Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 23, 2022

969 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $147.44/cwt ≈ $1,119/hd at 759 lb · 100 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $152.20/cwt +10.27 vs last sale · ≈ $932/hd at 612 lb · 96 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $157.53/cwt +7.52 vs last sale · ≈ $832/hd at 528 lb · 75 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 969 547 913
Feeder cattle 800 436 755
Slaughter cattle 115 81 101
Replacement cattle 54 30 57

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday steer calves 3.00 to 7.00 higher with very good demand for weaned 400-600 lbs. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 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
265 265 1 181.00 $181.00 $480 —
355–380 372 3 170.00–180.00 $173.18 $644 +0.68
390 value added 390 1 207.00 $207.00 $807 +9.49
405 405 2 167.50 $167.50 $678 +9.54
407–435 value added 425 8 168.00–200.00 $184.24 $783 +3.34
470 value added 470 3 170.00–184.00 $175.00 $822 -1.93
450–495 478 3 152.00–161.00 $157.55 $753 -7.38
500–540 523 7 155.00–161.00 $158.17 $827 +3.01
512–545 value added 528 12 164.00–181.00 $171.55 $906 +7.27
562–585 value added 573 11 168.00–186.00 $178.64 $1,024 +15.98
550–595 577 6 153.00–161.00 $157.67 $910 +1.67
600–645 value added 618 24 154.00–175.00 $168.17 $1,039 +11.67
640 640 1 141.00 $141.00 $902 -6.00
655–661 value added 660 11 153.00–165.00 $163.92 $1,082 +9.92
675–695 685 2 143.00–148.00 $145.54 $997 —
700–712 value added 710 12 148.00–149.50 $148.25 $1,053 +7.25
710 710 1 140.00 $140.00 $994 +3.63
781 value added 781 13 145.00 $145.00 $1,132 +4.00
780–790 785 2 134.00–135.00 $134.50 $1,056 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
469 469 5 150.50 $150.50 $706 -2.50
517–530 521 3 151.00–161.00 $154.39 $804 +11.39
555 555 1 155.00 $155.00 $860 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 158.00 $158.00 $640 —
500 500 2 153.00 $153.00 $765 —
625 625 1 130.00 $130.00 $812 —
675 675 1 127.00 $127.00 $857 -6.00
703 703 3 136.00 $136.00 $956 +10.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
675 675 1 121.00 $121.00 $817 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235–240 value added 238 2 154.00–156.00 $154.99 $369 -11.01
265 265 1 140.00 $140.00 $371 —
295 value added 295 2 155.00–156.00 $155.50 $459 -4.50
305–345 value added 327 5 162.50–188.00 $175.98 $575 +8.46
375–395 385 2 147.00 $147.00 $566 —
375–390 value added 385 4 155.00–171.00 $162.74 $627 -3.23
400–447 value added 429 34 150.00–175.00 $159.45 $684 +0.10
430–435 433 2 143.00–144.00 $143.50 $621 -3.70
470–495 481 8 140.00–146.00 $144.01 $693 -0.82
475–495 value added 486 15 148.00–158.00 $153.82 $748 -1.37
500–530 515 5 139.00–148.00 $142.58 $734 -4.87
500–537 value added 529 70 148.00–160.75 $158.60 $839 +5.30
552–585 566 8 135.00–143.50 $138.70 $785 +0.31
560–590 value added 582 21 145.00–160.00 $148.58 $865 +0.12
600–612 value added 611 84 147.00–154.90 $154.74 $945 +13.90
600–640 620 12 127.00–138.00 $134.40 $833 +2.66
650–665 658 2 131.00–135.00 $133.02 $875 +2.75
657–661 value added 661 69 142.00–146.75 $146.34 $967 +8.66
704 value added 704 8 140.00 $140.00 $986 —
702–747 720 9 117.00–134.00 $128.36 $924 +2.65
752–778 value added 758 97 138.00–151.75 $148.16 $1,123 —
765–790 780 3 117.00–135.00 $124.06 $968 —
813 value added 813 21 133.00 $133.00 $1,081 —
905–920 913 2 124.00 $124.00 $1,132 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–322 321 4 141.00–145.00 $144.00 $462 —
370–395 385 4 115.00–144.00 $136.50 $526 -6.00
440–445 442 3 119.00–136.00 $126.70 $560 -7.05
455–492 476 4 121.00–140.00 $134.40 $640 +8.46
502–535 513 3 134.00–138.00 $135.39 $695 —
560–595 575 6 120.00–132.00 $125.63 $722 -7.18
