Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 5, 2023

738 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $190.04/cwt +0.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,216/hd at 640 lb · 100 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $202.49/cwt -0.72 vs last sale · ≈ $948/hd at 468 lb · 35 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $194.73/cwt -4.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,041/hd at 535 lb · 32 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 738 1,148 552
Feeder cattle 653 1,014 464
Slaughter cattle 67 95 84
Replacement cattle 18 39 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality; 3.00 to 4.00 lower on average quality offerings. More new crop calves starting to come to town and buyers showing preference for hard weaned thin-fleshed and discounting soft bawling calves. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady 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
370–390 value added 380 2 217.50–224.00 $220.66 $839 -6.82
405–425 value added 417 3 212.00–231.00 $222.46 $928 -6.44
452–490 value added 470 20 200.00–250.00 $234.22 $1,101 +0.85
500–548 value added 527 11 199.00–230.00 $209.47 $1,104 -25.31
550–567 562 4 190.00–193.00 $191.00 $1,073 —
580 value added 580 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,282 -6.91
601 value added 601 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,202 -4.71
653–665 value added 654 20 194.00–216.50 $215.36 $1,408 +17.73
720 value added 720 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,332 —
755–768 value added 764 18 188.00–193.50 $190.71 $1,457 +1.27
812 value added 812 2 188.00 $188.00 $1,527 —
1202 1202 2 134.00 $134.00 $1,611 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412–440 426 4 160.00–189.00 $174.02 $741 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685 685 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,164 -10.00
790 790 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,343 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 value added 290 1 215.00 $215.00 $624 —
295 295 1 199.00 $199.00 $587 —
305–330 316 6 175.00–200.00 $189.99 $600 —
317–330 value added 321 8 200.00–227.50 $219.51 $705 +11.11
350–367 361 5 185.00–200.00 $191.56 $692 -5.39
350–383 value added 372 19 202.00–216.00 $209.04 $778 +2.42
407–425 413 3 182.50–185.00 $184.14 $760 -1.49
400–445 value added 425 19 190.00–210.00 $200.42 $852 -10.79
451–495 value added 468 35 190.00–214.50 $202.49 $948 -2.26
525–545 533 3 178.00–184.00 $181.01 $965 -4.99
505–545 value added 535 29 189.00–200.00 $196.15 $1,049 -3.73
550–581 value added 576 26 184.50–196.50 $192.65 $1,110 -2.99
560–595 578 2 169.00–180.00 $174.67 $1,010 -10.29
610–642 625 7 162.00–172.00 $169.33 $1,058 -23.19
600–645 value added 641 93 182.00–197.00 $191.60 $1,228 +6.46
652–690 671 4 159.00–177.00 $167.75 $1,126 —
650–698 value added 681 19 176.00–198.00 $178.34 $1,214 -7.51
730 730 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,102 —
762–795 769 5 146.00–148.00 $147.59 $1,135 —
800 800 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,040 —
811 value added 811 14 161.00 $161.00 $1,306 -8.78
932 932 2 134.00 $134.00 $1,249 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
227 227 2 170.00 $170.00 $386 +0.99
255–290 280 7 160.00–170.00 $165.50 $463 -12.15
300–330 313 4 146.00–172.00 $161.99 $507 —
380–390 385 2 147.50–151.00 $149.27 $575 -31.73
400–447 430 9 155.00–172.50 $165.18 $710 +6.44
450–490 468 3 160.00–167.50 $163.18 $764 —
585 585 1 160.00 $160.00 $936 -5.48
602 602 2 152.00 $152.00 $915 —
665–695 684 5 131.00–156.00 $141.43 $967 —
732 732 2 132.00 $132.00 $966 —
762 762 2 130.00 $130.00 $991 +10.00
930 930 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,060 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 120.00 $120.00 $258 -38.00
310–320 313 3 110.00–132.50 $124.26 $389 —
360–390 380 3 120.00–130.00 $125.21 $476 —
430 430 1 120.00 $120.00 $516 -20.00
710 710 2 100.00 $100.00 $710 —

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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 1 139.00 $139.00 $334 —
280 value added 280 2 207.50 $207.50 $581 -7.50
300–335 322 5 190.00–210.00 $199.25 $642 -6.04
350–390 368 6 175.00–210.00 $191.83 $706 -16.17
361–392 value added 368 13 206.00–255.00 $240.62 $885 +19.83
400–445 value added 415 17 209.00–245.00 $233.17 $968 +6.52
420–435 424 4 165.00–199.00 $190.27 $807 -10.57
455–490 value added 475 10 201.00–233.00 $218.96 $1,040 +3.62
470–490 480 2 190.00–191.00 $190.51 $914 -11.90
500–525 value added 507 12 205.00–221.00 $215.19 $1,091 +2.17
520–545 533 2 190.00–191.00 $190.49 $1,015 -3.19
570–575 572 3 177.00–183.00 $180.99 $1,035 -12.61
550–585 value added 574 7 191.00–204.00 $200.19 $1,149 —
620 620 1 160.00 $160.00 $992 -8.12
600–635 value added 623 5 188.00–208.00 $199.26 $1,241 —
670 670 2 174.00 $174.00 $1,166 +8.82
790 790 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,153 -1.00
840 840 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,201 -11.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
242–245 243 3 140.00–150.00 $143.36 $348 —
255–280 268 2 163.00–180.00 $171.10 $459 -7.35
300–320 310 2 162.50–170.00 $166.37 $516 -15.35
380–395 385 3 180.00–181.00 $180.34 $694 -7.41
410–435 420 3 160.00–197.50 $173.93 $731 +12.85
472–480 475 3 185.00–190.00 $188.31 $894 +6.31
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 147.50 $147.50 $302 —
300 300 2 120.00 $120.00 $360 —
375 375 1 150.00 $150.00 $562 +12.50
420–445 433 2 140.00–145.00 $142.57 $617 +17.57
475 475 1 120.00 $120.00 $570 -15.00
520 520 1 101.00 $101.00 $525 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 166.00 $166.00 $963 —
695 695 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,154 —
860 860 1 101.00 $101.00 $869 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700 700 85-90% 1 64.00 $64.00 $448 —
820–1310 943 85-90% 6 76.00–83.00 $80.56 $760 —
860–1345 1068 85-90% 12 83.50–97.00 $89.03 $951 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1320 1145 80-85% 3 86.00–89.00 $87.13 $998 —
955–1390 1155 80-85% 12 93.00–102.50 $96.66 $1,116 +18.66
1355 1355 80-85% 1 79.00 $79.00 $1,070 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1375 1365 75-80% 2 87.00–90.00 $88.51 $1,208 —
1240–1585 1427 75-80% 7 91.00–99.50 $96.45 $1,376 -0.66

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–2375 1714 10 85.00–114.00 $104.51 $1,791 —
1560–2210 1926 8 116.00–124.00 $119.45 $2,301 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1125 1125 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00
1125–1635 1273 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,100.00–1,375.00 $1,241.21
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1105 1105 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
1400 1400 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00 —
1380–1460 1420 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,500.00–1,535.00 $1,517.99 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
955 955 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 875.00 $875.00 —

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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.