Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 27, 2022

644 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $147.10/cwt +17.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,093/hd at 743 lb · 69 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $155.69/cwt +7.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,014/hd at 651 lb · 68 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $159.45/cwt +5.10 vs last sale · ≈ $760/hd at 477 lb · 34 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 644 1,143 469
Feeder cattle 492 1,039 355
Slaughter cattle 115 80 67
Replacement cattle 37 24 47

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 2.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Slaughter cows and 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
335–342 340 3 180.00–187.50 $182.47 $620 +2.47
365–385 375 2 177.50–182.50 $180.07 $675 -6.23
410–430 value added 421 13 170.00–187.50 $177.84 $749 -4.75
457–465 461 4 164.00–171.00 $168.73 $778 +3.43
455–485 value added 467 21 172.00–189.00 $182.96 $854 +0.73
500–532 515 10 160.00–171.00 $164.17 $845 +3.17
521–545 value added 534 12 171.00–185.00 $177.99 $950 -6.61
555–597 value added 571 10 164.00–186.50 $177.96 $1,016 -0.85
560–592 581 3 155.00–162.00 $157.25 $914 —
603 603 4 151.00 $151.00 $911 -1.00
630–640 value added 633 3 158.00–168.00 $161.37 $1,021 -5.49
660 660 1 144.00 $144.00 $950 —
715 value added 715 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,108 +2.01
885 885 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,195 -4.90
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 159.00 $159.00 $716 +11.30
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 131.00 $131.00 $347 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 value added 260 1 170.00 $170.00 $442 +0.70
305 value added 305 1 168.00 $168.00 $512 -0.34
310 310 1 154.00 $154.00 $477 -2.50
350–390 value added 375 12 165.00–177.50 $169.85 $637 -1.64
350–395 380 6 157.00–162.50 $159.63 $607 -1.37
416–440 422 4 147.00–153.00 $151.44 $639 +7.05
400–445 value added 427 13 156.00–171.00 $162.36 $693 +2.58
455–495 value added 475 30 155.00–169.00 $160.94 $764 +4.92
485–495 489 4 146.00–152.00 $148.25 $725 +3.51
505–522 517 8 145.00 $145.00 $750 +1.64
505–542 value added 530 16 147.50–165.00 $155.13 $822 +0.97
550–586 577 7 141.00–144.00 $142.72 $823 +0.17
555–588 value added 578 10 148.00–155.00 $152.04 $879 +1.36
600–640 value added 623 10 142.00–154.00 $148.27 $924 +2.77
650–667 value added 651 68 143.00–156.25 $155.69 $1,014 +7.00
743 value added 743 69 147.10 $147.10 $1,093 +13.71
781 781 8 133.50 $133.50 $1,043 —
815 815 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,043 -1.72
857 857 6 134.00 $134.00 $1,148 +19.00
1010 1010 2 108.00 $108.00 $1,091 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 131.00 $131.00 $478 -14.67
435 435 1 135.00 $135.00 $587 —
465–470 468 2 131.00 $131.00 $613 +6.00
530 530 1 138.00 $138.00 $731 —
562–585 574 2 122.00–127.00 $124.55 $715 -5.23
602–625 610 3 127.00–131.00 $128.37 $783 +6.97
745 745 1 113.00 $113.00 $842 +6.01
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 134.00 $134.00 $717 —
553 553 4 143.00 $143.00 $791 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358 358 3 137.50 $137.50 $492 —
440 440 1 125.00 $125.00 $550 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–290 282 3 161.00–187.50 $174.14 $491 +0.89
312 312 2 187.00 $187.00 $583 +10.79
360 360 1 185.00 $185.00 $666 +7.28
430 430 1 158.00 $158.00 $679 -7.00
438–442 value added 440 5 184.00–185.00 $184.60 $812 -2.24
450 value added 450 1 174.00 $174.00 $783 -7.67
455–475 468 3 169.00–170.00 $169.32 $792 +13.32
500–540 value added 520 4 170.00–180.00 $174.81 $909 +4.81
538–543 541 6 154.00–156.00 $155.00 $839 —
585–592 590 3 154.00–156.00 $154.66 $912 +0.66
600 600 1 144.00 $144.00 $864 —
600 value added 600 2 152.00 $152.00 $912 -3.00
657–680 671 8 131.00–136.00 $133.01 $892 —
735 735 2 131.00 $131.00 $963 —
790 790 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,019 —
820 fancy 820 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,066 —
1105 1105 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,083 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 143.00 $143.00 $450 -17.00
425 425 1 152.00 $152.00 $646 —
455 455 1 144.00 $144.00 $655 -0.38
545–547 546 3 135.00–144.00 $137.99 $753 +4.03
750 750 1 117.00 $117.00 $878 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 130.00 $130.00 $286 —
405 405 3 135.00 $135.00 $547 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 151.00 $151.00 $695 +1.00
700 700 1 121.00 $121.00 $847 —
Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1125 1125 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770–1175 907 85-90% 11 30.00–55.00 $48.15 $437 —
1015–1055 1035 85-90% 2 60.00–61.00 $60.51 $626 —
770–1260 1041 85-90% 13 63.00–75.50 $68.94 $718 —
1020–1230 1107 85-90% 11 76.00–85.00 $81.11 $898 -3.91
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000 1000 80-85% 1 70.00 $70.00 $700 —
1020–1410 1173 80-85% 9 75.00–82.00 $79.62 $934 —
1040–1480 1288 80-85% 19 83.50–95.00 $88.61 $1,141 -1.85
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140 1140 75-80% 1 73.00 $73.00 $832 —
1115–1380 1258 75-80% 6 75.00–83.00 $78.44 $987 —
1195–1915 1434 75-80% 19 83.00–94.00 $85.38 $1,224 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355 1355 1 82.00 $82.00 $1,111 —
1285–2185 1706 4 93.00–106.00 $102.07 $1,741 —
1565–1880 1747 9 110.00–120.00 $114.28 $1,996 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1020–1120 1058 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 80.00–88.00 $83.14 $880

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1115–1130 1123 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,025.00–1,050.00 $1,037.42

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
855 855 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00

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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
1043–1440 1252 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 1,400.00–1,725.00 $1,569.09 —
1535 1535 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,925.00 $1,925.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1125–1235 1192 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,135.00–1,150.00 $1,144.82 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
950–995 973 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 760.00–820.00 $790.69 —

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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.