Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 15, 2021

646 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $139.48/cwt -7.35 vs last sale · ≈ $735/hd at 527 lb · 39 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $160.41/cwt +2.64 vs last sale · ≈ $772/hd at 481 lb · 37 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $150.31/cwt +6.31 vs last sale · ≈ $978/hd at 651 lb · 32 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 646 1,025 961
Feeder cattle 510 902 878
Slaughter cattle 72 80 66
Replacement cattle 64 43 17

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady with good demand for weaned offerings. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 2.00 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
220 220 1 175.00 $175.00 $385 —
345 345 1 162.00 $162.00 $559 +1.35
355–395 382 3 156.00–162.50 $158.59 $606 +3.59
400–428 value added 423 12 158.50–160.00 $158.74 $671 -3.63
432–445 436 5 152.50–155.00 $153.99 $671 -0.34
456–492 469 12 151.00–153.00 $151.35 $710 -0.78
485–495 value added 487 25 156.75–167.00 $164.76 $802 +2.61
500–525 506 4 146.00–155.00 $148.33 $751 -0.20
505–535 value added 524 11 154.00–159.00 $157.12 $823 +0.80
550–580 value added 575 12 154.00–157.00 $156.34 $899 —
580–595 585 3 146.00–150.00 $147.36 $862 +2.72
600–630 value added 618 4 145.00–162.00 $149.83 $926 +2.00
605–645 632 3 140.00–141.00 $140.32 $887 +0.82
650–652 value added 650 27 145.50–157.00 $152.48 $991 +8.48
650–656 655 5 138.50–139.00 $138.60 $908 —
700–740 720 2 135.00–137.00 $135.97 $979 +2.45
755–765 760 2 133.00–136.00 $134.51 $1,022 -14.99
760–770 value added 763 3 140.50–141.00 $140.67 $1,073 —
803 803 18 133.50 $133.50 $1,072 -11.00
1065 1065 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,193 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–340 325 2 134.00–152.50 $143.68 $467 -6.32
410–445 428 2 141.00–147.50 $144.38 $618 +9.38
480 480 1 140.00 $140.00 $672 ±0.00
525–548 543 5 133.00–140.00 $138.65 $753 -2.35
625 625 1 138.00 $138.00 $862 +8.52
650–685 679 6 128.00–130.00 $128.32 $871 -5.71
745 745 1 128.00 $128.00 $954 —
764–780 766 7 122.00–126.00 $122.58 $939 —
880 880 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,091 -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
260 260 1 130.00 $130.00 $338 -10.00
315 fancy 315 1 145.00 $145.00 $457 —
362–370 365 3 141.00–142.00 $141.66 $517 —
360–372 fancy 367 7 148.00–151.00 $150.29 $552 —
393 value added 393 6 153.00 $153.00 $601 +5.61
400–411 408 8 134.00–141.00 $138.52 $565 +1.60
416–445 value added 425 13 142.00–148.00 $146.68 $623 -0.08
461–485 value added 473 22 142.00–150.00 $145.87 $690 +0.94
485 485 1 138.00 $138.00 $669 +5.56
513–541 523 10 131.00–135.00 $132.24 $692 +0.91
500–549 value added 528 29 138.00–145.50 $141.97 $750 -6.13
555–580 value added 563 5 137.00–143.00 $139.25 $784 -11.93
570–581 576 17 130.00–137.00 $130.76 $753 -2.24
600–625 614 4 130.00–132.00 $130.99 $804 -3.01
610–642 625 7 120.00–129.00 $124.95 $781 -0.73
629–642 value added 637 17 132.50–138.25 $134.84 $859 -5.03
719–725 719 14 113.00–118.50 $118.10 $849 —
743 value added 743 3 131.00 $131.00 $973 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–335 320 2 130.00 $130.00 $416 —
400 400 1 132.50 $132.50 $530 —
470–491 483 7 125.00–135.00 $131.51 $635 -0.24
510–525 518 2 119.00–126.00 $122.55 $635 +0.63
615–640 629 4 101.00–112.00 $108.71 $684 -9.55
660–691 683 7 102.00–116.00 $109.45 $748 —
717 717 2 106.00 $106.00 $760 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527 527 2 130.00 $130.00 $685 —
725 725 1 107.00 $107.00 $776 -6.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–290 275 8 142.50–152.50 $147.18 $405 +2.55
385 fancy 385 1 165.00 $165.00 $635 —
395 395 1 155.00 $155.00 $612 -2.18
410 fancy 410 1 157.00 $157.00 $644 -0.89
410–440 428 6 141.00–145.00 $142.55 $610 -1.39
480–495 485 6 139.00–155.00 $143.39 $695 -1.38
505–540 524 4 137.00–149.00 $141.79 $743 +3.32
505–545 fancy 525 2 151.00–152.00 $151.48 $795 —
566–575 569 7 135.00–139.00 $138.14 $786 +0.72
605 fancy 605 2 136.00 $136.00 $823 +0.50
605 605 1 139.00 $139.00 $841 +9.41
650 fancy 650 1 136.00 $136.00 $884 —
665 665 1 122.00 $122.00 $811 -2.03
725 725 2 107.00–112.00 $109.50 $794 -0.80
775–785 781 4 107.00–112.00 $110.26 $861 —
840 840 1 111.00 $111.00 $932 +6.20
890–895 893 2 98.00–107.00 $102.51 $915 —
965 965 1 99.00 $99.00 $955 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–345 327 3 134.00–140.00 $138.07 $451 —
480–495 490 3 126.00–133.00 $130.64 $640 -4.57
500–546 539 11 122.00–127.00 $126.23 $680 +0.15
555 555 1 122.00 $122.00 $677 -4.31
615 615 2 102.00–111.00 $106.50 $655 —
650–695 665 3 114.00–119.00 $117.26 $780 -2.29
750–790 770 2 96.00–106.00 $100.87 $777 -5.14
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527 527 2 129.00 $129.00 $680 +15.41
550 550 1 122.00 $122.00 $671 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 136.00 $136.00 $660 -1.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1365 1229 80-85% 5 53.00–60.50 $58.31 $717 -8.17
960–1470 1243 80-85% 15 64.00–68.00 $66.50 $827 +0.02
1050–1530 1356 80-85% 12 68.50–75.00 $71.44 $969 -0.90
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1315 1268 75-80% 2 68.00 $68.00 $862 —
1345–1975 1606 75-80% 18 68.50–73.50 $71.45 $1,147 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1040 941 85-90% 5 59.00–65.00 $61.97 $583 —
1025–1085 1052 85-90% 3 54.00–57.50 $55.48 $584 -4.10
1260 1260 85-90% 1 66.00 $66.00 $832 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1875 1454 7 86.00–94.00 $90.81 $1,320 —
1455–1995 1751 6 95.00–104.50 $99.57 $1,743 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
870–1200 1023 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 825.00–920.00 $886.56
1250–1420 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 840.00–970.00 $911.23
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
875–1015 965 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 690.00–800.00 $747.55
1070 1070 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 640.00 $640.00
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 540.00 $540.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
885 885 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 690.00 $690.00

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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
1075–1705 1395 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 12 1,025.00–1,350.00 $1,193.59 +53.90
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1015–1290 1171 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 700.00–990.00 $891.55 —

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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.