Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report, Mt. Sterling, KY

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 26, 2023

537 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $188.74/cwt +28.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,670/hd at 885 lb · 68 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $205.00/cwt +22.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,673/hd at 816 lb · 65 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $200.42/cwt +2.01 vs last sale · ≈ $946/hd at 472 lb · 38 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 537 597 644
Feeder cattle 447 498 492
Slaughter cattle 48 78 115
Replacement cattle 42 21 37

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold steady with good demand for thin-fleshed calves suitable for grass; fleshy, off-colored and bawling calves facing discounts. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher with very good demand for 400-600 lb weaned packages. Very good demand for yearlings. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 lower and 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
420–440 value added 430 2 240.00–245.00 $242.44 $1,042 +5.46
460–465 value added 462 7 200.00–237.50 $228.07 $1,054 -8.85
505 value added 505 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,030 -21.19
590–598 value added 595 6 199.00–200.00 $199.67 $1,188 —
630 value added 630 3 211.00 $211.00 $1,329 -7.96
685 value added 685 2 207.00 $207.00 $1,418 —
735–740 value added 737 3 190.00–191.00 $190.67 $1,405 —
816 fancy 816 65 205.00 $205.00 $1,673 —
880 880 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,654 +28.00
885 fancy 885 67 188.75 $188.75 $1,670 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 200.00 $200.00 $630 ±0.00
465 465 1 190.00 $190.00 $884 —
745 745 1 156.00 $156.00 $1,162 -13.11

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 172.50 $172.50 $448 -10.00
335 value added 335 1 200.00 $200.00 $670 -14.37
350–385 value added 365 5 196.00–208.00 $201.97 $737 —
380–385 383 2 190.00–197.50 $193.77 $742 -5.98
400–435 417 3 192.00–200.00 $195.74 $816 +3.27
405–442 value added 424 20 204.00–213.00 $208.63 $885 +4.36
463–470 467 10 191.00–194.00 $192.19 $898 -0.52
450–498 value added 474 28 198.00–209.00 $203.36 $964 +4.13
500–545 value added 521 10 185.00–216.00 $198.91 $1,036 +5.73
530 530 1 181.00 $181.00 $959 +1.00
575–585 value added 582 5 186.00–199.00 $191.23 $1,113 ±0.00
605 605 3 167.00 $167.00 $1,010 -19.00
655 655 3 175.00 $175.00 $1,146 +10.43
670 value added 670 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,166 -4.07
700 value added 700 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,225 —
720 720 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,109 —
755 value added 755 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,276 —
805–845 value added 825 2 148.00–152.00 $149.95 $1,237 —
892 value added 892 2 154.00 $154.00 $1,374 —
895 895 2 144.00 $144.00 $1,289 -8.00
1055 1055 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,266 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 140.00 $140.00 $329 -22.72
280 280 1 160.00 $160.00 $448 -3.35
310–345 324 4 150.00–172.50 $159.58 $517 -2.63
405–440 423 2 152.50–183.00 $168.38 $712 +10.38
475–485 482 3 170.00–180.00 $173.36 $836 -2.35
505–545 521 7 158.00–170.00 $166.50 $867 +12.34
555–575 565 2 147.00–157.00 $152.09 $859 +6.37
625 625 3 160.00 $160.00 $1,000 +7.99
656 656 3 151.00 $151.00 $991 -2.00
915 915 1 107.00 $107.00 $979 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 191.00 $191.00 $917 —
523 523 3 184.00 $184.00 $962 +41.50
680 680 2 166.00 $166.00 $1,129 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 3 125.00–132.50 $130.00 $481 -17.50
530 530 1 107.50 $107.50 $570 —
680 680 1 110.00 $110.00 $748 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–275 270 2 162.50–182.50 $172.69 $466 -27.31
300 300 1 182.50 $182.50 $548 -17.61
342 value added 342 2 220.00 $220.00 $752 -12.76
355–380 368 2 197.50–202.50 $199.91 $736 -22.59
380–395 value added 388 2 240.00 $240.00 $931 +10.22
412–445 value added 427 9 200.00–227.50 $218.53 $933 -14.57
415–448 440 4 197.50–200.00 $199.41 $877 -1.59
455–490 value added 469 20 209.00–232.50 $219.72 $1,030 -10.54
490 490 1 198.00 $198.00 $970 -8.00
500–545 value added 518 8 201.00–221.00 $210.33 $1,090 -11.05
570 570 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,106 -2.25
550–595 value added 575 14 207.00–219.00 $213.08 $1,225 —
607–620 value added 614 4 198.00–202.00 $200.02 $1,228 —
640 640 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,171 +6.55
683 683 3 171.00 $171.00 $1,168 -13.00
730 730 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,183 -8.00
755 755 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,268 —
800–820 810 3 156.00–171.00 $162.65 $1,317 —
850–885 860 4 140.00–165.00 $156.25 $1,344 —
1195 1195 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,303 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 4 157.50–165.00 $160.63 $570 -30.37
400 400 1 177.50 $177.50 $710 +7.62
540 540 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,010 +17.00
595 595 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,023 —
845 845 1 110.00 $110.00 $930 —
980 980 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,225 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 210.00 $210.00 $746 —
405–440 428 3 195.00–200.00 $196.58 $841 —
535 535 1 181.00 $181.00 $968 -12.00
735 735 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,154 —
970 970 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,067 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 2 135.00 $135.00 $459 —
375 375 1 135.00 $135.00 $506 -5.00
460 460 1 122.50 $122.50 $564 —
505 505 1 120.00 $120.00 $606 -36.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1140 1050 80-85% 3 75.00–80.00 $77.95 $818 —
1005–1390 1153 80-85% 13 83.00–88.50 $85.05 $981 —
925–1375 1162 80-85% 9 90.50–102.00 $94.94 $1,103 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1650 1320 75-80% 5 83.50–89.00 $87.30 $1,152 —
1300–1590 1401 75-80% 7 90.00–108.00 $97.66 $1,368 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885–1110 998 85-90% 2 70.00–71.00 $70.56 $704 -0.01
875–1220 1021 85-90% 5 74.00–84.00 $79.43 $811 —
1080–1180 1130 85-90% 2 89.00–92.00 $90.43 $1,022 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1525 1525 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,738 —
1360–2080 1738 4 124.00–133.00 $127.92 $2,223 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805 805 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 103.00 $103.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
880–895 888 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 960.00–1,075.00 $1,017.01
840–1165 1000 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,000.00–1,175.00 $1,088.59
935–1135 1035 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,035.00–1,150.00 $1,098.06
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
765–920 823 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 725.00–935.00 $836.59
910 910 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 885.00 $885.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
710 710 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 825.00 $825.00

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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
975–1210 1088 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 1,050.00–1,325.00 $1,186.51 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1380 1380 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,385.00–1,735.00 $1,560.00 —

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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.