Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 13, 2023

1,033 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $225.75/cwt +1.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,847/hd at 818 lb · 125 head

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $227.21/cwt -16.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,420/hd at 625 lb · 81 head

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $231.50/cwt ≈ $1,764/hd at 762 lb · 72 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,033	1,281	836
Feeder cattle	884	1,176	687
Slaughter cattle	120	89	96
Replacement cattle	29	16	53

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality offerings with very good demand for weaned packages. Fleshy new crop bawling calves facing discounts. Yearlings sold firm in a light test. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 4.00 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
275	275	1	262.50	$262.50	$722	—
365–391	382	6	256.00–258.00	$257.68	$984	+19.68
390–395 value added	393	4	270.00–285.00	$277.55	$1,091	+8.55
425–430 value added	428	2	256.00–270.00	$262.96	$1,125	+4.96
455–490	471	17	242.00–260.00	$249.35	$1,174	-4.90
451–497 value added	472	22	261.00–274.00	$267.39	$1,262	-6.72
510–540	521	10	246.00–256.00	$252.77	$1,317	-5.42
538 value added	538	6	285.00	$285.00	$1,533	+23.68
555–592	580	3	244.00–250.00	$245.91	$1,426	-1.61
566–598 value added	586	35	266.00–279.00	$274.83	$1,611	-7.67
615	615	1	240.00	$240.00	$1,476	+13.07
600–645 value added	626	26	244.00–266.00	$250.48	$1,568	-2.36
670–675	673	5	226.00–242.00	$230.19	$1,549	—
715–747 value added	736	3	241.00–250.00	$247.09	$1,819	—
780 value added	780	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,950	—
820 fancy	820	2	246.00	$246.00	$2,017	—
885	885	1	238.00	$238.00	$2,106	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
242	242	2	226.00	$226.00	$547	—
405–428	419	7	235.00–247.50	$240.24	$1,007	-1.63
455–495	475	3	200.00–240.00	$223.11	$1,060	-6.91
500–525	510	8	225.00–242.00	$238.28	$1,215	-2.06
565–582	576	3	199.00–241.00	$227.28	$1,309	+7.28
640	640	3	220.00	$220.00	$1,408	+1.55
700–735	718	2	198.00–220.00	$208.73	$1,499	+19.27
885	885	3	186.00	$186.00	$1,646	+13.00

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
485	485	1	205.00	$205.00	$994	—
990	990	1	181.00	$181.00	$1,792	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
317–330	321	3	222.00–234.00	$226.11	$726	+6.40
350–381	375	5	214.00–220.00	$217.86	$817	-6.12
400–445	417	10	221.00–227.00	$224.04	$934	-3.32
408–445 value added	426	13	228.00–240.00	$233.39	$994	-7.96
450–493 value added	467	27	228.00–238.00	$231.58	$1,081	-5.07
459–487	471	16	220.00–227.00	$223.57	$1,053	-2.42
504–530 value added	514	23	228.00–238.00	$233.80	$1,202	-22.71
510–522	515	11	222.00–226.00	$223.73	$1,152	-2.96
553–572 value added	564	15	228.00–234.00	$230.89	$1,302	—
553–590	570	23	220.00–227.00	$222.88	$1,270	-2.79
600–631	609	16	206.00–222.00	$216.63	$1,319	+14.26
600–643 value added	629	65	227.00–233.50	$229.81	$1,446	-18.44
655	655	1	220.00	$220.00	$1,441	—
762 value added	762	72	231.50	$231.50	$1,764	—
818 value added	818	125	225.75	$225.75	$1,847	+1.75
851	851	3	171.00	$171.00	$1,455	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
260–295	274	4	180.00–207.00	$196.68	$539	-3.19
315	315	1	187.50	$187.50	$591	+0.22
355	355	1	182.50	$182.50	$648	-20.60
400–440	417	17	197.50–220.00	$207.18	$864	-3.12
460	460	1	215.00	$215.00	$989	+8.39
505–547	527	4	200.00–216.00	$207.46	$1,093	+0.46
585	585	1	219.00	$219.00	$1,281	+15.03
625–648	638	7	171.00–191.00	$185.26	$1,182	+1.56
662	662	2	170.00	$170.00	$1,125	-7.73
705–740	725	4	152.00–175.00	$169.41	$1,228	—
780	780	3	175.00	$175.00	$1,365	+7.01
995	995	1	159.00	$159.00	$1,582	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
501–540	509	5	215.00–220.00	$218.94	$1,114	-2.06
665	665	1	175.00	$175.00	$1,164	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1225	1225	1	159.00	$159.00	$1,948	—

