Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 16, 2022

927 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $156.08/cwt +6.50 vs last sale · ≈ $903/hd at 578 lb · 130 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $142.87/cwt +6.99 vs last sale · ≈ $890/hd at 623 lb · 42 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $155.00/cwt -1.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,050/hd at 678 lb · 42 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 927 564 0
Feeder cattle 737 449 0
Slaughter cattle 157 101 0
Replacement cattle 33 14 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold steady to 2.00 higher; some weaned 4-weight packages sharply higher. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for 400-600 lb weaned packages. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 higher with very 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
260–280 267 6 172.50–182.50 $179.68 $480 —
310–346 341 7 165.00–186.00 $183.27 $625 +1.06
380 value added 380 1 200.00 $200.00 $760 —
422–445 value added 429 5 180.00–207.50 $200.41 $860 +1.19
445 445 1 170.00 $170.00 $756 -2.89
460–490 479 4 159.00–172.50 $166.06 $795 -5.61
450–496 value added 481 13 194.00–210.00 $198.35 $954 +12.78
517–542 value added 525 27 167.00–193.00 $178.67 $938 +1.70
507–545 531 11 159.00–163.00 $160.65 $853 +1.05
550–580 value added 574 17 164.00–181.00 $173.20 $994 -4.95
575–595 586 5 150.00–165.00 $159.79 $936 +7.35
605–648 value added 622 24 155.00–182.50 $174.49 $1,085 +13.46
658–688 value added 677 35 150.00–160.00 $156.60 $1,060 +0.60
681 681 7 147.00 $147.00 $1,001 —
704–730 value added 708 6 150.00–150.50 $150.41 $1,065 —
705–720 714 9 135.00–148.00 $142.14 $1,015 -4.86
757–758 value added 758 24 153.00–156.00 $155.38 $1,178 -1.16
760 760 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,087 —
819–847 833 10 147.00–147.50 $147.25 $1,227 +9.22
856 856 3 140.00 $140.00 $1,198 -2.00
1170 1170 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,369 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 160.00 $160.00 $416 —
310 310 1 155.00 $155.00 $480 —
630–640 635 2 136.00–144.00 $139.97 $889 —
670 670 1 145.00 $145.00 $972 —
800–825 813 2 131.00–134.00 $132.52 $1,077 —
855–865 862 3 132.00–136.00 $133.32 $1,149 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 158.00 $158.00 $766 —
810 810 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,061 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–247 228 9 162.50–185.00 $174.88 $399 —
260–290 270 3 154.00–171.00 $164.91 $445 —
265–290 value added 278 2 175.00–180.00 $177.39 $493 +18.20
322–345 331 8 141.00–150.00 $147.96 $490 -2.04
325–345 value added 335 2 172.50–177.50 $175.07 $586 +11.04
360–385 value added 368 3 160.00–170.00 $166.52 $613 +6.52
360–395 375 3 142.00–152.00 $147.85 $554 +1.72
405–435 420 2 141.00–147.00 $144.11 $605 +4.11
400–445 value added 427 15 153.00–161.00 $155.54 $664 +4.00
455–495 value added 465 19 154.00–160.00 $158.71 $738 +9.61
455–498 483 6 142.00–144.00 $142.66 $689 -1.05
505–545 value added 519 23 148.00–162.00 $155.63 $808 +4.02
520 520 2 136.00 $136.00 $707 -7.00
555–585 571 22 136.00–145.75 $144.13 $823 +8.63
552–585 value added 580 108 147.00–161.10 $158.51 $919 +6.92
610 610 8 152.75 $152.75 $932 +23.00
600–635 623 3 133.00 $133.00 $829 +3.25
600–647 value added 626 31 135.00–143.00 $141.28 $884 +3.51
662–678 value added 673 7 135.00–143.50 $139.25 $937 +4.75
665–695 681 6 126.00–134.00 $130.53 $889 +5.95
705 705 1 127.00 $127.00 $895 —
700–740 value added 710 11 128.00–136.00 $134.43 $954 -14.57
755–792 value added 770 5 133.00–134.00 $133.41 $1,027 —
778 778 3 128.00 $128.00 $996 —
864 864 8 115.00 $115.00 $994 -4.50
