Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 24, 2022

638 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $187.87/cwt +15.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,180/hd at 628 lb · 58 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $195.03/cwt +1.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,020/hd at 523 lb · 36 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $177.21/cwt -13.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,452/hd at 819 lb · 34 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 638 504 578
Feeder cattle 541 411 515
Slaughter cattle 77 63 31
Replacement cattle 20 30 32

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher; some featherweights sharply higher with very good demand for weaned packages. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher with good demand for weaned packages. Yearlings limited comparison. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
275 275 1 174.00 $174.00 $478 —
315 315 1 197.50 $197.50 $622 +2.50
365–370 368 2 200.00–212.50 $206.29 $759 +18.36
370–377 value added 376 6 215.00–223.00 $221.69 $834 +18.78
400–445 value added 422 4 207.50–217.50 $211.84 $894 —
400–445 425 4 185.00–192.50 $189.56 $806 +12.56
455 fancy 455 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,001 —
450–475 461 8 187.50–191.00 $190.19 $877 +8.18
459–472 value added 462 15 203.00–217.00 $213.89 $988 +16.14
505–537 518 18 180.00–191.00 $186.34 $965 +5.02
500–538 value added 528 18 193.00–208.00 $203.72 $1,076 +7.50
550–580 567 3 180.00–192.00 $186.90 $1,060 +20.90
580–590 value added 588 4 198.00 $198.00 $1,164 +0.90
600–649 value added 628 58 164.00–190.50 $187.87 $1,180 +15.60
650–676 671 5 150.00–160.00 $151.94 $1,020 —
740–746 value added 746 22 163.00–185.00 $181.19 $1,352 —
769–785 value added 772 6 163.00–178.00 $175.46 $1,355 +8.46
819 thin fleshed 819 33 178.00 $178.00 $1,458 -12.95
825 825 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,246 —
852–860 853 9 162.00–165.00 $164.66 $1,405 —
1045 1045 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,369 +11.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 170.00 $170.00 $374 —
250–290 273 3 160.00–189.00 $173.26 $473 —
345 345 1 165.00 $165.00 $569 +10.00
350–395 371 4 140.00–182.50 $164.65 $611 -10.35
435–440 438 2 162.50–180.00 $171.20 $750 —
485–490 488 2 167.50–171.00 $169.24 $826 -1.76
515–545 530 2 169.00–170.00 $169.49 $898 —
565–570 568 2 164.00–168.00 $165.99 $943 +17.03
605–640 629 4 140.00–149.00 $144.79 $911 +0.79
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 172.00 $172.00 $765 —
490 490 1 171.00 $171.00 $838 —
565 565 1 161.00 $161.00 $910 -9.00
600–640 620 2 141.00–152.00 $146.32 $907 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 129.00 $129.00 $742 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
160 160 1 160.00 $160.00 $256 —
225 225 1 152.50 $152.50 $343 -6.50
305 305 2 170.00 $170.00 $518 —
300–330 value added 318 3 170.00–184.00 $178.54 $568 -6.46
360–385 value added 377 10 176.00–184.00 $180.28 $680 +7.78
375–387 383 3 160.00–162.50 $161.68 $619 —
400–440 422 3 158.00–164.00 $161.06 $680 -1.44
405–440 value added 426 9 170.00–185.00 $176.45 $752 +4.54
450–480 461 11 152.00–164.00 $156.66 $722 -2.56
450–495 value added 467 21 166.00–178.00 $172.99 $808 +1.87
510–520 515 2 145.00–148.00 $146.49 $754 -7.42
500–545 value added 518 9 156.00–168.00 $164.34 $851 -4.22
551–555 value added 552 5 159.00–163.00 $162.20 $895 +1.70
552–599 581 18 150.00–155.00 $152.65 $887 +2.82
610–645 value added 636 13 144.00–155.00 $153.03 $973 -0.19
655 655 1 141.00 $141.00 $924 —
685 value added 685 9 155.00 $155.00 $1,062 +11.65
