Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 22, 2023

441 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $166.30/cwt +1.72 vs last sale · ≈ $948/hd at 570 lb · 21 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $176.19/cwt -4.62 vs last sale · ≈ $754/hd at 428 lb · 19 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $197.63/cwt -16.07 vs last sale · ≈ $940/hd at 476 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 441 735 880
Feeder cattle 347 591 775
Slaughter cattle 69 87 75
Replacement cattle 25 57 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality in a light test. More single and average quality offerings compared to last week. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady to 5.00 higher 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
345 value added 345 1 212.50 $212.50 $733 -3.00
375 value added 375 2 215.00 $215.00 $806 +1.00
407 value added 407 2 212.00 $212.00 $863 -28.48
410–440 423 3 190.00 $190.00 $804 -11.74
451–488 value added 474 15 192.50–207.00 $198.38 $940 -25.64
490 490 2 192.00 $192.00 $941 -5.49
500–548 value added 524 10 193.00–222.50 $209.37 $1,097 -3.95
585–596 value added 593 7 190.00–197.00 $192.55 $1,142 -13.37
600–645 value added 624 17 164.00–186.00 $175.11 $1,093 -13.42
650–690 value added 674 8 165.00–180.00 $173.70 $1,171 +1.75
700–710 value added 705 2 171.00–174.00 $172.49 $1,216 +0.71
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
562 value added 562 11 190.00 $190.00 $1,068 —
685 value added 685 9 178.50 $178.50 $1,223 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 167.50 $167.50 $410 —
355–385 372 3 160.00–177.50 $168.93 $628 -8.57
400–435 418 2 165.00–173.00 $169.17 $707 —
475 475 1 185.00 $185.00 $879 +5.23
505 505 1 160.00 $160.00 $808 -1.00
590 590 1 157.00 $157.00 $926 —
610–645 622 3 154.00 $154.00 $958 —
670 670 1 142.00 $142.00 $951 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 125.00 $125.00 $488 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 value added 250 1 183.00 $183.00 $458 —
255–290 267 4 165.00–177.50 $172.48 $461 —
300–315 value added 308 2 190.00–195.00 $192.56 $593 +14.81
335–337 336 3 165.00–179.00 $169.65 $570 +4.79
360–385 373 4 155.00–160.00 $157.58 $588 —
361–393 value added 375 8 175.50–190.00 $180.45 $677 -0.26
407–415 412 8 169.00–174.00 $171.13 $705 +6.92
430–447 value added 440 11 175.00–184.00 $179.87 $791 -2.74
465 465 1 172.00 $172.00 $800 +6.52
455–491 value added 473 14 175.00–180.00 $177.65 $840 -1.84
500–540 value added 519 15 165.00–177.00 $168.80 $876 -3.20
555–575 value added 570 21 164.00–174.00 $166.30 $948 +0.31
605–645 value added 623 12 144.00–169.00 $159.01 $991 -1.29
650–660 value added 655 2 156.00–161.00 $158.52 $1,038 +7.52
700 value added 700 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,050 —
815 815 2 128.00 $128.00 $1,043 —
970 970 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,057 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 151.00 $151.00 $362 -6.00
290 290 2 157.50–167.50 $162.50 $471 +14.39
400 400 1 135.00 $135.00 $540 -2.29
460–490 475 3 150.00–155.00 $152.53 $725 +3.15
535 535 1 150.00 $150.00 $802 +8.09
585 585 1 143.00 $143.00 $837 +20.50
665 665 1 124.00 $124.00 $825 -0.04
705–740 726 4 116.00–124.00 $121.23 $880 -6.77
885 885 1 108.00 $108.00 $956 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–390 388 2 120.00–130.00 $125.03 $485 +4.76
445 445 1 127.50 $127.50 $567 —
485 485 1 126.00 $126.00 $611 —
510 510 2 115.00–122.50 $118.75 $606 —
555–560 558 2 113.00–127.00 $120.03 $670 —
680 680 1 102.00 $102.00 $694 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840 840 1 103.00 $103.00 $865 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360 1360 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,659 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 192.50 $192.50 $462 —
250–270 262 3 180.00–203.00 $188.56 $494 -11.44
304–345 314 8 195.00–201.00 $196.79 $618 -0.40
340 value added 340 1 217.50 $217.50 $740 —
350–370 value added 360 2 207.50–209.00 $208.23 $750 -14.31
385–395 388 5 190.00–201.00 $198.56 $770 +3.03
418 418 6 202.50 $202.50 $846 +26.78
430–445 value added 434 5 200.00–227.50 $211.47 $918 +9.47
450–490 value added 473 3 197.50–204.00 $201.17 $952 +2.28
460–492 476 8 185.00–193.00 $188.02 $895 +13.98
500–535 521 7 171.00–175.00 $172.52 $899 —
565–585 575 3 165.00–180.00 $172.29 $991 —
550–596 value added 589 7 185.00–186.00 $185.13 $1,090 +5.36
607 607 2 153.00 $153.00 $929 +2.00
615 value added 615 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,002 -3.75
655 value added 655 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,127 +9.04
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–440 432 3 153.00–160.00 $155.24 $671 +1.83
465–490 482 3 157.00–170.00 $161.18 $777 +6.44
500–545 523 2 159.00–162.50 $160.67 $840 —
575–590 583 2 141.00–158.00 $149.61 $872 -5.88
635 635 1 145.00 $145.00 $921 —
685 685 1 144.00 $144.00 $986 —
765 765 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,033 +21.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352 352 2 190.00 $190.00 $669 +15.00
455 455 1 170.00 $170.00 $774 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 112.50 $112.50 $450 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1095 1010 85-90% 3 65.00–70.50 $67.29 $680 +5.14
925–1175 1013 85-90% 6 48.00–60.00 $54.36 $551 -20.87
995–1215 1088 85-90% 8 73.50–76.00 $74.86 $814 +7.36
1055–1255 1141 85-90% 8 78.00–96.00 $85.70 $978 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1255 1151 80-85% 5 83.00–87.50 $85.19 $981 —
1070–1355 1211 80-85% 16 88.00–110.00 $98.57 $1,194 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270 1270 75-80% 1 74.00 $74.00 $940 —
1300–1915 1541 75-80% 9 87.50–109.50 $98.30 $1,515 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510 1510 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,480 —
1395–2270 1666 7 115.00–124.50 $120.33 $2,005 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
685–1105 930 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 850.00–910.00 $896.61
1160 1160 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920–1260 1090 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,025.00–1,060.00 $1,045.23
1130–1135 1133 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,100.00–1,175.00 $1,137.42

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1470 1470 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,435.00 $1,435.00

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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
1325 1325 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,135.00 $1,135.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 118.00 $118.00 $643 —

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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.