Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 8, 2023

961 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $207.34/cwt -1.19 vs last sale · ≈ $972/hd at 469 lb · 56 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $205.71/cwt +1.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,076/hd at 523 lb · 51 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $205.35/cwt +4.99 vs last sale · ≈ $1,170/hd at 570 lb · 39 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 961 421 936
Feeder cattle 773 293 788
Slaughter cattle 141 114 117
Replacement cattle 47 14 31

Compared to last Wednesday steer and heifer calves sold unevenly steady with good demand for weaned and attractive quality packages; light demand for fleshy, off-color and bawling calves facing discounts. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 lower with good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 4 257.50 $257.50 $878
370–395 384 4 247.50–255.00 $250.68 $963
400–435 422 18 242.00–247.50 $245.70 $1,037
450–495 459 12 241.00–250.00 $244.09 $1,120 -5.23
470 value added 470 2 257.50 $257.50 $1,210 -10.00
500–548 522 15 241.00–248.00 $245.12 $1,280
560–591 579 13 237.50–247.50 $242.33 $1,403
715 715 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,566 +22.01
820 820 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,681
905 905 1 198.00 $198.00 $1,792
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 212.50 $212.50 $839
420 420 1 232.50 $232.50 $976 +7.50
455–482 470 4 210.00–231.00 $224.41 $1,055
515–542 533 3 220.00–227.00 $222.25 $1,185 -6.75
580–595 590 4 224.00–234.00 $230.54 $1,360 +1.13
660–670 664 4 202.00–218.00 $209.47 $1,391
710–735 723 2 180.00–181.00 $180.49 $1,305
750–785 768 2 182.00–183.00 $182.49 $1,402
801–815 806 5 177.00–186.00 $184.18 $1,484
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
552 552 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,270
615 615 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,230 -22.00
668 668 3 195.00 $195.00 $1,303 -26.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 201.00 $201.00 $593
300–345 323 4 202.50–217.00 $208.76 $674 +6.26
347 value added 347 5 245.00 $245.00 $850 +25.00
360–395 381 13 195.00–215.00 $202.91 $773
415–447 433 20 201.00–214.00 $205.71 $891 -3.04
459–485 value added 461 17 215.00–219.00 $218.75 $1,008 +7.00
450–495 472 39 190.00–207.50 $202.36 $955 -4.73
500–535 511 26 186.00–205.00 $198.01 $1,012 -0.87
505–547 value added 536 25 206.00–216.00 $213.72 $1,146 -0.08
553–585 569 18 190.00–205.00 $198.27 $1,128 -0.63
550–588 value added 570 21 206.00–214.00 $211.42 $1,205 +7.42
600–648 614 17 199.00–206.00 $201.46 $1,237 -4.19
605–648 632 12 181.00–197.00 $191.54 $1,211 -3.39
668–680 671 7 171.00–191.00 $184.38 $1,237 -0.62
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 2 162.50 $162.50 $447
300–335 314 4 170.00–191.00 $178.31 $560
360–370 367 3 172.50–180.00 $177.48 $651
402–445 423 11 170.00–191.00 $186.34 $788 +3.84
450–495 469 16 170.00–198.00 $182.83 $857
500–518 514 5 166.00–185.00 $178.76 $919 -10.91
567–595 579 6 168.00–187.00 $181.11 $1,049 -7.62
600–640 617 8 141.00–181.00 $162.41 $1,002
650–695 671 10 141.00–165.00 $153.33 $1,029 -19.90
705–732 728 7 132.00–156.00 $150.53 $1,096 +12.53
750–760 755 3 139.00–145.00 $142.01 $1,072 +1.01
830 830 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,004
852 852 2 125.00 $125.00 $1,065
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–360 358 2 162.50–165.00 $163.74 $586 +10.91
405–440 423 3 150.00–175.00 $164.67 $697
500–547 531 3 160.00–165.00 $161.57 $858
565 565 2 150.00 $150.00 $848
695 695 1 130.00 $130.00 $904
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 2 192.50 $192.50 $732
495 495 1 200.00 $200.00 $990
566–585 571 4 192.00–200.00 $197.95 $1,130 +14.95

