Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report, Mt. Sterling, KY

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 29, 2021

854 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $148.41/cwt +2.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,167/hd at 786 lb · 52 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $139.43/cwt -0.72 vs last sale · ≈ $595/hd at 427 lb · 42 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $132.68/cwt -4.20 vs last sale · ≈ $622/hd at 469 lb · 42 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 854 682 620
Feeder cattle 745 626 524
Slaughter cattle 86 43 83
Replacement cattle 23 13 13

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers under 600 lbs sold 3.00 to 6.00 lower with instances 10.00 lower. Yearling packages steady with very good demand. The new crop calves began to pour in this week and fleshy un-weaned calves are facing noticeable discounts. Buyers noting fall weather changes stressing new crop bawling calves.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 154.00 $154.00 $593 -13.24
400–440 value added 414 15 155.00–170.50 $163.46 $677 -1.86
410–442 432 5 149.00–152.50 $149.88 $647 -3.26
455–495 474 4 142.00–151.00 $145.74 $691 -6.26
500–535 value added 512 13 150.00–155.00 $151.93 $778 -5.98
510–547 541 14 135.00–145.00 $138.24 $748 -12.88
561 value added 561 4 150.00 $150.00 $842 -7.00
550–598 582 19 137.00–145.00 $141.04 $821 -10.58
600–645 618 10 130.00–138.00 $133.98 $828 —
615–643 value added 634 8 140.00–152.50 $148.28 $940 +1.52
672 value added 672 2 144.00 $144.00 $968 +2.00
740 value added 740 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,036 -7.69
786 value added 786 46 149.90 $149.90 $1,178 +3.65
780–795 788 6 136.00–138.00 $137.01 $1,080 —
830 830 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,120 —
852 852 2 136.50 $136.50 $1,163 —
940 940 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,250 +6.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433–437 435 5 128.00–135.00 $132.18 $575 -10.82
470–480 475 3 118.00–130.00 $125.96 $598 -20.11
515 515 1 129.00 $129.00 $664 +5.69
565–585 569 5 123.00–127.00 $123.82 $705 -12.39
702–725 710 3 118.00–122.00 $120.64 $857 —
770 770 1 114.00 $114.00 $878 —
855 855 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,043 —
935 935 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,075 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 135.00 $135.00 $405 —
512–525 516 3 128.00–139.00 $131.73 $680 —
585 585 1 134.00 $134.00 $784 —
600 600 3 131.00 $131.00 $786 —

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 fancy 255 3 142.50 $142.50 $363 —
275–290 285 3 130.00–134.00 $132.20 $377 -7.80
305 fancy 305 1 142.50 $142.50 $435 -9.50
315–338 333 5 140.00 $140.00 $466 -3.89
350–370 fancy 357 6 140.00–145.00 $142.59 $509 -8.42
370–380 375 3 133.00–138.00 $136.14 $511 -1.92
400 fancy 400 11 150.00 $150.00 $600 —
415–439 value added 427 11 139.00–146.00 $141.06 $602 -2.51
427–448 441 20 128.00–136.00 $132.71 $585 -4.30
451–490 value added 465 21 132.00–138.00 $136.10 $633 -4.24
450–495 473 21 121.00–132.00 $129.25 $611 -5.98
500–520 value added 511 13 133.00–139.50 $135.35 $692 -9.14
500–547 522 18 123.00–132.50 $128.70 $672 -6.59
565–580 value added 567 10 134.00–135.75 $135.57 $769 -4.43
555–580 568 12 121.00–130.00 $125.15 $711 -6.35
602–630 value added 618 9 130.00–134.00 $132.77 $821 -1.50
615–627 622 4 120.00–122.00 $120.74 $751 -4.80
655–685 670 2 121.00–122.00 $121.51 $814 -4.93
700–740 722 13 101.00–118.00 $112.37 $811 —
758–795 767 4 90.00–110.00 $104.82 $804 -5.18
895 895 1 95.00 $95.00 $850 -24.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
353 353 3 122.50 $122.50 $432 -3.55
405–425 415 2 111.00–122.50 $116.61 $484 -9.39
465–485 479 4 115.00–125.00 $120.57 $578 -0.94
575–595 585 2 103.00–109.00 $105.95 $620 -18.55
600–605 602 3 103.00–114.00 $108.35 $652 —
705–725 715 2 100.00 $100.00 $715 —
835 835 1 85.00 $85.00 $710 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–470 468 3 126.00 $126.00 $590 —
535 535 1 110.00 $110.00 $588 —
562 562 2 108.00 $108.00 $607 —
680 680 1 100.00 $100.00 $680 -20.00
1000 1000 1 96.00 $96.00 $960 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 117.50 $117.50 $341 —
360 360 1 111.00 $111.00 $400 —
410–440 421 4 101.00–112.50 $106.25 $447 —
575 575 1 100.00 $100.00 $575 —

