Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

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

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	854	682	620
Feeder cattle	745	626	524
Slaughter cattle	86	43	83
Replacement cattle	23	13	13

Market comments — USDA reporter

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 ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ 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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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	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	Age	Stage	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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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.