Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 24, 2023

515 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $228.60/cwt +11.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,351/hd at 591 lb · 98 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $197.25/cwt ≈ $1,499/hd at 760 lb · 71 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $207.92/cwt +6.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,092/hd at 525 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 515 664 400
Feeder cattle 412 611 297
Slaughter cattle 84 49 82
Replacement cattle 19 4 21

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold steady with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold mostly 3.00 to 8.00 higher some sharply higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 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
310 310 1 212.50 $212.50 $659 —
340 value added 340 2 225.00–261.00 $243.00 $826 +11.07
380 380 1 222.50 $222.50 $846 —
385 value added 385 1 220.00 $220.00 $847 -16.08
400–445 value added 426 9 225.00–247.50 $239.24 $1,019 +5.44
460–495 value added 482 12 227.00–242.00 $234.91 $1,132 +2.15
555–595 value added 576 9 220.00–243.00 $231.76 $1,335 -4.59
615 615 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,187 -2.00
605–627 value added 617 4 211.00–240.00 $222.74 $1,374 -2.31
653 value added 653 8 235.00 $235.00 $1,535 —
700 700 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,393 —
702 thin fleshed 702 10 212.50 $212.50 $1,492 —
775 775 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,511 +1.00
810 810 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,571 +4.00
940 940 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,795 +4.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 200.00 $200.00 $500 —
452–495 466 3 172.50–180.00 $175.15 $816 -3.85
553 553 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,106 —
755 755 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,246 —
815 815 1 162.50 $162.50 $1,324 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 value added 490 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,098 —
575 575 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,121 —
620 value added 620 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,327 —
622 622 2 192.00 $192.00 $1,194 —
700 700 2 192.00 $192.00 $1,344 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 200.00 $200.00 $590 —
320–325 323 2 200.00–202.50 $201.26 $650 +4.26
340–341 value added 341 4 220.00–221.00 $220.75 $753 —
350–392 376 5 197.00–205.00 $200.35 $753 —
365–395 value added 390 7 211.00–216.00 $212.44 $829 -8.65
405 405 2 192.00 $192.00 $778 +5.00
400–449 value added 435 8 207.50–215.00 $213.38 $928 +0.92
453–485 458 7 199.00–210.00 $200.67 $919 +12.30
450–487 value added 471 7 210.00–218.00 $213.95 $1,008 +3.33
506–545 value added 525 14 200.00–224.00 $211.77 $1,112 +5.70
500–545 527 3 185.00–192.50 $189.95 $1,001 +8.61
550–593 580 10 191.00–197.00 $192.42 $1,116 +2.42
560–594 value added 592 88 200.00–234.85 $232.71 $1,378 +15.08
620–645 value added 633 3 186.00–202.00 $192.22 $1,217 -13.08
682 682 2 172.00 $172.00 $1,173 —
695 value added 695 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,286 -24.56
730 730 2 172.00 $172.00 $1,256 —
741–745 value added 742 6 185.00–185.50 $185.42 $1,376 -3.58
760 value added 760 71 197.25 $197.25 $1,499 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 170.00 $170.00 $340 —
255 255 1 167.50 $167.50 $427 +2.50
345 345 1 170.00 $170.00 $586 -7.50
840 840 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,067 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 172.50 $172.50 $699 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–335 value added 325 2 241.00–242.50 $241.77 $786 +16.84
385–395 value added 390 2 240.00–245.00 $242.53 $946 +7.03
400–416 value added 413 7 232.00–236.00 $235.43 $972 +0.68
452–490 value added 463 7 221.00–237.00 $229.68 $1,063 +0.15
495 495 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,040 ±0.00
505–520 value added 512 7 218.00–225.00 $222.87 $1,141 -0.30
550–570 value added 563 6 220.00–226.00 $221.51 $1,247 +4.74
575 575 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,202 —
605–645 value added 625 2 195.00–201.00 $198.10 $1,238 -9.22
655–690 value added 677 6 192.00–201.00 $195.26 $1,322 -3.74
675–690 683 2 181.00–191.00 $186.05 $1,271 —
715–730 723 2 175.00–187.00 $181.06 $1,309 —
1005 1005 2 137.00 $137.00 $1,377 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–480 468 2 177.50–178.00 $177.76 $832 +8.78
520 520 1 173.00 $173.00 $900 -2.00
925 925 1 122.50 $122.50 $1,133 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–330 320 2 125.00–162.50 $143.16 $458 —
365 365 1 157.50 $157.50 $575 +5.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 2 173.00 $173.00 $1,332 +4.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1620 1286 80-85% 25 103.50–129.50 $115.59 $1,486 —
1340 1340 80-85% 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,300 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815 815 85-90% 1 75.00 $75.00 $611 —
800–965 874 85-90% 7 79.00–85.50 $81.96 $716 —
810–1085 974 85-90% 6 86.00–94.00 $90.81 $884 —
935–1275 1126 85-90% 10 96.00–109.00 $102.31 $1,152 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1955 1476 75-80% 20 103.00–127.00 $115.20 $1,700 +7.10

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1605 1414 6 116.00–124.00 $120.84 $1,709 —
1455–1980 1807 7 128.00–146.50 $136.08 $2,459 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
975 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,112

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900–1085 993 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,025.00–1,100.00 $1,065.99
1185 1185 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,160.00 $1,160.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1015 1015 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805 805 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 910.00 $910.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
645–685 665 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 975.00–985.00 $980.15 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720 720 1 134.00 $134.00 $965 —

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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.