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–295 288 5 140.00–157.50 $145.01 $418 —
300–345 328 6 142.50–155.00 $148.88 $488 +0.19
355–385 367 6 141.00–145.00 $143.68 $527 -11.32
400–440 416 23 138.00–150.00 $143.53 $597 +1.03
450–480 463 5 141.00–148.00 $144.18 $668 -2.62
503 fancy 503 4 154.50 $154.50 $777 —
500–546 524 37 132.00–150.00 $139.42 $731 +1.85
550–593 577 21 131.00–145.00 $137.75 $795 -5.31
600 fancy 600 1 132.00 $132.00 $792 —
600–648 639 14 116.00–127.00 $123.01 $786 -3.14
652–692 669 16 110.00–145.00 $124.60 $834 +4.60
720 720 1 116.00 $116.00 $835 -1.38
755–765 757 5 108.00–116.00 $113.98 $863 -3.02
802–805 803 3 91.00–108.00 $96.68 $776 -22.32
862 fancy 862 2 110.00 $110.00 $948 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 125.00 $125.00 $431 -12.50
360–366 365 4 135.00 $135.00 $493 —
400–445 417 10 130.00–135.00 $133.35 $556 —
450–495 474 14 120.00–132.00 $124.82 $592 -5.15
510–545 528 4 124.00–127.00 $125.50 $663 +0.64
550–565 558 2 120.00–125.00 $122.53 $684 —
605 605 1 110.00 $110.00 $666 —
660–685 672 3 103.00–105.00 $104.00 $699 —
750–770 763 3 83.00–98.00 $91.97 $702 —
800 800 1 82.00 $82.00 $656 —
952 952 2 71.00 $71.00 $676 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313 313 5 115.00 $115.00 $360 —
360–390 372 5 110.00–120.00 $118.06 $439 —
415–435 425 3 100.00–120.00 $113.49 $482 —
452–475 464 4 112.00–121.00 $116.61 $541 —
560–570 565 2 106.00–117.00 $111.45 $630 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
461 461 3 132.50 $132.50 $611 —
580 580 1 123.00 $123.00 $713 —
601 601 3 120.00 $120.00 $721 —
675 675 1 120.00 $120.00 $810 —

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1395 1208 80-85% 3 58.50–60.00 $59.13 $714 —
1185–1500 1354 80-85% 5 61.50–66.50 $63.26 $857 —
1245–1680 1406 80-85% 16 67.00–73.00 $69.48 $977 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1155 1033 85-90% 10 40.00–50.50 $46.16 $477 —
875–1225 1093 85-90% 8 53.00–62.00 $57.95 $633 —
1130–1235 1183 85-90% 2 63.00–64.00 $63.52 $751 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1370 1265 75-80% 3 58.00–61.00 $59.25 $750 —
1195–1735 1423 75-80% 9 62.00–67.00 $65.07 $926 —
1240–1845 1664 75-80% 7 67.00–69.50 $68.66 $1,143 —

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390–1705 1548 2 78.00–79.00 $78.45 $1,214 —
1180–2115 1637 9 80.00–91.00 $87.20 $1,427 —
1580–1940 1740 9 91.00–102.00 $95.93 $1,669 +5.86

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Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
825 825 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 600.00 $600.00
965 965 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 520.00 $520.00
1305 1305 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 725.00 $725.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1165–1270 1218 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 830.00–920.00 $876.94

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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.