Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report, Mt. Sterling, KY

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 8, 2021

1,084 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $147.30/cwt +18.61 vs last sale · ≈ $859/hd at 583 lb · 127 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $137.31/cwt +5.31 vs last sale · ≈ $711/hd at 518 lb · 85 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $159.45/cwt +13.26 vs last sale · ≈ $914/hd at 573 lb · 78 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,084 1,307 1,741
Feeder cattle 976 1,134 1,597
Slaughter cattle 85 118 132
Replacement cattle 23 55 12

Compared to last week feeder steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned 4-weight packages. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady with good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 160.00 $160.00 $488 ±0.00
310–325 fancy 318 2 181.00–190.00 $185.39 $590 —
358 fancy 358 6 175.00 $175.00 $626 —
400–431 value added 417 22 160.00–186.00 $171.23 $714 +4.07
426–445 431 4 150.00–155.00 $151.29 $652 -1.40
460–480 470 2 154.00–160.00 $157.06 $738 +4.21
450–490 value added 477 31 163.00–185.00 $169.38 $808 +11.44
500–544 value added 528 36 155.00–170.00 $162.33 $857 +9.24
530 530 1 140.00 $140.00 $742 -6.51
550–592 value added 573 76 151.00–168.50 $159.81 $916 +6.46
555–595 575 2 142.00–150.00 $145.86 $839 +0.49
600–644 value added 628 54 145.00–160.00 $150.54 $945 +0.86
645 645 1 141.00 $141.00 $909 +5.76
664 664 16 141.00 $141.00 $936 +6.00
665–697 value added 679 16 145.00–155.00 $149.18 $1,013 +8.18
710 value added 710 1 140.00 $140.00 $994 -9.75
760 760 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,041 —
792 value added 792 12 142.00 $142.00 $1,125 -4.57
1030 1030 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,112 -14.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 141.00 $141.00 $818 +16.00
613 613 8 141.00 $141.00 $864 +15.22
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 137.50 $137.50 $612 +1.06
510 510 2 137.00 $137.00 $699 +6.50
580 580 3 134.00 $134.00 $777 +9.84
620 620 1 132.00 $132.00 $818 +8.00
750 750 1 125.00 $125.00 $938 +5.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 1 140.00 $140.00 $707 —

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230–245 239 4 130.00–147.50 $135.50 $324 +9.12
267–290 277 4 126.00–131.00 $127.69 $354 —
305–345 323 9 125.00–140.00 $130.58 $422 -3.24
328 fancy 328 5 144.00 $144.00 $472 —
371–385 378 7 137.50–142.00 $139.38 $527 +9.85
382–395 fancy 389 6 140.00–150.00 $143.94 $560 —
395–398 value added 398 6 146.00–150.00 $146.66 $584 +1.66
401–428 value added 413 27 135.00–152.00 $145.79 $602 +5.78
400–448 434 8 125.00–133.00 $128.74 $559 +0.49
455–488 value added 469 37 135.00–142.00 $138.77 $651 +0.51
450–495 481 14 125.00–134.00 $131.15 $631 +3.23
500–545 value added 518 85 127.00–143.50 $137.31 $711 +2.84
550–597 value added 583 127 128.00–153.00 $147.30 $859 +16.54
610–635 620 16 120.00–126.00 $122.85 $762 -1.10
606–637 value added 623 26 129.50–133.75 $132.16 $823 +2.16
655–680 674 8 110.00–123.00 $120.69 $813 +1.33
705–715 713 4 117.00–121.00 $117.99 $841 +9.36
755 value added 755 1 131.00 $131.00 $989 —
755 755 2 102.00 $102.00 $770 -11.00
810 value added 810 1 121.00 $121.00 $980 —
880 880 1 113.00 $113.00 $994 +11.00
970 970 1 92.00 $92.00 $892 —
1020 1020 2 95.00 $95.00 $969 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–240 220 2 109.00–129.00 $118.09 $260 —
270–277 275 3 122.50–127.00 $123.97 $341 —
330 330 1 120.00 $120.00 $396 —
350–375 361 4 111.00–122.50 $116.37 $420 +5.06
480 480 1 121.00 $121.00 $581 +6.64
520–545 533 4 110.00–114.00 $112.05 $597 -2.26
550 550 1 116.00 $116.00 $638 +13.00
645 645 1 110.00 $110.00 $710 +2.50
660 660 2 105.00 $105.00 $693 +6.87
705–744 734 7 76.00–93.00 $80.42 $590 -11.95
875 875 1 88.00 $88.00 $770 —
905 905 2 61.00 $61.00 $552 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 2 100.00 $100.00 $335 —
645 645 1 100.00 $100.00 $645 —
792 792 2 121.00 $121.00 $958 +20.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 100.00 $100.00 $375 —

