Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 15, 2023

1,140 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $183.01/cwt +17.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,264/hd at 691 lb · 159 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $226.07/cwt +3.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,195/hd at 529 lb · 96 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $209.44/cwt +19.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,003/hd at 479 lb · 82 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,140 412 547
Feeder cattle 1,084 291 436
Slaughter cattle 52 88 81
Replacement cattle 4 33 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages; some 400-500 lb heifer packages sharply higher. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower with moderate 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
338–343 value added 341 7 221.00–249.00 $237.10 $809 —
350 350 1 199.00 $199.00 $696 —
385–397 value added 390 6 222.50–247.50 $239.97 $936 —
400–446 value added 431 46 216.00–255.00 $229.97 $991 +6.27
415–442 431 4 208.00–215.00 $211.17 $910 —
453–490 466 8 199.00–215.00 $209.38 $976 +10.50
458–486 value added 471 18 218.00–254.00 $233.24 $1,099 +9.79
500–541 value added 527 88 209.00–237.50 $229.35 $1,209 +6.97
546 546 8 190.00 $190.00 $1,037 —
555 555 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,104 —
556–570 value added 563 57 207.00–221.00 $217.71 $1,226 +11.10
600–644 value added 624 44 194.00–213.00 $208.28 $1,300 +15.56
651–660 value added 653 9 198.00–200.00 $198.45 $1,296 +7.18
700–731 value added 706 28 175.00–188.00 $182.53 $1,289 -8.97
730 730 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,212 —
752–765 value added 764 28 175.00–187.75 $186.85 $1,428 +4.85
768–797 775 11 166.00–170.00 $166.93 $1,294 —
825 825 4 179.50 $179.50 $1,481 -1.03
875 875 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,531 —
945 945 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,436 —
1045 1045 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,484 —
1055 1055 1 149.00 $149.00 $1,572 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358–390 370 5 185.00–207.50 $201.71 $746 —
410 410 1 165.00 $165.00 $676 —
495 495 1 165.00 $165.00 $817 —
510 510 2 167.00 $167.00 $852 —
555–595 582 3 155.00–174.00 $161.04 $937 -23.41
605–640 622 5 152.50–170.00 $161.63 $1,005 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,212 —
710–745 728 2 161.00–174.00 $167.66 $1,221 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295–297 value added 297 5 225.00–230.00 $229.01 $680 —
325–337 value added 328 9 200.00–234.00 $220.27 $722 +20.73
335 335 1 185.00 $185.00 $620 -0.77
350–370 361 4 180.00–197.50 $188.73 $681 +3.34
355–396 value added 384 33 200.00–233.00 $218.44 $839 +7.78
400–447 value added 430 29 200.00–230.00 $213.31 $917 +13.85
450–489 value added 479 76 192.00–221.00 $211.06 $1,011 +21.15
462–497 479 6 183.00–190.00 $188.87 $905 —
510–540 524 7 173.00–183.00 $180.30 $945 +8.83
515–542 value added 534 41 185.00–200.00 $197.54 $1,055 +12.54
551–594 value added 577 70 185.00–198.00 $191.31 $1,104 +5.59
565–585 578 4 170.00–176.00 $174.51 $1,009 +3.46
600–647 value added 635 46 167.00–189.00 $179.97 $1,143 +4.43
665–690 680 5 165.00–167.00 $165.78 $1,127 +7.04
650–692 value added 691 154 168.00–189.00 $183.57 $1,268 +8.57
737 value added 737 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,216 —
780 780 6 144.00 $144.00 $1,123 —
835–837 value added 836 4 151.00–158.00 $154.50 $1,292 —
842 842 4 137.00 $137.00 $1,154 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 181.00 $181.00 $833 +19.00
510–545 527 3 152.50–174.00 $165.29 $871 -6.71
562–585 572 5 169.00–181.00 $175.29 $1,003 —
645 645 1 150.00 $150.00 $968 —
663 663 3 150.00 $150.00 $994 —
665–684 value added 682 21 166.00–172.00 $166.56 $1,136 —
915 915 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,116 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240–245 243 4 151.00–177.50 $161.43 $392 +21.43
265–295 282 3 145.00–177.50 $160.73 $453 -14.27
305 305 1 170.00 $170.00 $518 +9.12
350–385 365 4 160.00–176.00 $168.57 $615 -3.43
425–427 426 3 180.00 $180.00 $767 +10.81
450–495 473 4 140.00–157.50 $152.07 $719 -7.09
565–580 575 3 150.00–154.00 $151.34 $870 +5.77
670–675 673 4 134.00–141.00 $135.74 $914 —
710–742 731 5 130.00–131.00 $130.20 $952 —
750–751 751 4 130.00–131.00 $130.25 $978 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–290 285 2 120.00–130.00 $125.09 $357 —
375 375 1 130.00 $130.00 $488 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
286–295 290 5 200.00–212.50 $203.16 $589 +18.16
325–331 value added 330 4 232.50–234.00 $233.63 $771 —
375 375 2 207.50 $207.50 $778 +17.50
401–435 value added 413 9 220.00–255.00 $235.36 $972 +18.15
452–490 462 4 202.50–207.00 $203.82 $942 +6.61
472 value added 472 2 213.00 $213.00 $1,005 -5.94
502 value added 502 2 213.00 $213.00 $1,069 +5.00
507–532 520 4 200.00–203.00 $201.46 $1,048 +7.70
560–570 value added 563 3 203.00–211.00 $207.69 $1,169 +2.69
550–575 567 3 200.00–201.00 $200.32 $1,136 +25.32
625 value added 625 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,100 —
640 640 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,050 -1.88
675 675 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,120 +9.00
760 760 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,148 —
773 value added 773 3 153.00 $153.00 $1,183 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
267 267 2 170.00 $170.00 $454 —
300–310 305 2 182.50–187.50 $185.04 $564 +5.04
395 395 1 194.00 $194.00 $766 +9.00
410 410 1 151.00 $151.00 $619 -31.00
497 497 2 180.00 $180.00 $895 —
560 560 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,014 +11.49
640 640 1 149.00 $149.00 $954 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 154.00 $154.00 $470 —
420 420 1 132.50 $132.50 $556 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1060 973 85-90% 6 75.00–82.00 $78.65 $765 —
910–1230 1016 85-90% 4 59.00–66.00 $62.30 $633 -27.01
950–1250 1062 85-90% 3 83.00–90.00 $85.90 $912 —
1265 1265 85-90% 1 68.00 $68.00 $860 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085 1085 80-85% 1 78.00 $78.00 $846 —
1100–1160 1130 80-85% 2 84.00–87.50 $85.70 $968 —
1000–1550 1227 80-85% 10 89.50–111.00 $101.08 $1,240 +15.10
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350 1350 75-80% 1 86.50 $86.50 $1,168 -15.45
1210–1665 1421 75-80% 8 96.00–105.00 $99.29 $1,411 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390–2020 1696 8 120.00–144.00 $134.43 $2,280 —
1805 1805 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,986 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1225 1225 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00

↑ Back to top

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.