Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 25, 2022

400 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $164.05/cwt -1.77 vs last sale · ≈ $702/hd at 428 lb · 21 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $158.65/cwt -9.09 vs last sale · ≈ $753/hd at 475 lb · 19 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $156.27/cwt -1.65 vs last sale · ≈ $825/hd at 528 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 400 824 353
Feeder cattle 297 619 244
Slaughter cattle 82 112 64
Replacement cattle 21 93 45

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Monday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality weaned packages. Some fleshy bawling calves discounted. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady 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
405 405 1 185.00 $185.00 $749 -5.31
450 450 1 180.00 $180.00 $810 -8.32
451–482 value added 475 17 187.00–209.00 $201.96 $959 +5.20
505–541 value added 531 10 181.00–200.00 $191.89 $1,019 -4.12
546 546 3 163.00 $163.00 $890 -10.25
600–630 615 4 147.00–152.00 $148.52 $913 -1.97
600–635 value added 622 14 153.50–171.00 $160.46 $998 +0.19
650 value added 650 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,001 -12.23
655 655 2 146.00 $146.00 $956 +6.00
717 717 2 139.00 $139.00 $997 -2.00
730 value added 730 2 149.00 $149.00 $1,088 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510–545 535 4 150.00–158.00 $154.56 $827 +12.56
550–555 552 3 159.00–160.00 $159.66 $881 +7.66
760 760 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,041 —
885 885 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,195 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 152.00 $152.00 $783 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 131.00 $131.00 $655 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 value added 317 2 165.00 $165.00 $523 —
358–380 364 4 145.00–152.50 $150.54 $548 -9.46
350–377 value added 367 6 163.00–174.00 $169.59 $622 -4.18
412–445 value added 427 19 156.00–170.00 $165.85 $708 -1.28
435 435 2 143.00–151.00 $147.00 $639 +2.00
450–490 473 4 146.00–150.00 $147.68 $699 -6.00
460–492 value added 475 15 154.00–169.00 $161.57 $767 -8.38
505–545 525 2 142.00–149.00 $145.63 $765 +0.43
506–547 value added 528 17 150.00–165.00 $157.52 $832 -1.88
551–573 value added 562 8 146.00–157.00 $150.09 $844 -3.65
580–595 588 2 134.00–143.00 $138.56 $815 -4.77
600 value added 600 3 137.00–141.00 $139.67 $838 -13.44
620–637 627 6 119.00–136.00 $131.68 $826 —
662–680 668 8 130.00–137.00 $131.65 $879 -1.80
701 701 3 130.00 $130.00 $911 +5.97
755 755 1 128.00 $128.00 $966 +1.67
845 845 1 115.00 $115.00 $972 +0.33
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 125.00 $125.00 $431 -17.24
510–535 523 2 129.00–135.00 $132.07 $691 +2.43
560 560 2 130.00 $130.00 $728 —
710 710 1 110.00 $110.00 $781 —
755–780 768 2 107.00–116.00 $111.43 $856 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810 810 1 102.00 $102.00 $826 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 120.00 $120.00 $456 -7.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 183.00 $183.00 $494 +8.00
318 value added 318 4 187.50 $187.50 $596 —
340 340 1 185.00 $185.00 $629 —
360–372 value added 368 3 190.00–194.00 $191.30 $704 —
380 380 1 179.00 $179.00 $680 -1.17
400–420 410 5 155.00–172.50 $162.95 $668 -6.91
420–445 value added 435 10 178.00–187.00 $180.80 $786 -19.51
480–485 481 5 161.00–175.00 $168.01 $808 +6.83
460–488 value added 482 8 178.00–190.00 $187.35 $903 +6.44
507–517 value added 512 4 180.00–186.00 $183.03 $937 +17.76
510–530 518 6 155.00–172.00 $166.43 $862 +10.58
565–573 571 5 144.00–160.00 $147.16 $840 -8.32
622–640 627 4 134.00–139.00 $136.48 $856 -6.31
685–695 692 3 136.00–140.00 $137.32 $950 —
715–742 value added 733 6 130.00–134.50 $131.46 $964 -3.54
745 745 2 128.00 $128.00 $954 —
800 800 1 117.00 $117.00 $936 +5.02
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 160.00 $160.00 $512 ±0.00
390–395 393 2 159.00–162.50 $160.76 $632 -1.74
445 445 2 135.00–148.00 $141.50 $630 —
520–545 534 4 131.00–140.00 $133.74 $714 -9.26
575–590 586 4 137.00–138.00 $137.75 $807 —
655–695 677 3 125.00–126.00 $125.33 $848 -4.67
785 785 1 111.00 $111.00 $871 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 151.00 $151.00 $755 —
555 555 1 150.00 $150.00 $832 -10.00
757 757 2 118.00 $118.00 $893 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 124.00 $124.00 $707 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1475 1242 80-85% 10 82.00–88.00 $84.29 $1,047 -13.11
1275 1275 80-85% 1 78.00 $78.00 $994 —
1130–1555 1335 80-85% 13 91.50–105.50 $96.13 $1,283 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
750–1050 918 85-90% 3 71.00–75.00 $72.93 $669 +14.77
877–1095 971 85-90% 4 60.00–63.00 $60.92 $592 -14.88
850–1270 1066 85-90% 6 80.00–91.00 $85.24 $909 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1525 1400 75-80% 4 90.00–104.00 $94.79 $1,327 —
1165–1650 1425 75-80% 6 83.00–88.00 $84.55 $1,205 +13.55
1450 1450 75-80% 1 78.00 $78.00 $1,131 -9.50

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1690 1400 3 101.00–104.00 $102.84 $1,440 —
1190–2015 1674 12 113.00–139.00 $127.61 $2,136 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1045–1375 1226 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,000.00–1,300.00 $1,135.87
1260 1260 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00

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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
895 895 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —
1200–1450 1325 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,485.00–1,500.00 $1,493.21 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
900–970 935 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 925.00–1,050.00 $985.16 —

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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.