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 328 3 147.00–152.50 $150.74 $494 +3.09
370–385 375 3 145.00 $145.00 $544 -6.60
400–427 416 4 147.50–157.50 $152.63 $635 +6.34
425–440 value added 433 2 164.00–176.00 $169.90 $736 —
451 fancy 451 4 149.00 $149.00 $672 —
450–490 470 7 137.00–143.00 $140.50 $660 -6.89
501–545 523 23 131.00–150.00 $138.76 $726 +4.23
560 560 1 136.00 $136.00 $762 -0.07
600–640 619 18 125.00–134.00 $128.93 $798 +7.03
655–690 672 5 125.00–132.00 $128.22 $862 +8.72
687 687 2 115.00 $115.00 $790 -4.50
705–710 707 5 114.00–116.00 $115.20 $814 +1.02
840 840 2 112.00–113.00 $112.50 $945 +3.52
865 865 1 107.00 $107.00 $926 -4.49
945 945 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,002 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222–225 223 3 126.00–140.00 $135.29 $302 -7.21
280 280 1 140.00 $140.00 $392 —
310 310 1 137.50 $137.50 $426 ±0.00
415 415 1 131.00 $131.00 $544 -4.11
505–531 520 8 120.00–128.00 $125.06 $650 +1.51
560 560 1 127.00 $127.00 $711 +2.55
620 620 1 111.00 $111.00 $688 +3.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 130.00 $130.00 $559 ±0.00
590 590 1 130.00 $130.00 $767 -0.78
630–645 635 3 120.00–122.00 $121.32 $770 +0.32
687 687 2 119.00 $119.00 $818 —
785 785 1 109.00 $109.00 $856 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 120.00 $120.00 $354 —

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1360 1236 80-85% 11 52.00–58.50 $55.46 $685 +7.86
1060–1485 1306 80-85% 7 59.00–67.00 $62.33 $814 +1.06
1145–1530 1338 80-85% 2 48.00–50.00 $48.86 $654 -12.41
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1560 1340 75-80% 3 46.00–52.00 $50.03 $670 —
1205–1625 1414 75-80% 7 54.00–58.00 $56.57 $800 -5.31
1265–1780 1512 75-80% 9 63.00–67.50 $64.76 $979 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–990 848 85-90% 3 53.00–57.00 $54.89 $465 —
940–1075 1008 85-90% 2 49.00–51.50 $50.33 $507 —
940–1355 1107 85-90% 12 32.00–47.00 $40.93 $453 -18.14

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–1825 1544 5 80.50–90.00 $85.23 $1,316 —
1435–1905 1694 6 90.00–99.00 $94.78 $1,606 —
2320 2320 1 72.00 $72.00 $1,670 —

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
995–1410 1170 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 875.00–950.00 $898.61
990–1480 1194 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 800.00–850.00 $835.17
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 725.00 $725.00
975–1340 1166 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 720.00–775.00 $748.75
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780 780 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1330 1330 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00 —

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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.