782 782 2 136.00 $136.00 $1,064 +10.00
816 value added 816 13 154.25 $154.25 $1,259 —
895 895 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,083 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 145.00 $145.00 $355 —
270 270 1 147.50 $147.50 $398 +4.50
305 305 1 140.00 $140.00 $427 —
410–430 424 4 135.00–142.00 $139.23 $590 —
460–470 467 5 137.00–149.00 $140.77 $657 -1.73
560–580 570 2 131.00–139.00 $135.07 $770 -5.93
615–620 618 3 120.00–141.00 $126.96 $785 -7.04
671–685 674 5 127.00–130.00 $129.39 $872 -4.61
730 730 1 110.00 $110.00 $803 ±0.00
915 915 2 93.00 $93.00 $851 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 2 145.00 $145.00 $457 —
520 520 1 151.00 $151.00 $785 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
257 257 2 132.50 $132.50 $341 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 179.00 $179.00 $456 -24.00
335 335 1 195.00 $195.00 $653 —
375 375 1 197.50 $197.50 $741 +6.00
400 fancy 400 3 188.00–200.00 $196.00 $784 —
422 422 2 160.00 $160.00 $675 -20.33
460–475 fancy 466 6 200.00–209.00 $203.66 $949 —
455–487 473 7 174.00–190.00 $179.24 $848 +5.89
505–535 517 6 156.00–172.00 $165.93 $858 +1.62
510–545 fancy 528 6 181.00–196.00 $190.44 $1,006 —
550–590 570 6 155.00–176.00 $165.33 $942 +15.33
600–625 610 4 140.00–143.00 $140.74 $859 -4.74
660 value added 660 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,023 —
690 690 1 131.00 $131.00 $904 —
700–730 724 10 130.00–139.00 $134.69 $975 +3.69
785–790 788 2 126.00–128.00 $127.00 $1,001 -13.21
830 830 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,079 -8.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–210 208 4 142.50–162.50 $151.99 $316 —
430 430 1 152.50 $152.50 $656 -2.50
485 485 1 166.00 $166.00 $805 +7.00
500–525 516 5 132.00–147.50 $139.61 $720 -3.39
577 577 2 151.00 $151.00 $871 -1.28
655 655 1 131.00 $131.00 $858 —
730 730 1 117.00 $117.00 $854 —
807–835 816 3 110.00–111.00 $110.66 $903 -0.33
995 995 1 93.00 $93.00 $925 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 150.00 $150.00 $772 -16.15
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1260 1260 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)N/A 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 129.00 $129.00 $755 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1390 1121 80-85% 7 79.00–82.00 $80.95 $907 —
1065–1380 1222 80-85% 8 83.50–92.50 $87.99 $1,075 +1.28
1085–1425 1255 80-85% 13 94.00–112.50 $100.21 $1,258 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1025 980 85-90% 2 59.00–61.50 $60.19 $590 —
920–1105 1015 85-90% 3 60.50–72.50 $65.91 $669 —
835–1190 1040 85-90% 11 74.00–82.00 $77.85 $810 —
1010–1250 1128 85-90% 6 83.50–98.00 $89.29 $1,007 +19.29
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315 1315 75-80% 1 80.00 $80.00 $1,052 —
1175–1580 1406 75-80% 12 84.00–94.50 $91.07 $1,280 —
1365–1725 1493 75-80% 6 95.00–105.00 $99.42 $1,484 +3.57

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1365 1240 6 96.00–105.00 $102.92 $1,276 —
1075–1420 1248 2 88.00–95.00 $91.02 $1,136 —
1525–2085 1851 7 117.00–132.00 $126.27 $2,337 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920–1335 1197 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 920.00–1,210.00 $1,135.68
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
890–920 905 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 640.00 $640.00

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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
1612 1612 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,510.00 $1,510.00 —

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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.