Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 18, 2022

824 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $145.00/cwt ≈ $1,276/hd at 880 lb · 59 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $165.20/cwt -0.80 vs last sale · ≈ $1,079/hd at 653 lb · 51 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $157.92/cwt +3.14 vs last sale · ≈ $825/hd at 523 lb · 48 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 824 728 757
Feeder cattle 619 622 537
Slaughter cattle 112 94 109
Replacement cattle 93 12 111

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and feeder heifers sold unevenly steady with very good demand for weaned thin-fleshed packages suitable for grass. Yearlings limited comparison. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 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
345 value added 345 1 195.00 $195.00 $673 —
355 355 1 185.00 $185.00 $657 ±0.00
380 value added 380 1 197.50 $197.50 $750 -20.50
420–437 424 9 188.00–191.00 $190.31 $807 +21.15
420–447 value added 430 6 200.00–201.00 $200.49 $862 +3.43
460–475 471 4 180.00–191.00 $188.32 $887 +11.32
455–495 value added 477 17 192.50–207.50 $196.76 $939 +4.74
500–530 value added 514 36 186.00–205.00 $196.01 $1,007 -0.67
543–545 544 4 171.00–174.00 $173.25 $942 —
554–567 value added 562 16 180.00–182.00 $180.62 $1,015 -6.82
550–590 573 6 165.00–173.00 $170.13 $975 -7.87
600–645 value added 610 12 159.00–166.00 $160.27 $978 -13.95
615–630 623 4 150.00–152.00 $150.49 $938 +0.99
651–660 value added 652 49 158.00–167.50 $166.23 $1,084 +0.23
680 680 2 140.00 $140.00 $952 —
712 value added 712 2 149.00 $149.00 $1,061 —
720 720 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,015 —
763–780 value added 769 8 141.00–144.00 $142.86 $1,099 —
800 800 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,120 -3.50
880 880 59 145.00 $145.00 $1,276 —
936 936 3 129.00 $129.00 $1,207 —
1075 1075 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,204 —
1120 1120 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,232 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302 302 2 160.00 $160.00 $483 -15.00
355–360 358 2 155.00–167.50 $161.29 $577 —
400–405 403 3 152.50–167.50 $160.33 $646 —
455 455 1 140.00 $140.00 $637 —
505 505 1 142.00 $142.00 $717 —
575 575 1 152.00 $152.00 $874 —
690 690 1 132.00 $132.00 $911 —
740 740 1 136.00 $136.00 $1,006 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487 487 2 168.00 $168.00 $818 +6.00
520 value added 520 1 175.00 $175.00 $910 —
550 value added 550 1 173.00 $173.00 $952 —
560 560 1 161.00 $161.00 $902 —
720 720 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,008 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 value added 295 1 162.50 $162.50 $479 —
302–330 317 5 150.00–160.00 $155.90 $494 -8.10
365 365 1 160.00 $160.00 $584 -1.99
385–395 value added 390 4 168.00–176.00 $173.77 $678 -0.05
405 405 1 145.00 $145.00 $587 —
410–440 value added 424 16 151.00–181.00 $167.13 $709 +4.97
450–480 value added 467 19 159.00–181.00 $169.95 $794 -1.96
470–475 473 3 151.00–155.00 $153.68 $727 +5.20
502–503 503 5 142.00–146.00 $145.20 $730 +1.59
500–546 value added 525 43 148.00–163.75 $159.40 $837 -0.54
550–585 value added 567 19 147.00–162.00 $153.74 $872 -14.03
570 570 3 141.00–146.00 $143.33 $817 -0.62
602–638 value added 616 21 142.00–161.00 $153.11 $943 +7.35
655–667 value added 663 3 140.00–150.00 $143.29 $950 +3.29
655–687 679 4 132.00–138.00 $133.45 $906 —
710 value added 710 1 131.00 $131.00 $930 -11.10
705–727 720 4 121.00–126.00 $124.03 $893 -3.97
755–765 758 3 125.00–127.00 $126.33 $958 +2.33
800 800 1 113.00 $113.00 $904 —
825–827 826 3 114.00–115.00 $114.67 $947 +4.14
1025 1025 2 91.00 $91.00 $933 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–265 263 2 140.00–147.50 $143.71 $378 —
300–327 317 6 135.00–150.00 $142.24 $451 —
350–385 372 6 132.50–147.50 $140.46 $523 —
405–440 422 3 129.00–140.00 $135.84 $573 -4.16
470 470 1 140.00 $140.00 $658 +1.53
500–540 520 5 120.00–134.00 $129.64 $674 +9.64
620 620 1 131.00 $131.00 $812 —
670 670 4 121.00–124.00 $123.25 $826 -5.75
