Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 1, 2021

1,307 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $144.75/cwt +4.93 vs last sale · ≈ $900/hd at 622 lb · 85 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $132.00/cwt +5.99 vs last sale · ≈ $691/hd at 524 lb · 76 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $128.69/cwt +6.13 vs last sale · ≈ $745/hd at 579 lb · 66 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,307 305 795
Feeder cattle 1,134 183 684
Slaughter cattle 118 50 68
Replacement cattle 55 72 43

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher on good quality weaned packages. Off-color, fleshy and bawling calves facing discounts. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher with moderate demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 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
295 295 2 152.50 $152.50 $450 —
340 340 1 160.00 $160.00 $544 —
395 395 2 170.00–182.50 $176.25 $696 —
400–445 425 13 150.00–157.00 $152.69 $649 +13.69
400–447 value added 434 20 157.50–177.00 $167.16 $725 —
465–476 value added 472 5 154.00–164.00 $157.94 $745 —
465–492 474 7 152.50–153.00 $152.85 $725 +12.83
500–530 515 17 141.00–151.00 $146.51 $755 -5.49
525–542 value added 535 11 152.00–155.00 $153.09 $819 —
560–577 value added 571 3 152.00–154.00 $153.35 $876 —
550–591 574 26 138.00–151.00 $145.37 $834 +8.94
600–631 614 29 125.00–140.00 $135.24 $830 -4.58
606–649 value added 626 56 140.00–154.00 $149.68 $937 —
650 value added 650 1 141.00 $141.00 $916 —
686 686 3 135.00 $135.00 $926 +4.97
693 693 13 132.00 $132.00 $915 +1.97
705–715 714 12 133.00–135.00 $134.84 $963 —
731 value added 731 17 149.75 $149.75 $1,095 +9.75
765–784 value added 771 34 145.75–148.50 $146.57 $1,130 —
827 827 65 157.70 $157.70 $1,304 —
895 895 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,164 —
1020 1020 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,244 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
511 511 5 126.00 $126.00 $644 —
555 555 3 125.00 $125.00 $694 —
600–632 609 7 124.00–130.00 $125.78 $766 —
644 value added 644 5 140.00 $140.00 $902 —
675 675 1 126.00 $126.00 $850 —
700–735 715 7 117.00–125.00 $120.08 $859 —
782 value added 782 9 140.00 $140.00 $1,095 —
825–845 835 2 122.00–129.00 $125.46 $1,048 —
907 fancy 907 4 136.50 $136.50 $1,238 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–430 418 2 130.00–142.50 $136.44 $570 —
490 490 1 139.00 $139.00 $681 —
525–535 533 6 121.00–139.00 $130.50 $696 -0.50
550–590 580 6 120.00–137.00 $124.16 $720 +12.17
627 627 2 124.00 $124.00 $777 +5.06
655–695 668 7 120.00–130.00 $125.45 $838 —
700–715 711 4 121.00–126.00 $122.26 $869 —
765 765 1 120.00 $120.00 $918 —
845 845 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,006 —
920 920 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,021 —

