Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 14, 2022

836 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $178.02/cwt -8.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,382/hd at 777 lb · 73 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $181.91/cwt -12.53 vs last sale · ≈ $945/hd at 520 lb · 41 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $144.50/cwt ≈ $1,299/hd at 899 lb · 40 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 836 1,015 646
Feeder cattle 687 934 510
Slaughter cattle 96 64 72
Replacement cattle 53 17 64

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold mostly steady with good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady on weaned packages; average quality, soft, fleshy offerings sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower 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
318 value added 318 3 197.50 $197.50 $628 -7.50
355–385 value added 364 4 191.00–209.00 $196.50 $715 -6.86
412–435 value added 423 8 201.00–209.00 $205.71 $870 +5.71
405–446 429 6 175.00–187.50 $183.21 $786 +1.16
465–490 475 3 180.00–189.00 $184.07 $874 +0.24
481–482 value added 482 20 201.00–203.00 $201.90 $973 +2.67
500–548 value added 517 13 192.00–205.00 $198.82 $1,028 -1.85
502–533 521 28 171.00–176.00 $174.06 $907 -0.81
565 value added 565 5 180.00 $180.00 $1,017 -1.73
555–587 577 12 169.00–175.00 $173.08 $999 +2.00
605–645 625 4 158.00–159.00 $158.26 $989 -3.74
605–640 value added 629 19 160.00–174.00 $166.32 $1,046 -6.03
650–677 668 3 154.00–157.00 $154.97 $1,035 —
651–697 value added 674 12 165.00–177.50 $175.97 $1,186 +2.61
715–738 value added 732 4 164.00–169.00 $167.78 $1,228 -6.19
760–780 value added 773 8 163.00–170.00 $166.26 $1,285 -19.86
761–783 thin fleshed 777 65 178.75–181.25 $179.47 $1,394 —
805–807 806 5 149.00–161.00 $156.19 $1,259 —
884–895 886 23 143.00–165.00 $162.03 $1,436 —
1005 1005 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,357 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 145.00 $145.00 $384 —
423 423 3 140.00 $140.00 $592 —
455–487 479 4 141.00–161.00 $155.36 $744 -10.64
530–545 535 3 157.00–160.00 $158.02 $845 -3.62
585 585 1 158.00 $158.00 $924 +3.60
655 655 1 142.00 $142.00 $930 +2.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 2 175.00 $175.00 $752 -0.93
505 505 1 166.00 $166.00 $838 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 132.50 $132.50 $378 —
475 475 1 110.00 $110.00 $522 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302–345 320 8 150.00–158.00 $153.58 $491 -15.72
353–390 value added 364 8 162.50–177.50 $171.18 $623 -5.71
375–385 380 7 150.00–157.00 $152.45 $579 -18.55
400–440 416 8 147.00–152.50 $150.59 $626 -4.66
406–445 value added 422 15 160.00–168.00 $164.67 $695 -9.91
450–490 470 20 148.00–159.00 $152.83 $718 -2.20
457–495 value added 471 19 159.00–166.00 $164.11 $773 -8.68
500–540 value added 517 17 156.00–159.00 $157.31 $813 -30.84
505–537 527 9 142.00–155.00 $151.26 $797 +1.43
560–590 value added 577 20 155.50–160.50 $157.52 $909 -0.27
555–596 579 14 140.00–152.00 $148.93 $862 +2.19
600–627 value added 613 13 147.00–159.00 $153.60 $942 -0.72
612–630 620 4 139.00–144.00 $141.74 $879 -2.75
670 670 3 143.00–144.00 $143.67 $963 +5.67
675–695 value added 690 12 148.00–157.75 $155.40 $1,072 —
712 value added 712 5 153.50 $153.50 $1,093 —
705–745 725 2 136.00–139.00 $137.46 $997 +8.00
770–795 783 3 129.00–137.00 $133.64 $1,046 +3.64
899 value added 899 40 144.50 $144.50 $1,299 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–285 277 3 125.00–144.00 $133.15 $369 —
370–390 380 2 127.00–130.00 $128.54 $488 -17.46
400–420 413 3 130.00–132.50 $131.69 $544 -9.31
450–462 456 4 131.00–141.00 $135.07 $616 -15.93
500–540 523 4 122.00–147.00 $138.03 $722 —
585 585 1 134.00 $134.00 $784 -2.83
610 610 2 128.00–136.00 $132.00 $805 +5.55
710 710 1 122.00 $122.00 $866 -3.00
765 765 1 118.00 $118.00 $903 -6.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 137.50 $137.50 $364 —
370 370 2 150.00 $150.00 $555 —
460 460 2 146.00 $146.00 $672 —
615 615 2 142.00 $142.00 $873 +9.98

