Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 20, 2023

103 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 103 790 206
Feeder cattle 62 635 85
Slaughter cattle 21 109 53
Replacement cattle 20 46 68

Market comments — USDA reporter

Market lightly tested due to approaching Holiday; however good quality weaned calves continue to be well received with good demand on an active market with good buyer participation for all classes.

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
503–508 506 6 233.00–240.00 $236.48 $1,197 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,230 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–395 value added 372 3 215.00–217.50 $215.89 $803 —
385 385 2 190.00–202.50 $196.25 $756 —
540 value added 540 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,080 -7.52
565 value added 565 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,232 +12.50
630 630 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,260 +28.45
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 192.50 $192.50 $452 —
310–330 320 2 152.50–187.50 $170.55 $546 -7.51
405 405 2 182.50 $182.50 $739 +25.65
480 480 1 182.00 $182.00 $874 +9.29
560–580 570 2 162.00–182.00 $171.82 $979 -2.58
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
660 660 1 135.00 $135.00 $891 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 240.00 $240.00 $984 +10.00
495 495 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,138 +17.50
565 565 2 231.00 $231.00 $1,305 +18.01
625 625 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,188 +11.38
695 695 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,105 -19.93
715–741 735 4 167.00–169.00 $167.49 $1,231 -0.51
820 820 2 155.00 $155.00 $1,271 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605–640 623 2 168.00–170.00 $168.97 $1,053 +6.47
995 995 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,094 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685 685 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,370 —
735 735 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,360 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 1 170.00 $170.00 $867 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1405 1253 80-85% 2 98.00–102.50 $100.52 $1,260 —
1175–1460 1328 80-85% 8 85.00–93.00 $88.57 $1,176 -2.04
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050 1050 75-80% 1 90.00 $90.00 $945 —
1420–1855 1569 75-80% 5 93.00–103.50 $97.47 $1,529 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–1275 1080 85-90% 3 82.00–84.50 $83.69 $904 +5.11

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1480 1480 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,820 —
1665–1685 1675 2 126.00–131.00 $128.49 $2,152 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1195–1390 1322 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 1,125.00–1,325.00 $1,259.25
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950–1090 1020 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 960.00–1,075.00 $1,021.45
1045 1045 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1560 1560 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,750.00 $1,750.00 +200.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1015 1015 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00 —

↑ 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.