Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 9, 2023

521 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $249.37/cwt +8.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,458/hd at 585 lb · 42 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $225.32/cwt +0.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,186/hd at 526 lb · 31 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $230.58/cwt +8.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,330/hd at 577 lb · 18 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 521 454 690
Feeder cattle 424 358 587
Slaughter cattle 87 87 75
Replacement cattle 10 9 28

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold 3.00 to 7.00 higher on good quality weaned packages; fleshy bawling calves facing discounts. Feeder heifers sold steady with good demand. Slaughter cows 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
315 value added 315 1 279.00 $279.00 $879 —
350 value added 350 1 264.00 $264.00 $924 —
380 380 1 240.00 $240.00 $912 —
415–442 433 3 240.00–242.00 $241.36 $1,045 —
420–445 value added 440 5 250.00–260.00 $258.09 $1,136 -3.66
465–476 value added 471 8 251.00–264.00 $257.58 $1,213 +0.08
470–480 475 2 245.00–248.00 $246.52 $1,171 +3.52
502–522 value added 516 17 251.00–257.00 $255.07 $1,316 +11.47
525 525 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,292 +12.00
572–591 value added 578 23 256.00–256.50 $256.28 $1,481 +11.30
565–596 593 19 241.00 $241.00 $1,429 +5.00
610 value added 610 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,403 -22.84
650–676 value added 670 9 226.00–248.00 $238.92 $1,601 +2.64
715–743 value added 738 11 226.00–242.00 $235.10 $1,735 —
1060 1060 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,717 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,058 —
511 511 3 234.00 $234.00 $1,196 —
558 558 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,356 +15.00
795 795 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,781 —
975 975 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,580 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 222.50 $222.50 $946 —
455 455 3 196.00–202.50 $200.33 $912 —
545 545 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,226 -3.00
570 570 1 232.00 $232.00 $1,322 +12.14

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 fancy 315 1 240.00 $240.00 $756 —
310–345 value added 328 5 224.00–228.00 $226.40 $743 -6.10
375–380 fancy 377 3 222.50–231.00 $225.36 $850 —
375–385 378 3 202.50–210.00 $206.13 $779 -3.87
377–387 value added 384 6 239.00–247.00 $241.62 $928 +4.13
405–445 value added 421 11 223.00–237.50 $231.33 $974 -2.03
457–497 value added 468 15 220.00–235.00 $231.39 $1,083 +0.92
501–539 value added 525 27 222.00–245.00 $227.50 $1,194 +0.60
505–543 534 4 210.00–212.50 $210.59 $1,125 -2.89
570 570 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,203 -7.00
550–586 value added 577 17 224.00–244.00 $231.73 $1,337 +5.20
600–620 value added 607 14 230.00–238.00 $231.42 $1,405 —
607–635 616 3 211.00–214.00 $212.97 $1,312 +8.77
652–665 value added 658 7 221.00–240.00 $231.77 $1,525 —
665–675 670 2 202.00–215.00 $208.55 $1,397 +23.55
705 705 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,354 —
728–733 value added 731 6 214.00–217.00 $215.49 $1,575 —
750–780 765 2 189.00–197.00 $193.08 $1,477 —
780 780 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,529 —
935 935 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,412 —
1215 1215 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,737 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 202.50 $202.50 $699 —
410 410 1 210.00 $210.00 $861 +10.00
535–540 538 2 194.00–210.00 $201.96 $1,087 +7.39
585 585 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,228 +10.94
610 610 2 160.00 $160.00 $976 —
670 670 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,052 —
740 740 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,354 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 2 187.50 $187.50 $759 +25.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 202.50 $202.50 $962 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 236.00 $236.00 $673 —
340 value added 340 1 262.50 $262.50 $892 —
340 340 1 257.50 $257.50 $876 +16.32
355–365 value added 362 3 260.00–267.00 $263.20 $953 +5.20
360–390 374 4 230.00–253.00 $242.98 $909 -0.30
405–427 420 3 230.00–232.50 $231.70 $973 +1.70
415–437 value added 428 6 231.00–246.00 $237.91 $1,018 -23.94
457 fancy 457 4 259.00 $259.00 $1,184 —
482 value added 482 2 258.00 $258.00 $1,244 +10.00
490 490 1 232.00 $232.00 $1,137 +1.85
515–535 value added 523 4 238.00–244.00 $239.98 $1,255 +8.83
500–542 524 5 231.00–238.00 $233.19 $1,222 +9.89
585 585 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,264 —
592 value added 592 2 232.00 $232.00 $1,373 -7.00
613 value added 613 7 223.50 $223.50 $1,370 —
642–648 646 7 200.00–203.00 $200.85 $1,297 +21.85
650–677 666 9 193.00–206.00 $196.87 $1,311 +8.87
905 905 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,557 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 230.00 $230.00 $610 +30.00
380–395 390 3 175.00–229.00 $197.45 $770 —
422–435 425 5 190.00–223.00 $216.24 $919 +11.24
450–480 470 3 200.00–210.00 $206.81 $972 +8.78
507–540 521 10 180.00–224.00 $208.85 $1,088 +11.09
580–595 588 2 170.00–207.50 $188.51 $1,108 -21.49
640 640 1 192.50 $192.50 $1,232 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,066 —
535–545 540 2 216.00–223.00 $219.53 $1,185 —
557 557 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,225 —
600 600 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,245 —
715 715 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,380 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1020 1013 85-90% 2 89.00–91.00 $89.99 $912 +7.86
910–1175 1033 85-90% 10 102.00–110.50 $106.01 $1,095 +5.86
835–1220 1067 85-90% 13 91.00–102.00 $96.84 $1,033 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1630 1326 75-80% 8 104.00–113.00 $109.82 $1,456 +0.42
1220–2105 1456 75-80% 16 115.00–133.50 $122.06 $1,777 +4.33
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1395 1196 80-85% 9 103.00–113.50 $109.94 $1,315 —
950–1630 1257 80-85% 12 114.00–127.50 $120.75 $1,518 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1905 1537 8 113.00–126.00 $121.07 $1,861 —
1410–2305 1796 11 127.00–141.00 $133.91 $2,405 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1160–1310 1235 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,325.00–1,500.00 $1,417.81
1175–1380 1278 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,475.00–1,675.00 $1,583.02

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690 690 1 88.00 $88.00 $607 —

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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.