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 127.50 $127.50 $478 —
440 440 1 120.00 $120.00 $528 —
475 475 1 121.00 $121.00 $575 —
510 510 1 116.00 $116.00 $592 —
625 625 1 113.00 $113.00 $706 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 175.00 $175.00 $481 -12.50
365–380 373 3 177.50–182.00 $180.17 $672 -0.62
415–425 422 3 166.00–176.00 $169.86 $717 —
400–441 value added 429 5 192.50–205.00 $200.31 $859 +8.35
462–485 471 5 159.00–165.00 $161.18 $759 +1.18
480–491 value added 489 5 176.00–201.00 $180.91 $885 -20.09
500–545 514 7 155.00–156.00 $155.85 $801 -9.06
505–540 value added 531 6 162.50–167.00 $165.27 $878 -19.16
550–585 568 6 151.00–158.00 $155.48 $883 -1.82
576–595 value added 584 7 160.00–167.00 $164.53 $961 -9.71
600–615 value added 608 2 150.00–154.00 $151.98 $924 -15.02
600–637 627 6 140.00–149.00 $142.79 $895 +2.30
705 705 1 125.00 $125.00 $881 -4.93
720 value added 720 2 135.00 $135.00 $972 —
795 795 1 123.00 $123.00 $978 —
810–845 828 2 111.00–113.00 $111.98 $927 -2.02
865 865 1 107.00 $107.00 $926 -5.00
925 925 1 91.00 $91.00 $842 -16.00
1005 1005 1 95.00 $95.00 $955 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 152.50 $152.50 $305 —
270 270 1 165.00 $165.00 $446 +4.00
305 305 1 160.00 $160.00 $488 -15.00
360 360 1 162.50 $162.50 $585 +9.73
545 545 1 143.00 $143.00 $779 -5.26
617–620 618 5 122.50–128.00 $126.90 $784 +1.90
675 675 1 130.00 $130.00 $878 —
730 730 1 117.00 $117.00 $854 —
905 905 1 95.00 $95.00 $860 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 2 155.00 $155.00 $530 —
375 375 3 160.00 $160.00 $600 —
572 572 2 160.00 $160.00 $915 —
935 935 1 91.00 $91.00 $851 —
1065 fancy 1065 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,246 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 137.50 $137.50 $344 —
435 435 1 132.00 $132.00 $574 —
655 655 1 125.00 $125.00 $819 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1205 1205 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640–1155 930 85-90% 11 47.00–62.00 $58.16 $541 +3.79
675–1130 944 85-90% 18 62.00–69.00 $66.07 $624 +11.70
760–1140 980 85-90% 15 72.00–79.00 $75.80 $743 —
805–1315 1043 85-90% 13 79.00–105.00 $89.37 $932 +23.73
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1355 1121 80-85% 8 77.00–87.50 $82.91 $929 —
1180 1180 80-85% 1 68.00 $68.00 $802 -22.96
965–1640 1246 80-85% 32 88.00–105.00 $97.40 $1,214 +14.45
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1755 1388 75-80% 10 88.00–101.00 $93.79 $1,302 —
1440 1440 75-80% 1 71.00 $71.00 $1,022 -19.66
1485 1485 75-80% 1 87.50 $87.50 $1,299 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1440 1283 2 95.00–100.00 $97.19 $1,247 —
1095–1930 1522 15 116.00–139.00 $129.01 $1,964 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 950.00 $950.00
905–1365 1119 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 975.00–1,300.00 $1,135.24
1055–1350 1161 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 850.00–1,150.00 $955.05
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 685.00 $685.00
815–1240 1033 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 700.00–850.00 $798.55
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
810–845 828 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 500.00–550.00 $525.53

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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
905–1005 955 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 800.00–1,050.00 $918.46 —
923–1185 1040 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 7 1,200.00–1,275.00 $1,231.77 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
975 975 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,300.00 $1,300.00 —
1070 1070 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00 —
1420 fancy 1420 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,700.00 $1,700.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 97.00 $97.00 $364 —
465–475 470 2 100.00–113.00 $106.57 $501 —

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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.