 43.00–53.00 $49.90 $523 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215 1215 75-80% 1 73.00 $73.00 $887 —
1300–1310 1305 75-80% 2 65.00–67.50 $66.25 $865 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455 1455 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,411 —
1630–2320 1900 4 100.50–110.50 $105.90 $2,012 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1110 1110 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00
1375 1375 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 860.00 $860.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 675.00 $675.00
990 990 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 635.00 $635.00

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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
1085–1390 1229 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 800.00–1,075.00 $960.74 +75.74
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
920–1410 1275 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 1,100.00–1,325.00 $1,231.71 —

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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.