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 172.00 $172.00 $361 —
290 290 1 170.00 $170.00 $493 —
302–342 327 6 181.00–192.00 $184.97 $605 +4.97
330 value added 330 1 217.00 $217.00 $716 +21.00
365–375 370 4 180.00–192.50 $186.33 $689 +2.48
385 value added 385 4 208.00 $208.00 $801 +11.97
400–430 411 9 160.00–185.00 $175.19 $720 -1.15
405–441 value added 429 9 193.00–200.00 $196.10 $841 +7.30
462–490 value added 466 8 189.00–195.00 $193.99 $904 +12.64
465–480 472 6 154.00–163.00 $158.49 $748 -13.52
500–530 value added 515 9 165.00–173.00 $168.09 $866 -0.66
505–545 519 7 156.00–164.00 $159.54 $828 +5.48
555–565 value added 558 3 163.00–165.00 $164.33 $917 -6.33
580–590 584 7 153.00–162.00 $155.87 $910 +0.69
625 value added 625 1 156.00 $156.00 $975 +2.00
620–645 639 4 144.00–148.00 $145.01 $927 —
660 value added 660 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,003 —
701–730 value added 708 11 149.00–151.00 $150.09 $1,063 -3.91
725 725 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,000 +5.00
770–785 value added 778 2 150.00 $150.00 $1,167 —
815 815 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,174 —
855 855 1 116.00 $116.00 $992 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 135.00 $135.00 $371 -10.00
320–335 328 2 144.00–155.00 $149.63 $491 —
350 350 1 142.50 $142.50 $499 —
405–440 423 2 144.00–150.00 $147.12 $622 —
450–480 463 3 140.00–144.00 $141.63 $656 —
500–520 510 2 145.00–147.00 $145.98 $744 —
550–555 553 2 143.00–148.00 $145.51 $805 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 146.00 $146.00 $423 —
455–485 470 2 149.00–151.00 $150.03 $705 —
585 585 2 154.00 $154.00 $901 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–380 373 2 120.00–135.00 $127.65 $476 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1330 1330 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1355 1205 80-85% 9 82.00–84.50 $83.25 $1,003 -2.82
1060–1450 1259 80-85% 6 76.00–79.00 $76.89 $968 —
1105–1550 1287 80-85% 25 85.00–103.50 $89.01 $1,146 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370 1370 75-80% 2 78.00–79.00 $78.50 $1,075 —
1240–1705 1408 75-80% 11 80.00–84.50 $82.35 $1,159 -5.47
1220–1770 1415 75-80% 12 85.00–95.00 $88.52 $1,253 +0.70
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–980 919 85-90% 5 63.00–69.50 $67.78 $623 +1.67
825–1145 1022 85-90% 12 72.00–79.50 $75.53 $772 +2.04
915–1230 1114 85-90% 4 82.00–87.50 $84.70 $944 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330 1330 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,237 —
1260–1865 1580 11 98.00–114.50 $108.75 $1,718 +2.61
1605–2125 1784 8 115.00–129.50 $119.62 $2,134 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1125–1265 1170 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 8 900.00–1,300.00 $1,118.04
1220 1220 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
820 820 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 720.00 $720.00
830 830 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00
905 905 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 825.00 $825.00

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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
1150–1425 1295 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,185.00–1,500.00 $1,308.90 —
1650 1650 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,430.00 $1,430.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1000 1000 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 935.00 $935.00 —
942–1315 1066 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 975.00–1,210.00 $1,115.77 —
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
840 840 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 760.00 $760.00 —
855 855 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 525.00 $525.00 —
885 885 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 825.00 $825.00 —

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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.