Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 3, 2023

421 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $198.27/cwt +0.99 vs last sale · ≈ $1,021/hd at 515 lb · 28 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $228.99/cwt +29.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,320/hd at 577 lb · 20 head

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $232.70/cwt -9.74 vs last sale · ≈ $982/hd at 422 lb · 14 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	421	537	418
Feeder cattle	323	447	319
Slaughter cattle	83	48	81
Replacement cattle	15	42	18

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday steer calves sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned offerings. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 lower with good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher with good demand. 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
305–347 value added	329	4	230.00–257.50	$246.85	$812	—
376–380 value added	377	4	222.00–235.00	$225.28	$849	—
402–435 value added	422	14	220.00–240.00	$232.70	$982	-9.74
460	460	1	214.00	$214.00	$984	—
450–485 value added	473	4	230.00–255.00	$239.76	$1,134	+11.69
532	532	2	208.00	$208.00	$1,107	—
525–547 value added	533	7	214.00–249.00	$232.14	$1,237	+28.14
570	570	1	196.00	$196.00	$1,117	—
558–587 value added	577	19	230.00–235.00	$230.73	$1,331	+31.06
605	605	1	196.00	$196.00	$1,186	—
605–649 value added	639	7	196.00–223.00	$202.59	$1,295	-8.41
650–651 value added	651	7	200.00–220.00	$202.85	$1,321	-4.15
763–770	765	4	182.00–183.00	$182.75	$1,398	—
830	830	1	185.00	$185.00	$1,536	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
915	915	1	152.00	$152.00	$1,391	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1150	1150	1	139.00	$139.00	$1,598	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
255–295	273	5	180.00–200.00	$189.23	$517	+16.73
250–295 value added	278	5	207.50–212.50	$209.89	$583	—
303–330 value added	310	4	200.00	$200.00	$620	±0.00
300–335	321	4	182.50–190.00	$185.10	$594	—
360–385	373	2	187.50	$187.50	$699	-6.27
380 value added	380	1	198.00	$198.00	$752	-3.97
405	405	2	185.00	$185.00	$749	-10.74
400–435 value added	423	9	192.50–210.00	$202.17	$855	-6.46
455–485 value added	465	3	203.00–206.00	$204.96	$953	+1.60
455–495	485	4	186.00–192.50	$187.52	$909	-4.67
500–545 value added	514	25	188.00–205.00	$197.94	$1,017	-0.97
525	525	3	201.00	$201.00	$1,055	+20.00
550–595 value added	573	9	191.00–205.00	$195.20	$1,118	+3.97
600 value added	600	4	196.00	$196.00	$1,176	—
602–615	608	5	171.00–178.00	$174.63	$1,062	+7.63
667–685	673	3	169.00–177.00	$171.71	$1,156	-3.29
715–740	728	2	159.00–163.00	$160.97	$1,172	+6.97
740 value added	740	3	179.00	$179.00	$1,325	—
825	825	2	141.00	$141.00	$1,163	—
915	915	2	140.00	$140.00	$1,281	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
210–247	235	3	142.50–180.00	$168.81	$397	+28.81
255–272	266	3	180.00	$180.00	$479	+20.00
320–330	325	5	162.50–180.00	$172.98	$562	+13.40
355	355	1	180.00	$180.00	$639	—
405–425	408	8	155.00–165.00	$160.65	$655	-7.73
500–540	520	2	152.00–161.00	$156.67	$815	-9.83
565	565	1	170.00	$170.00	$960	+17.91
610	610	1	142.50	$142.50	$869	-17.50
670	670	1	152.50	$152.50	$1,022	+1.50

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
550	550	1	183.00	$183.00	$1,006	—

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
495	495	1	133.00	$133.00	$658	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
280 value added	280	1	207.50	$207.50	$581	—
310 value added	310	1	214.00	$214.00	$663	-6.00
340	340	1	192.00	$192.00	$653	—
350–390 value added	367	10	212.50–252.50	$234.96	$862	-5.04
395	395	1	206.00	$206.00	$814	+6.09
400–425 value added	411	7	219.00–250.00	$232.59	$956	+14.06
415–435	428	3	197.50–202.00	$199.83	$855	+0.42
460–470 value added	465	3	236.00–239.00	$237.49	$1,104	+17.77
462–495	475	7	197.50–215.00	$204.86	$973	+6.86
503–540 value added	512	4	216.00–230.00	$219.69	$1,125	+9.36
560–572 value added	567	4	204.00–212.50	$208.53	$1,182	-4.55
575–592	586	6	183.00–201.00	$188.88	$1,107	-5.12
600 value added	600	2	196.00	$196.00	$1,176	-4.02
600	600	1	182.00	$182.00	$1,092	—
700–725	715	3	154.00–163.00	$157.02	$1,123	-4.98
815	815	1	140.00	$140.00	$1,141	-22.65
845	845	1	135.00	$135.00	$1,141	-27.65
980	980	1	123.00	$123.00	$1,205	—
1055	1055	1	118.00	$118.00	$1,245	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
255–265	258	3	170.00–180.00	$175.00	$452	—
410–445	428	2	170.00–175.00	$172.60	$739	-4.90
450–495	473	2	172.50–190.00	$180.83	$855	—
520–535	526	5	172.50–180.00	$176.95	$931	-10.05
550	550	1	162.50	$162.50	$894	—
655–685	663	4	142.50–160.00	$155.42	$1,030	—
760	760	1	142.00	$142.00	$1,079	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
475	475	1	190.00	$190.00	$902	—
560–595	578	2	174.00–181.00	$177.39	$1,025	—
735	735	1	164.00	$164.00	$1,205	+7.00
760	760	1	160.00	$160.00	$1,216	—
870	870	1	119.00	$119.00	$1,035	—
910	910	1	138.00	$138.00	$1,256	—

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
400	400	1	150.00	$150.00	$600	—
485	485	1	120.00	$120.00	$582	-2.50
520	520	1	147.50	$147.50	$767	+27.50

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
785–1100	909	85-90%	4	59.00–68.00	$61.99	$563	—
910–1160	1000	85-90%	8	77.50–83.00	$80.65	$806	+1.22
735–1315	1004	85-90%	7	72.00–77.00	$74.43	$747	-5.00
970–1135	1068	85-90%	4	86.00–92.00	$89.66	$958	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1155–1500	1349	75-80%	4	85.50–89.50	$87.88	$1,186	+0.58
1245–1680	1424	75-80%	18	93.00–108.00	$98.54	$1,403	+0.88

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1090–1150	1120	80-85%	2	81.50–83.50	$82.47	$924	—
1030–1235	1141	80-85%	5	85.50–90.00	$87.87	$1,003	—
1160–1440	1267	80-85%	13	92.00–105.00	$96.70	$1,225	—

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1095–1360	1228	2	82.00–93.00	$86.91	$1,067	—
1200–2560	1597	9	98.00–118.00	$108.40	$1,731	—
1720–2195	1921	5	120.00–132.50	$126.76	$2,435	—

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
940–1085	1028	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	3	91.00–96.00	$92.87	$955

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
925	925	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	950.00	$950.00
975–1067	1021	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	1,085.00–1,235.00	$1,156.62
1295	1295	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	1,150.00	$1,150.00

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
970	970	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	700.00	$700.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1040	1040	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	1,150.00	$1,150.00	—

↑ 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.