Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 7, 2022

1,015 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $186.39/cwt +28.01 vs last sale · ≈ $939/hd at 504 lb · 218 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $163.30/cwt +32.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,558/hd at 954 lb · 89 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $194.44/cwt +18.11 vs last sale · ≈ $1,021/hd at 525 lb · 58 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,015 614 1,025
Feeder cattle 934 496 902
Slaughter cattle 64 82 80
Replacement cattle 17 36 43

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower with more fleshy bawling calves starting to head to town. Buyers showing preference for long-weaned calf packages. Soft, fleshy and average quality calves facing discounts. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with 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
325–330 value added 328 3 205.00 $205.00 $672 —
332–340 335 3 187.00–188.00 $187.34 $628 —
370–385 378 2 181.00–187.50 $184.31 $697 -5.69
372–395 value added 384 5 202.00–205.00 $203.36 $781 —
405–445 429 8 175.00–198.00 $182.05 $781 +7.05
431–436 value added 434 6 200.00 $200.00 $868 -3.27
453–490 value added 468 5 194.00–203.00 $199.23 $932 -8.86
450–485 471 9 177.00–189.00 $183.83 $866 -3.76
500–535 519 14 170.00–181.00 $174.87 $908 -1.46
500–535 value added 527 44 190.00–201.25 $200.67 $1,058 —
561–588 570 10 164.00–177.00 $171.08 $975 -7.31
561–592 value added 571 6 180.00–185.00 $181.73 $1,038 -21.59
600 600 2 162.00 $162.00 $972 -5.00
600–647 value added 617 21 163.00–181.00 $172.35 $1,063 -19.93
655–675 value added 666 4 163.00–182.00 $173.36 $1,155 -0.25
735–745 value added 740 2 170.00–178.00 $173.97 $1,287 -18.58
750–775 value added 765 27 161.00–188.00 $186.12 $1,424 —
820 value added 820 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,427 +3.67
845 845 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,344 —
954 fancy 954 89 163.30 $163.30 $1,558 —
1111 fancy 1111 148 152.75 $152.75 $1,697 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340–345 343 2 170.00–172.50 $171.24 $587 -1.67
355 355 1 157.50 $157.50 $559 -15.00
455 455 2 166.00 $166.00 $755 —
500–535 522 3 160.00–163.00 $161.64 $844 —
560–580 570 2 149.00–160.00 $154.40 $880 —
665 665 1 140.00 $140.00 $931 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–445 435 2 173.00–179.00 $175.93 $765 -10.07
553 553 5 169.00 $169.00 $935 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 value added 225 1 173.00 $173.00 $389 —
280 280 1 142.00 $142.00 $398 -27.35
325–345 333 3 168.00–172.00 $169.30 $564 +9.30
340 value added 340 1 172.50 $172.50 $586 -13.82
350–390 value added 370 14 173.00–184.00 $176.89 $654 -6.23
380 380 1 171.00 $171.00 $650 -0.77
400–445 value added 425 23 166.00–180.00 $174.58 $742 -2.07
425 425 4 155.00–156.00 $155.25 $660 -4.46
450–490 value added 471 21 161.00–179.00 $172.79 $814 +3.55
470–495 485 4 152.00–158.00 $155.03 $752 +5.03
500–540 value added 503 208 156.00–191.00 $188.15 $946 +24.65
501–545 521 10 144.00–155.00 $149.83 $781 -0.51
551–575 value added 558 6 154.00–161.00 $157.79 $880 -12.03
555–587 570 9 140.00–153.00 $146.74 $836 -3.87
602–620 value added 606 6 150.00–157.00 $154.32 $935 -9.55
625–635 631 4 140.00–146.00 $144.49 $912 +3.81
658 658 10 170.00 $170.00 $1,119 —
680 680 1 138.00 $138.00 $938 —
700–743 726 5 127.00–131.00 $129.46 $940 +4.46
738 738 15 168.00 $168.00 $1,240 +43.00
780 780 1 128.00 $128.00 $998 —
783 783 3 130.00 $130.00 $1,018 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367 367 2 146.00 $146.00 $536 +2.21
417 417 2 141.00 $141.00 $588 —
485 485 2 151.00 $151.00 $732 +21.00
555–582 572 6 124.00–144.00 $136.83 $783 -0.46
608–635 617 9 115.00–131.00 $126.45 $780 +5.77
660–675 668 2 124.00–139.00 $131.58 $879 +5.91
715–740 728 2 125.00 $125.00 $910 +14.00
790 790 1 124.00 $124.00 $980 —
835–840 838 2 113.00–116.00 $114.50 $960 +4.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 161.00 $161.00 $555 —
505 505 1 144.00 $144.00 $727 +7.00
627–645 633 3 131.00–134.00 $132.02 $836 —
665 665 1 134.00 $134.00 $891 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 1 110.00 $110.00 $605 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 180.00 $180.00 $567 -10.34
342 value added 342 2 196.00 $196.00 $670 -10.96
355–385 375 5 170.00–192.00 $183.85 $689 +8.85
375–390 value added 386 4 193.00–197.00 $196.03 $757 —
410–427 value added 421 6 185.00–196.00 $188.80 $795 -10.03
410–445 426 8 159.00–183.00 $176.34 $751 +0.63
457–485 value added 465 7 180.00–182.50 $181.35 $843 -27.45
485–490 488 2 171.00–173.00 $172.01 $839 -15.98
500–505 value added 503 4 161.00–176.00 $168.75 $849 +2.75
510–540 525 2 152.00–156.00 $154.06 $809 -4.14
555–577 563 7 150.00–160.00 $155.18 $874 -4.95
560–588 value added 577 7 158.00–178.00 $170.66 $985 -6.34
600 600 1 145.00 $145.00 $870 —
625 value added 625 2 154.00 $154.00 $962 —
665 665 1 140.00 $140.00 $931 +5.00
700 700 1 133.00 $133.00 $931 -1.00
705 value added 705 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,086 —
790 790 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,090 +11.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 2 145.00 $145.00 $420 -0.39
590 590 1 136.00 $136.00 $802 -10.23
600–641 626 8 126.00–138.00 $132.12 $827 +3.79
655–665 660 2 120.00–124.00 $121.98 $805 -6.02
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 2 167.00 $167.00 $601 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 132.50 $132.50 $662 —
560 560 1 123.00 $123.00 $689 —
Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1175 1175 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1215 1156 80-85% 4 76.00–82.00 $80.06 $925 —
1050–1350 1215 80-85% 14 82.50–89.00 $86.07 $1,046 +4.54
1255–1500 1368 80-85% 11 91.00–105.50 $95.93 $1,312 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–980 868 85-90% 5 56.00–64.00 $60.38 $524 —
830–1105 949 85-90% 5 64.00–68.00 $66.11 $627 —
925–1265 1046 85-90% 8 70.00–79.00 $73.49 $769 —
965–1105 1050 85-90% 8 80.00–89.00 $84.70 $889 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1320 1318 75-80% 2 77.00–79.00 $78.00 $1,028 —
1165–1620 1415 75-80% 7 86.00–89.00 $87.82 $1,243 —
1405–1580 1470 75-80% 3 90.00–91.50 $90.86 $1,336 +9.35

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1460–1685 1573 2 104.00–108.00 $106.14 $1,670 —
1465–1965 1682 6 115.50–127.00 $120.32 $2,024 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1075 1075 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1570 1570 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1105 1105 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00

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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.