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
440	440	1	150.00	$150.00	$660	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
295	295	1	254.00	$254.00	$749	—
300–320	307	3	241.00–244.00	$242.96	$746	—
352–395	374	8	230.00–260.00	$243.61	$911	-2.11
410–442 value added	430	5	256.00–260.00	$258.45	$1,111	—
425–442	434	4	237.50–250.00	$244.98	$1,063	-1.97
465–485	480	4	239.00–247.00	$240.94	$1,157	+5.55
500–529	518	23	227.00–243.00	$232.58	$1,205	-2.14
574–590	578	9	230.00–236.50	$234.75	$1,357	-7.42
610–625	618	7	202.00–218.00	$207.29	$1,281	+11.29
650–655	653	2	208.00–210.00	$209.00	$1,365	+10.00
705–735	720	4	200.00–208.00	$205.00	$1,476	—
752–760	755	3	203.00–208.00	$204.68	$1,545	—
925	925	1	173.00	$173.00	$1,600	+23.00

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
340	340	1	220.00	$220.00	$748	+0.90
380–385	383	2	200.00–240.00	$219.87	$842	-4.44
415–435	425	2	200.00–220.00	$210.24	$894	+3.85
450–490	475	4	210.00–230.00	$221.07	$1,050	+2.33
502–540	514	8	210.00–225.00	$215.10	$1,106	+2.22
555–585	571	7	191.00–221.00	$216.33	$1,235	-0.18
605–630	618	2	191.00–203.00	$196.88	$1,217	-9.12
755	755	1	170.00	$170.00	$1,284	-1.00

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
500–515	505	3	220.00–238.00	$226.12	$1,142	+26.12
570	570	1	229.00	$229.00	$1,305	—
777	777	2	205.00	$205.00	$1,593	—

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
585	585	1	185.00	$185.00	$1,082	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
750–985	877	85-90%	7	73.00–79.00	$76.17	$668	—
805–1200	965	85-90%	8	82.00–89.00	$84.33	$814	—
905–1190	1073	85-90%	11	91.00–106.00	$99.11	$1,063	-9.55
980–1245	1109	85-90%	6	107.00–111.00	$108.65	$1,205	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
955–1190	1070	80-85%	3	98.00–103.00	$100.75	$1,078	-7.79
1060–1525	1214	80-85%	17	105.00–114.00	$109.62	$1,331	-10.65
1190–1515	1331	80-85%	9	114.00–131.00	$121.40	$1,616	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1170	1170	75-80%	1	96.00	$96.00	$1,123	—
1150–1950	1379	75-80%	18	103.00–113.50	$109.51	$1,510	—
1405–1725	1551	75-80%	7	114.50–130.00	$121.01	$1,877	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1435	1435	1	115.00	$115.00	$1,650	+19.00
1160–2005	1560	12	117.00–132.00	$127.76	$1,993	—
1475–2065	1783	14	133.00–153.50	$141.27	$2,519	—

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1175–1200	1188	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	1,200.00–1,310.00	$1,255.58
1095–1730	1413	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	1,400.00–1,810.00	$1,651.08

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
855–955	892	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	3	700.00–1,000.00	$826.50

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
895	895	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,200.00	$1,200.00

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1175	1175	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,060.00	$1,060.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1330–1530	1430	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	2	1,400.00–2,000.00	$1,720.98	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1065	1065	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	1,125.00	$1,125.00	—

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
445	445	4	156.00	$156.00	$694	—
505	505	3	158.00	$158.00	$798	—
551	551	5	143.00	$143.00	$788	—

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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.