Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 25, 2023

441 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $176.75/cwt +31.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,442/hd at 816 lb · 61 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $184.11/cwt +6.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,060/hd at 576 lb · 44 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $166.86/cwt +12.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,204/hd at 722 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 441 681 441
Feeder cattle 378 499 389
Slaughter cattle 54 80 44
Replacement cattle 9 102 8

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand in a light test. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sold steady to 2.00 lower with good demand in a light test. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher 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
392 392 2 185.00 $185.00 $725 -6.00
395 value added 395 1 205.00 $205.00 $810 -13.00
425 425 1 191.00 $191.00 $812 +18.80
426 value added 426 7 212.50 $212.50 $905 +22.16
460 460 2 192.50 $192.50 $886 +22.87
455–495 value added 481 11 193.00–200.00 $195.35 $940 —
501–532 value added 507 18 187.00–200.00 $195.66 $992 +14.60
552 552 2 178.00 $178.00 $983 +9.51
556–583 value added 577 42 184.25–185.00 $184.40 $1,064 +4.53
610–615 value added 613 2 162.00–170.00 $165.98 $1,017 +0.34
635 635 1 157.00 $157.00 $997 —
688 688 11 157.00 $157.00 $1,080 —
703 703 3 159.00 $159.00 $1,118 +12.01
725 value added 725 17 168.25 $168.25 $1,220 +11.42
790 790 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,201 —
816 fancy 816 61 176.75 $176.75 $1,442 —
906 906 6 160.00 $160.00 $1,450 —
1030 1030 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,288 +5.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 2 162.50–172.50 $167.50 $553 +8.99
352 352 2 165.00 $165.00 $581 —
400 400 2 180.00 $180.00 $720 —
745 745 1 133.00 $133.00 $991 +6.12
809 809 5 138.00 $138.00 $1,116 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 180.00 $180.00 $864 —
517 517 2 180.00 $180.00 $931 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–485 468 2 130.00–135.00 $132.59 $621 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
351–360 353 4 150.00–161.00 $158.20 $558 -2.31
392 value added 392 2 173.00 $173.00 $678 -1.26
400–440 value added 412 13 161.00–174.00 $167.37 $690 -5.70
415 415 1 152.00 $152.00 $631 -4.73
455–485 470 2 150.00 $150.00 $705 -3.91
460–497 value added 483 8 159.00–169.00 $165.81 $801 -2.40
505–548 value added 538 16 161.00–167.00 $163.06 $877 -6.81
556–585 value added 561 15 156.00–165.00 $163.13 $915 +1.74
674–698 value added 682 19 140.00–144.00 $141.29 $964 -7.50
736–740 737 4 121.00–130.00 $127.74 $941 -10.26
855–859 859 14 127.00–129.50 $129.32 $1,111 +8.32
1055 1055 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,087 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 137.50 $137.50 $406 —
450–485 470 3 122.50–147.00 $131.09 $616 +2.82
642 642 2 125.00 $125.00 $802 +2.87
655–685 673 3 122.00–127.00 $124.71 $839 +4.15
760–780 770 2 92.00–105.00 $98.58 $759 -6.93
825 825 1 101.00 $101.00 $833 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 1 134.00 $134.00 $844 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260 1260 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,638 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 130.00 $130.00 $436 +23.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 173.00 $173.00 $597 +2.92
395 395 2 185.00 $185.00 $731 +19.99
410–420 417 3 162.50–177.50 $172.58 $720 +9.70
430–440 value added 435 2 180.00–185.00 $182.47 $794 -0.03
475–485 value added 480 2 188.00–194.00 $190.97 $917 +11.22
495 495 1 177.00 $177.00 $876 —
515–540 532 3 170.00–175.00 $173.39 $922 +21.39
550–585 571 4 151.00–169.00 $159.09 $908 +1.60
570–580 value added 573 3 170.00–173.00 $171.01 $980 +4.02
765 765 1 129.00 $129.00 $987 +0.05
850–870 860 2 109.00–113.00 $110.98 $954 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 164.00 $164.00 $615 +14.00
685 685 1 130.00 $130.00 $890 —
765 765 1 123.00 $123.00 $941 —
885 885 1 112.00 $112.00 $991 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 1 126.00 $126.00 $800 —
745 745 1 110.00 $110.00 $820 -1.00
780 780 1 124.00 $124.00 $967 +9.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 122.50 $122.50 $355 —
355 355 1 135.00 $135.00 $479 —
520 520 1 121.00 $121.00 $629 +8.49

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1265 1168 80-85% 2 68.00–71.50 $69.60 $813 -8.86
925–1430 1213 80-85% 6 72.00–77.50 $75.41 $915 +5.15
1070–1395 1245 80-85% 10 77.50–93.50 $83.61 $1,041 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
745–840 793 85-90% 2 52.00–53.50 $52.79 $419 —
1000–1155 1078 85-90% 2 77.00–77.50 $77.23 $833 —
915–1295 1134 85-90% 6 64.00–72.00 $68.70 $779 +8.66
1255 1255 85-90% 1 61.00 $61.00 $766 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1260 1240 75-80% 2 66.00–69.00 $67.52 $837 —
1255–1370 1313 75-80% 2 74.50–76.50 $75.46 $991 —
1315–1860 1649 75-80% 6 78.00–83.00 $80.87 $1,334 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1760–2000 1917 3 116.00–123.50 $120.38 $2,308 —
1720–2210 2027 3 102.50–107.00 $104.32 $2,115 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
830–1285 1113 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 7 83.00–101.00 $89.63 $998

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975–1190 1130 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,010.00–1,375.00 $1,236.34

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Bred Heifers

Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
775 775 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 550.00 $550.00

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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
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 4 97.00 $97.00 $338 —
377 value added 377 2 126.00 $126.00 $475 —
460 value added 460 2 125.00 $125.00 $575 —

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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.