615 615 2 107.00–110.00 $108.50 $667 —
670 670 1 128.00 $128.00 $858 —
740 740 1 91.00 $91.00 $673 -6.36
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496 496 3 134.00 $134.00 $665 +3.00
540 540 2 140.00 $140.00 $756 +4.00
585 585 6 131.00 $131.00 $766 +5.95
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 112.00 $112.00 $638 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 170.00 $170.00 $391 —
265–285 275 2 175.00–182.00 $178.63 $491 +7.55
325 325 2 171.00–172.50 $171.75 $558 +0.26
330 value added 330 1 182.50 $182.50 $602 —
360–395 value added 373 7 183.00–193.00 $187.68 $700 —
360–390 375 5 165.00–177.50 $170.52 $639 +6.83
426 value added 426 3 182.00 $182.00 $775 +16.72
455–490 479 6 152.00–165.00 $161.78 $775 +8.26
500–531 value added 516 8 161.00–162.00 $161.24 $832 +2.22
545 545 1 153.00 $153.00 $834 +4.57
550–565 558 2 152.00–153.00 $152.49 $851 +2.53
570 value added 570 5 162.00 $162.00 $923 +0.91
637 637 2 130.00 $130.00 $828 —
660–695 681 4 130.00–138.00 $134.99 $919 +4.99
701 701 3 120.00 $120.00 $841 —
760 760 1 120.00 $120.00 $912 +3.00
835 835 1 93.00 $93.00 $777 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 145.00 $145.00 $377 -5.03
310 310 1 142.50 $142.50 $442 +1.26
370–390 380 2 138.00–149.00 $143.64 $546 —
405–415 410 2 136.00–137.50 $136.76 $561 -2.76
490 490 1 150.00 $150.00 $735 +6.00
585–590 588 2 137.00–145.00 $141.02 $829 —
615–630 623 2 123.00–126.00 $124.52 $776 -0.48
825 825 1 95.00 $95.00 $784 —
1045 1045 1 90.00 $90.00 $940 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 120.00 $120.00 $378 —
437 437 2 112.50 $112.50 $492 —
550 550 1 128.00 $128.00 $704 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1130–1425 1278 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 2 1,200.00–1,630.00 $1,439.82 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1270 1212 80-85% 5 75.00–84.00 $79.74 $966 +9.54
1060–1560 1283 80-85% 39 85.00–105.50 $92.59 $1,188 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–1080 891 85-90% 11 40.00–59.00 $53.57 $477 —
870–1335 1051 85-90% 22 75.00–101.00 $86.45 $909 —
865–1305 1055 85-90% 3 60.00–63.00 $61.51 $649 —
950–1260 1151 85-90% 6 63.50–70.00 $66.51 $766 -19.38
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425 1425 75-80% 1 83.00 $83.00 $1,183 —
1250–1840 1545 75-80% 13 88.00–103.00 $95.23 $1,471 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1420 1288 2 95.00–98.00 $96.65 $1,245 —
1280–2170 1710 3 106.00–128.00 $119.55 $2,044 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1040–1160 1100 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 885.00–960.00 $924.55
955–1320 1186 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 920.00–1,150.00 $997.97
1285–1370 1322 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,050.00–1,285.00 $1,196.02
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 660.00 $660.00
985–1210 1098 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 730.00–775.00 $750.19

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
785 785 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 885.00 $885.00
885 885 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 910.00–1,085.00 $997.50
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815 815 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 600.00 $600.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1080–1545 1338 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 950.00–1,650.00 $1,342.79 —
1565 1565 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,525.00 $1,525.00 —
1750 1750 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,760.00 $1,760.00 —

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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.