Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 20, 2022

1,143 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $148.47/cwt +11.47 vs last sale · ≈ $995/hd at 670 lb · 153 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $183.48/cwt +11.39 vs last sale · ≈ $959/hd at 523 lb · 105 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $143.95/cwt +3.21 vs last sale · ≈ $889/hd at 617 lb · 70 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,143 526 627
Feeder cattle 1,039 378 473
Slaughter cattle 80 85 130
Replacement cattle 24 63 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with very good demand for weaned thin-fleshed packages. Feeder heifers sold steady to 2.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Very good demand for yearling heifer packages. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 lower 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
200 200 2 185.00 $185.00 $370 —
315 315 1 180.00 $180.00 $567 —
385–395 389 5 182.50–189.00 $186.30 $725 +3.36
391 value added 391 9 195.00 $195.00 $762 —
400–445 value added 424 25 175.00–192.50 $182.59 $774 +0.34
435 435 1 165.00 $165.00 $718 +1.74
455–477 value added 470 13 173.00–192.50 $182.23 $856 +1.48
460–481 478 8 165.00–167.50 $165.30 $790 +0.30
515–530 522 5 160.00–163.00 $161.00 $840 +1.69
500–545 value added 523 100 168.00–195.00 $184.60 $965 +4.39
555–590 value added 575 35 169.00–185.00 $178.81 $1,028 +6.02
600–649 value added 613 50 153.00–177.00 $166.86 $1,023 +1.52
622–637 630 4 152.00 $152.00 $958 +12.00
650–695 value added 660 15 157.00–167.50 $166.36 $1,098 +3.36
700 700 2 142.00 $142.00 $994 +3.01
700–749 value added 735 24 146.00–155.00 $152.99 $1,124 —
766 value added 766 3 143.00 $143.00 $1,095 —
805 805 2 144.50 $144.50 $1,163 +4.25
850–881 855 19 135.50–140.75 $139.90 $1,196 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272 272 2 171.00 $171.00 $465 —
390 390 1 173.00 $173.00 $675 —
465–470 468 3 139.00–152.00 $147.70 $691 —
575 575 1 146.00 $146.00 $840 —
685 685 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,014 —
710 710 1 118.00 $118.00 $838 —
810–820 815 2 121.00–122.00 $121.50 $990 —
900 900 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,125 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 1 158.00 $158.00 $893 —
715 715 1 138.00 $138.00 $987 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 value added 210 1 165.00 $165.00 $346 —
250–275 263 2 150.00–157.50 $153.93 $405 —
265–280 value added 273 2 167.50–171.00 $169.30 $462 —
300 300 2 153.00–160.00 $156.50 $470 +1.50
300–345 value added 323 11 163.00–180.00 $168.34 $544 -1.81
360–395 value added 378 12 164.00–178.00 $171.49 $648 +3.12
385 385 1 161.00 $161.00 $620 +4.36
400–440 value added 419 17 150.00–168.00 $159.78 $669 -6.24
400–443 432 4 143.00–149.00 $144.39 $624 —
462–490 472 4 144.00–145.00 $144.74 $683 +1.05
450–497 value added 477 23 150.00–160.00 $156.02 $744 +2.97
505–545 520 9 140.00–146.00 $143.36 $745 -2.27
500–546 value added 528 60 147.00–160.00 $154.16 $814 -0.27
550–585 value added 570 8 148.00–163.00 $150.68 $859 -0.94
563–590 575 9 138.00–144.00 $142.55 $820 -1.00
602–645 613 8 131.00–134.50 $131.92 $809 -2.41
600–648 value added 618 62 135.50–154.50 $145.50 $899 +2.20
655–665 660 2 130.00–133.00 $131.49 $868 —
658–686 value added 670 151 134.75–156.60 $148.69 $996 +11.69
700–730 715 2 123.00–124.00 $123.49 $883 +13.49
715–740 value added 723 3 131.00–138.00 $133.39 $964 —
782–796 value added 796 65 142.00–148.00 $147.82 $1,177 —
825–840 829 4 123.00–132.00 $129.72 $1,075 +20.72
865 865 2 115.00 $115.00 $995 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–230 227 3 145.00–155.00 $148.24 $337 —
285 285 1 140.00 $140.00 $399 —
350–385 368 2 142.00–149.00 $145.67 $536 —
490 490 1 125.00 $125.00 $612 -9.50
550–595 575 7 125.00–136.00 $129.78 $746 -0.07
605–635 621 4 110.00–128.00 $121.40 $754 +6.30
653–693 677 10 104.00–123.00 $114.35 $774 -2.60
710–715 713 2 104.00–110.00 $106.99 $763 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
696 696 8 128.50 $128.50 $894 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 162.50 $162.50 $349 —
270–295 281 5 169.00–177.50 $173.25 $487 +10.70
305–325 315 2 175.00–177.50 $176.21 $555 +9.09
350–390 363 13 175.00–182.50 $177.72 $645 +6.50
390 value added 390 2 187.50 $187.50 $731 —
415 415 1 165.00 $165.00 $685 —
435–443 value added 442 15 182.50–187.50 $186.84 $826 +12.34
451–486 value added 468 8 176.00–185.00 $181.67 $850 +13.67
470 470 1 156.00 $156.00 $733 —
527 value added 527 2 170.00 $170.00 $896 +4.68
563 value added 563 4 169.00 $169.00 $951 —
577 577 2 154.00 $154.00 $889 -2.44
615 value added 615 11 155.00 $155.00 $953 —
737 value added 737 11 139.50 $139.50 $1,028 —
815 815 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,002 —
885 885 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,035 —
940 940 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,072 -0.09
965–990 978 2 91.00–110.00 $100.62 $984 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 143.00 $143.00 $386 +2.00
335 335 2 150.00–170.00 $160.00 $536 +20.00
450–490 465 3 140.00–152.50 $144.38 $671 +3.12
525–540 533 2 131.00–137.00 $133.96 $714 +3.96
570–595 583 2 111.00–125.00 $117.85 $687 -19.15
600–630 613 3 124.00–130.00 $127.36 $781 —
790 790 1 108.00 $108.00 $853 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 135.00 $135.00 $425 —
495 495 1 124.00 $124.00 $614 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 150.00 $150.00 $720 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1180 1180 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–1035 896 85-90% 6 42.00–59.00 $53.52 $480 —
985–990 988 85-90% 2 64.00–68.00 $66.01 $652 +22.94
1000–1180 1093 85-90% 9 69.50–76.00 $72.46 $792 +16.89
900–1315 1118 85-90% 13 77.00–93.00 $85.02 $951 +3.71
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1350 1207 80-85% 9 76.00–82.00 $79.55 $960 —
1080–1455 1277 80-85% 11 83.50–96.50 $90.46 $1,155 —
1300 1300 80-85% 1 73.00 $73.00 $949 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1550 1378 75-80% 6 75.00–83.00 $79.40 $1,094 —
1360–1810 1539 75-80% 9 84.00–97.50 $87.95 $1,354 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1500 1305 2 92.00–94.00 $92.85 $1,212 —
1200–1835 1469 5 98.00–104.00 $101.75 $1,495 —
1580–2450 1856 8 109.00–124.00 $116.46 $2,161 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1065 1065 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00
925–1390 1174 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 925.00–1,185.00 $1,040.85
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 775.00 $775.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
830–840 835 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 970.00–1,075.00 $1,022.81
907 907 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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
1315 1315 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00 -382.99
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1155 1155 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00 —

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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.