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 3 230.00–251.00 $244.00 $842 -1.00
350–385 370 6 240.00–257.00 $248.68 $920 +11.02
400–447 429 24 221.00–242.50 $234.35 $1,005 -1.59
463–490 472 12 221.00–243.00 $232.64 $1,098 -6.93
502–541 521 15 220.00–230.00 $224.11 $1,168 -6.89
560 value added 560 2 248.00 $248.00 $1,389
550–575 563 2 222.50–230.00 $226.17 $1,273 -4.85
600–640 615 3 190.00–191.00 $190.35 $1,171 -7.77
627–635 value added 632 6 210.00–212.50 $211.67 $1,338
655–676 669 16 185.00–193.00 $187.00 $1,251 -20.00
710–735 719 9 167.00–173.00 $168.81 $1,214
775–780 778 2 165.00–183.00 $174.03 $1,354
800–825 810 5 156.00–157.00 $156.60 $1,268
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–290 282 3 186.00–210.00 $199.04 $561
305–345 333 5 201.00–228.00 $212.22 $707 +9.72
350–395 375 4 220.00–235.00 $224.23 $841 +3.14
440 440 1 220.00 $220.00 $968
450–495 480 26 170.00–225.00 $205.67 $987 -7.95
500–546 531 19 171.00–212.50 $194.60 $1,033 -30.40
550–595 570 28 170.00–210.00 $193.77 $1,104 -9.23
600–622 615 3 166.00–181.00 $176.12 $1,083 -1.74
660–690 675 5 160.00–181.00 $167.21 $1,129 -13.81
700–745 723 2 159.00–162.00 $160.45 $1,160 -1.55
762 762 2 162.00 $162.00 $1,234
800 800 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,120
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–345 333 3 182.50–200.00 $192.76 $642
355–380 363 3 190.00–197.50 $194.89 $707 +37.39
450–495 473 2 165.00–170.00 $167.38 $792 +22.38
501 501 3 163.00 $163.00 $817
550–575 567 5 157.00–170.00 $165.45 $938 +25.45
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 2 207.50–220.00 $213.75 $1,026
590 590 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,092 -18.75
615 615 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,039
720 720 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,159 -1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1160 1160 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,210.00 $1,210.00

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1625 1326 75-80% 18 92.00–98.00 $95.04 $1,260 +6.48
1215–1700 1405 75-80% 10 84.00–92.00 $87.46 $1,229
1285–1885 1511 75-80% 21 98.50–112.00 $104.15 $1,574 +1.03
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–1345 984 85-90% 4 67.00–73.00 $70.03 $689 -23.39
890–1240 1024 85-90% 12 74.00–81.00 $77.21 $791 +0.56
945–1265 1074 85-90% 4 90.00–94.50 $92.81 $997 +26.81
865–1345 1100 85-90% 20 82.00–90.00 $85.35 $939
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1555 1240 80-85% 13 92.00–99.00 $95.31 $1,182 +0.87
1045–1560 1263 80-85% 11 86.00–92.00 $89.51 $1,131
1040–1475 1318 80-85% 6 100.50–109.50 $105.43 $1,390 +1.77

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1430 1328 7 94.00–109.00 $103.01 $1,368
1605–1865 1763 3 123.00–127.00 $124.56 $2,196
1495–2175 1841 7 110.00–123.00 $116.01 $2,136 -12.11

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
945–1160 1076 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,025.00–1,210.00 $1,136.38
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1025–1040 1032 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 800.00–1,000.00 $908.24
1100 1100 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 925.00 $925.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
810 810 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00

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Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1125–1465 1241 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 1,125.00–1,285.00 $1,208.95
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1390–1665 1510 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,410.00–1,660.00 $1,506.49

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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.