Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 1, 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 $204.17/cwt +3.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,065/hd at 522 lb · 31 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $241.41/cwt +5.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,503/hd at 623 lb · 17 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $277.52/cwt +33.86 vs last sale · ≈ $1,576/hd at 568 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 421 629 1,232
Feeder cattle 293 521 1,065
Slaughter cattle 114 88 128
Replacement cattle 14 20 39

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold steady except 400-600 lbs weaned packages sold sharply higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher 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
455 value added 455 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,217 —
460–473 469 7 245.00–251.00 $249.32 $1,169 -0.68
510–517 value added 515 3 273.00–285.00 $281.04 $1,447 +21.04
561–590 value added 568 16 266.00–284.00 $277.52 $1,576 +28.52
619 value added 619 10 251.00 $251.00 $1,554 +8.76
627–630 628 7 223.00–230.00 $227.71 $1,430 -0.23
652–688 678 14 215.00–223.00 $217.20 $1,473 -11.57
712–715 713 3 191.00–200.00 $196.99 $1,405 —
770 770 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,525 -4.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630–632 631 3 218.00–224.00 $222.00 $1,401 —
655 655 4 221.00 $221.00 $1,448 —
725–745 735 2 183.00–191.00 $186.95 $1,374 —
945 945 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,616 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 225.00 $225.00 $956 +22.67
515 515 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,179 -1.71
560–590 575 2 226.00–233.00 $229.41 $1,319 -0.59
600–620 607 3 213.00–221.00 $218.27 $1,325 -1.73
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 160.00 $160.00 $560 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 202.50 $202.50 $618 +1.99
327 value added 327 2 220.00 $220.00 $719 —
412–415 414 4 207.50–210.00 $208.75 $864 +2.61
420–445 value added 433 2 211.00–212.00 $211.51 $916 -21.91
460–490 480 9 204.00–210.00 $207.09 $994 +3.05
480–481 value added 481 4 211.00–214.00 $211.75 $1,019 -9.26
501–530 value added 516 11 205.00–224.00 $213.80 $1,103 +4.89
505–537 525 20 193.00–203.00 $198.88 $1,044 +1.58
560–575 value added 570 4 203.00–205.00 $204.00 $1,163 -2.42
560–575 571 10 194.00–203.00 $198.90 $1,136 +1.67
615–620 617 3 201.00–208.00 $205.65 $1,269 +12.10
600–645 631 7 180.00–200.00 $194.93 $1,230 +1.38
655 655 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,212 +0.67
730 730 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,248 —
915 915 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,272 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 182.50 $182.50 $757 +9.20
535–537 536 3 189.00–190.00 $189.67 $1,017 +6.00
565–585 575 2 187.50–190.00 $188.73 $1,085 —
656–690 665 5 167.50–176.00 $173.23 $1,152 —
742 742 2 138.00 $138.00 $1,024 -4.89
765 765 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,079 -1.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 3 183.00 $183.00 $1,071 —
730 730 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,102 —
860 860 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,178 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 152.50 $152.50 $511 -7.50
370–395 383 2 142.50–162.50 $152.83 $585 +15.33
840 840 1 100.00 $100.00 $840 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 245.00 $245.00 $821 +25.00
377–395 383 3 232.50–247.50 $237.66 $910 +17.51
410–445 423 7 230.00–249.00 $235.94 $998 +9.05
456–475 465 6 237.50–240.00 $239.57 $1,114 +4.57
545 545 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,259 +20.97
555–580 565 5 230.00–233.00 $231.02 $1,305 +4.58
605–641 623 7 190.00–211.00 $198.12 $1,234 +1.69
665 665 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,377 +15.52
1115 1115 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,160 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 2 202.50 $202.50 $693 +30.00
350–385 368 3 210.00–227.50 $221.09 $814 +6.75
403 403 3 217.50 $217.50 $877 +15.45
450–495 478 10 198.00–232.50 $213.62 $1,021 +25.95
525 525 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,181 +43.00
565–595 582 3 180.00–215.00 $203.00 $1,181 +21.51
620–635 627 5 169.00–185.00 $177.86 $1,115 +26.86
665–690 678 2 180.00–182.00 $181.02 $1,227 —
745 745 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,207 +12.00
900 900 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,116 +31.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575–595 589 4 200.00–214.00 $203.75 $1,200 —
726 726 3 162.00 $162.00 $1,176 -3.04
810 810 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,288 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 157.50 $157.50 $606 —
455 455 1 145.00 $145.00 $660 +5.21
570 570 1 140.00 $140.00 $798 -13.97
600 600 2 152.00 $152.00 $912 —
650 650 1 138.00 $138.00 $897 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755–1240 998 85-90% 2 90.00–95.50 $93.42 $932 +24.42
890–1315 1042 85-90% 12 73.00–79.00 $76.65 $799 —
1070 1070 85-90% 1 66.00 $66.00 $706 —
950–1350 1097 85-90% 24 80.00–89.00 $84.13 $923 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1450 1332 75-80% 9 85.00–92.00 $88.56 $1,180 —
1220–1605 1379 75-80% 12 92.50–98.00 $95.11 $1,312 —
1340–1750 1531 75-80% 13 98.50–110.50 $103.12 $1,579 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1440 1201 80-85% 5 84.00–92.50 $89.19 $1,071 +0.12
1120–1440 1243 80-85% 9 92.50–96.00 $94.44 $1,174 -1.53
1255–1430 1322 80-85% 6 98.50–107.00 $103.66 $1,370 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1765 1468 5 110.00–123.00 $116.67 $1,713 —
1585 1585 1 109.50 $109.50 $1,736 —
1695–2035 1837 3 124.00–135.00 $128.12 $2,354 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
865–1060 963 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 92.00–104.00 $98.61 $950

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1255 1255 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00
1270–1375 1323 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,350.00–1,375.00 $1,362.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
855–1030 943 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 935.00–1,025.00 $975.82

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1342 1342 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,050.00 $2,050.00 —
1670 1670 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,610.00 $1,610.00 —

↑ 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.