915 915 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,071 —
970 970 1 103.00 $103.00 $999 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 135.00 $135.00 $371 —
413–440 420 4 122.00–138.00 $126.19 $530 —
515–530 523 2 130.00–134.00 $132.03 $691 +11.03
590 590 1 125.00 $125.00 $738 -2.00
680 680 6 125.00 $125.00 $850 —
755 755 1 112.00 $112.00 $846 —
905 905 1 91.00 $91.00 $824 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 117.50 $117.50 $276 +17.50
380 380 1 120.00 $120.00 $456 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
188 188 3 207.50 $207.50 $390 —
270–280 275 4 162.00–172.50 $167.35 $460 +7.35
317–345 327 8 158.00–177.50 $168.63 $551 +1.13
350–372 365 4 167.00–173.00 $168.62 $615 -2.11
370–382 value added 378 3 182.00–205.00 $197.50 $747 —
420–432 value added 428 3 177.50–205.00 $196.00 $839 —
445 445 4 147.50–169.00 $163.63 $728 +9.11
490 490 1 154.00 $154.00 $755 ±0.00
515–542 529 6 144.00–156.00 $150.67 $797 +2.82
525–540 value added 533 2 158.00–165.00 $161.55 $861 -14.45
557–582 568 6 150.00–155.00 $152.00 $863 +7.02
630–635 value added 633 4 149.00–151.00 $150.00 $950 +7.00
650–695 668 3 131.00–138.00 $133.27 $890 -2.82
668 value added 668 5 148.00 $148.00 $989 —
715 715 4 130.00 $130.00 $930 +1.00
840 840 2 119.00 $119.00 $1,000 +5.00
920–925 923 2 104.00–114.00 $109.01 $1,006 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 157.50 $157.50 $528 —
380–390 387 3 142.50–154.00 $150.23 $581 —
475 475 1 150.00 $150.00 $712 +11.00
500–512 505 5 140.00–143.00 $142.00 $717 —
615 615 1 120.00 $120.00 $738 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1500–1555 1528 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 2 1,550.00–1,600.00 $1,575.45 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1375 1208 80-85% 14 70.50–76.50 $74.69 $902 +0.76
1130–1590 1343 80-85% 16 77.00–87.00 $80.41 $1,080 —
1195–1490 1364 80-85% 6 64.00–68.50 $67.27 $918 -13.99
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015 1015 85-90% 1 42.50 $42.50 $431 —
820–1295 1129 85-90% 15 63.00–70.00 $66.22 $748 —
960–1290 1145 85-90% 3 56.50–62.50 $58.71 $672 —
1020–1360 1196 85-90% 7 72.00–80.50 $75.92 $908 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440–1490 1465 75-80% 2 67.50–69.00 $68.24 $1,000 —
1255–1690 1503 75-80% 5 73.00–75.50 $74.28 $1,116 —
1355–1990 1603 75-80% 11 77.00–84.50 $80.45 $1,290 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160 1160 1 94.50 $94.50 $1,096 —
1395–2060 1675 12 98.00–118.00 $108.62 $1,819 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1105 1105 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 82.00 $82.00 $906

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 1020 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 860.00 $860.00
925–1125 1030 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 875.00–1,225.00 $1,047.12
1020–1315 1122 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 850.00–975.00 $936.74
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1035 1035 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 785.00 $785.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 925.00 $925.00
1005 1005 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 910.00 $910.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
845 845 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 985.00 $985.00 —
1265 1265 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 875.00 $875.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1325 1325 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,010.00 $1,010.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 72.50 $72.50 $330 —

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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.