Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 2, 2023

454 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $203.20/cwt ≈ $1,912/hd at 941 lb · 41 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $251.50/cwt +27.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,793/hd at 713 lb · 33 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $227.21/cwt -5.96 vs last sale · ≈ $1,078/hd at 475 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 454 433 528
Feeder cattle 358 363 460
Slaughter cattle 87 45 68
Replacement cattle 9 25 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality with more plain through average quality calves on offer. Good quality weaned calf packages and yearlings remain in very good demand. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher with very 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 $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427 value added 427 4 256.00–267.50 $261.75 $1,118 +4.25
450 value added 450 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,159 —
476 476 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,157 +13.00
503–525 value added 510 5 242.00–244.00 $243.60 $1,242 —
525 525 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,228 +4.00
550–575 value added 563 2 244.00–246.00 $244.98 $1,379 -19.02
567 567 2 236.00 $236.00 $1,338 —
600 600 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,326 —
605–621 value added 619 11 232.00–256.00 $252.84 $1,565 -2.04
650–685 value added 670 5 228.00–242.50 $236.28 $1,583 +15.28
713 thin fleshed 713 33 251.50 $251.50 $1,793 —
1003 1003 3 189.00 $189.00 $1,896 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,311 —
845 thin fleshed 845 22 222.80 $222.80 $1,883 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
524 524 5 228.00 $228.00 $1,195 —
552–585 564 4 206.00–233.00 $219.86 $1,240 -10.14
675 675 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,468 —
930 930 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,590 —
955 955 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,624 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 value added 330 1 232.50 $232.50 $767 —
370 370 1 210.00 $210.00 $777 +5.40
355–395 value added 378 7 231.00–245.00 $237.49 $898 +11.16
400–445 value added 430 3 227.50–236.00 $233.36 $1,003 +2.84
455–487 value added 471 17 226.00–233.00 $230.47 $1,086 -4.17
480–497 487 5 211.00–222.50 $216.13 $1,053 —
515–520 518 2 210.00–217.00 $213.48 $1,106 —
517–530 value added 523 12 221.00–231.00 $226.90 $1,187 -4.10
565–597 value added 585 7 220.00–230.00 $226.53 $1,325 —
585 585 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,275 —
587 587 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,233 —
600–625 614 4 197.00–208.00 $204.20 $1,254 —
685–695 691 5 180.00–192.00 $185.00 $1,278 -19.13
773 value added 773 8 220.00 $220.00 $1,701 —
806 806 3 145.00 $145.00 $1,169 —
941 fancy 941 41 203.20 $203.20 $1,912 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 185.00 $185.00 $684 +2.55
425 425 1 200.00 $200.00 $850 —
455–470 462 5 202.50–207.50 $205.50 $949 +23.50
500–510 505 2 187.00–202.00 $194.57 $983 —
560–570 565 2 192.00–206.00 $199.06 $1,125 +18.06
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 162.50 $162.50 $463 —
435 435 2 162.50 $162.50 $707 —
560–575 568 3 164.00–172.50 $167.80 $953 +47.80
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 203.00 $203.00 $741 —
540 540 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,094 —
575 575 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,236 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–342 332 8 230.00–257.50 $241.18 $801 -7.49
370 value added 370 1 258.00 $258.00 $955 —
350–392 377 9 233.00–253.00 $243.28 $917 +13.28
406–410 value added 407 4 252.50–265.00 $261.85 $1,066 —
445 445 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,024 +1.49
455 value added 455 1 248.00 $248.00 $1,128 —
460–482 470 7 228.00–232.00 $230.15 $1,082 -1.17
500–533 value added 520 5 230.00–233.00 $231.15 $1,202 —
515–535 523 4 220.00–228.00 $223.30 $1,168 -1.91
570 value added 570 1 239.00 $239.00 $1,362 —
615 615 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,101 -25.42
666 666 3 188.00 $188.00 $1,252 —
1035 1035 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,138 —
1095 1095 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,358 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 2 220.00 $220.00 $539 —
290 290 1 200.00 $200.00 $580 —
400 400 2 205.00 $205.00 $820 —
450–485 476 5 196.00–202.50 $198.03 $943 -9.12
505–537 526 3 192.00–210.00 $197.76 $1,040 -3.24
595 595 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,250 —
670 670 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,152 —
730 730 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,256 —
750 750 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,185 —
805 805 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,046 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 101.00 $101.00 $576 —
605 605 1 165.00 $165.00 $998 +5.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1365 1143 80-85% 11 106.00–112.00 $109.11 $1,247 —
1050–1435 1239 80-85% 19 114.00–131.50 $118.91 $1,473 —
1480 1480 80-85% 2 98.00 $98.00 $1,450 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770–1120 929 85-90% 10 86.50–95.00 $90.42 $840 —
895–1145 1005 85-90% 3 81.00–84.50 $82.13 $825 -12.67
925–1175 1034 85-90% 7 97.00–104.00 $100.15 $1,036 -2.84
975–1260 1107 85-90% 7 105.50–113.50 $110.26 $1,221 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1460 1318 75-80% 5 103.00–114.00 $109.40 $1,442 +1.40
1360–1625 1484 75-80% 6 115.50–121.00 $117.73 $1,747 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1560 1440 5 102.00–110.00 $107.63 $1,550 —
1470–1805 1670 7 127.00–137.50 $130.55 $2,180 -5.91
1570–2175 1800 5 117.00–126.50 $120.98 $2,178 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1145 1145 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1055 1055 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,135.00 $1,135.00

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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.