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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 2 123.00–130.00 $126.38 $276 —
315–335 329 8 127.50–140.00 $133.82 $440 +8.82
350–385 370 16 124.00–137.50 $129.53 $479 +1.04
382 value added 382 2 145.00 $145.00 $554 —
400–445 value added 428 31 135.00–149.00 $140.01 $599 —
400–446 432 18 125.00–134.00 $128.25 $554 +0.73
450–475 value added 460 6 136.00–143.00 $138.26 $636 —
460–495 475 14 120.00–134.00 $127.92 $608 +2.49
500–542 value added 523 61 128.00–140.00 $134.47 $703 —
500–540 526 15 119.00–126.00 $121.98 $642 -4.03
550–597 576 21 121.00–126.00 $124.25 $716 +1.69
555–598 value added 580 45 126.00–136.00 $130.76 $758 —
600–637 618 40 111.00–127.00 $123.95 $766 -0.05
628–647 value added 634 6 130.00 $130.00 $824 —
660–695 676 7 116.00–128.00 $119.36 $807 —
680 value added 680 11 136.00 $136.00 $925 —
700–740 709 8 107.00–112.00 $108.63 $770 +7.63
748 748 3 120.00 $120.00 $898 +19.00
775 775 2 113.00 $113.00 $876 —
777 777 2 123.00 $123.00 $956 —
800–835 817 3 106.00–110.00 $107.65 $880 —
855 855 1 102.00 $102.00 $872 —
900 900 1 92.00 $92.00 $828 —
905 905 9 119.25 $119.25 $1,079 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–380 367 3 110.00–112.00 $111.31 $409 +2.97
405–425 416 4 111.00–119.00 $115.61 $481 +2.61
455–495 470 10 102.00–124.00 $114.36 $537 —
518–547 534 8 110.00–118.00 $114.31 $610 +9.95
557 557 2 103.00 $103.00 $574 -9.52
630–635 633 3 106.00–109.00 $107.50 $680 -2.30
665–690 675 3 91.00–110.00 $98.13 $662 -2.87
700–725 713 2 85.00–100.00 $92.37 $659 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
428 428 3 123.00 $123.00 $526 —
450 450 1 105.00 $105.00 $472 —
513–540 534 15 111.00–123.00 $119.25 $637 —
600–612 605 5 105.00–121.00 $111.48 $674 —
780 780 1 101.00 $101.00 $788 —
825 825 1 97.00 $97.00 $800 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1128 1128 4 90.00 $90.00 $1,015 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–285 280 2 151.00–159.00 $154.93 $434 —
305–345 324 9 140.00–150.00 $147.65 $478 —
355–375 362 3 148.00–158.00 $151.60 $549 —
412–433 426 6 145.00–149.00 $146.29 $623 +13.79
476–495 485 7 141.00–150.00 $147.39 $715 +10.08
500–517 510 12 130.00–141.00 $134.53 $686 +7.11
525–547 value added 539 10 146.00–148.00 $147.01 $792 —
570–590 574 13 131.00–139.00 $136.07 $781 +1.47
600–640 619 19 116.00–131.00 $121.90 $755 +2.64
660–676 value added 672 4 126.00–129.00 $126.74 $852 —
670–675 673 2 119.00–120.00 $119.50 $804 -5.00
700–740 728 8 104.00–118.00 $114.18 $831 +3.18
760–795 790 8 104.00–112.00 $105.96 $837 -2.04
800–845 834 13 107.00–114.00 $108.98 $909 —
855–860 858 4 107.00–114.00 $111.49 $957 —
940 fancy 940 3 111.00 $111.00 $1,043 —
1052 1052 2 90.00 $90.00 $947 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
428 428 7 130.00 $130.00 $556 —
552–588 563 10 127.00–132.50 $130.78 $736 —
600 600 4 120.00–122.00 $121.00 $726 —
651 651 5 126.50 $126.50 $824 —
705 705 2 108.00–110.00 $109.00 $768 —
840 840 3 107.00 $107.00 $899 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 142.50 $142.50 $285 —
335 335 1 137.50 $137.50 $461 +15.00
405–447 438 5 134.00–140.00 $135.11 $592 —
450–495 471 6 120.00–132.50 $127.04 $598 +15.53
500–545 512 6 119.00–130.00 $123.55 $633 +18.55
565–590 578 9 121.00–129.00 $124.45 $719 +7.45
610 610 1 108.00 $108.00 $659 —
750 750 1 103.00 $103.00 $772 +13.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 124.00 $124.00 $267 —
340 340 1 110.00 $110.00 $374 —
410–435 423 4 111.00–115.00 $113.06 $478 —
500 500 1 121.00 $121.00 $605 —
560–575 563 8 104.00–119.00 $110.89 $624 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–1335 1046 85-90% 12 42.00–48.00 $45.51 $476 —
880–1280 1065 85-90% 16 48.00–54.50 $51.78 $551 —
995–1250 1129 85-90% 6 55.00–64.00 $59.07 $667 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1450 1197 80-85% 13 53.00–57.00 $55.49 $664 —
1070–1305 1216 80-85% 7 45.00–52.00 $47.60 $579 -6.45
1095–1635 1335 80-85% 14 58.00–65.00 $61.27 $818 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1255 1185 75-80% 4 54.00–58.00 $56.93 $675 —
1240–1835 1442 75-80% 13 58.00–67.00 $61.88 $892 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1110 1064 4 63.00–74.00 $71.06 $756 —
1350–2105 1761 11 80.00–91.00 $85.78 $1,511 —
1405–2430 1815 11 94.00–100.00 $96.80 $1,757 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1055–1235 1123 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 810.00–1,000.00 $933.59
987–1332 1189 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 980.00–1,050.00 $1,008.82
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00
910–1120 988 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 650.00–750.00 $701.77
1085–1175 1130 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 700.00–810.00 $757.19

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
825 825 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 620.00 $620.00
1085 1085 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
607 607 2 80.00 $80.00 $486 —

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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.