Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 10, 2024

834 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $203.58/cwt +14.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,388/hd at 682 lb · 102 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $230.00/cwt +7.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,582/hd at 688 lb · 62 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $209.07/cwt -22.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,213/hd at 580 lb · 52 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 834 837 1,475
Feeder cattle 746 747 1,254
Slaughter cattle 38 63 122
Replacement cattle 50 27 99

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold 5.00 higher on lightweight 400-500 lbs; over 600 lbs sold 3.00 to 8.00 lower with light demand. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 lower on calves limited comparison on yearlings. Winter weather causing some logistical issues on heavy cattle heading west reducing demand. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower with moderate demand. 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
395 395 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,146 —
405 fancy 405 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,215 —
410 410 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,025 —
407–435 value added 420 7 265.00–300.00 $283.83 $1,192 +6.60
455–475 value added 462 12 252.50–270.00 $262.22 $1,211 +9.27
523–541 value added 532 20 248.00–252.00 $250.81 $1,334 -3.65
539 539 19 243.50 $243.50 $1,312 —
586 value added 586 9 244.00 $244.00 $1,430 -3.00
603–647 627 19 220.00–230.00 $225.42 $1,413 -8.15
615–637 value added 636 20 230.00–236.00 $230.29 $1,465 -21.47
688 value added 688 62 230.00 $230.00 $1,582 —
710–717 715 3 194.00–207.00 $202.69 $1,449 -7.47
770–796 778 28 199.00–204.50 $203.03 $1,580 +3.03
811–840 819 5 185.00–191.00 $188.01 $1,540 -5.99
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 222.00 $222.00 $1,021 -8.99
600–610 603 4 196.00–216.00 $210.94 $1,272 +15.94

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372–380 375 9 192.50–212.00 $202.76 $760 -9.12
428–440 value added 430 19 211.00–216.00 $215.30 $926 -9.13
422–435 431 8 197.00–210.00 $202.18 $871 -4.39
473–492 value added 487 31 211.00–224.50 $217.36 $1,059 -15.26
475–495 489 7 196.00–207.50 $204.53 $1,000 +1.81
507–532 value added 526 29 209.00–227.00 $217.68 $1,145 -20.67
515–545 530 3 195.00–201.00 $199.06 $1,055 -2.79
566–596 value added 580 34 205.00–218.00 $213.46 $1,238 -20.90
557–598 581 18 200.00–204.00 $200.78 $1,167 +0.93
600–605 603 2 203.00–209.00 $205.99 $1,242 +24.46
627 627 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,185 +7.47
650–695 658 15 173.00–186.00 $174.35 $1,147 -5.65
674–695 683 9 195.00–198.00 $196.64 $1,343 +16.64
686 value added 686 78 210.00 $210.00 $1,441 +10.00
705–713 value added 709 26 182.50–197.00 $189.68 $1,345 —
727 727 2 171.00 $171.00 $1,243 +1.00
775 775 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,472 —
779 779 5 178.00 $178.00 $1,387 —
847 847 2 159.00 $159.00 $1,347 —
870 870 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,375 +7.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–290 280 2 172.50–175.00 $173.79 $487 —
300 300 1 182.50 $182.50 $548 +1.44
360–395 377 3 118.00–186.00 $163.99 $618 -29.05
400–420 413 6 182.50–185.00 $182.90 $755 —
490 490 1 185.00 $185.00 $906 —
500–512 508 3 180.00–181.00 $180.67 $918 -6.24
570–582 578 3 181.00–183.00 $181.66 $1,050 +11.66
682 682 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,091 +16.27
910 910 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,329 +21.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
693 693 3 152.00 $152.00 $1,053 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
407 407 2 150.00 $150.00 $610 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–395 381 5 257.50–270.00 $264.89 $1,009 —
410 410 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,035 +17.50
442 value added 442 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,216 —
455–471 value added 467 4 260.00–272.50 $263.04 $1,228 —
450–487 471 9 241.00–252.50 $248.66 $1,171 +14.99
555–590 579 10 230.00–231.00 $230.61 $1,335 +4.61
605–640 621 9 196.00–216.00 $203.23 $1,262 +19.23
675–682 677 9 193.00–211.00 $197.03 $1,334 +13.03
707–740 719 9 173.00–191.00 $180.25 $1,296 +14.82
750–785 762 3 171.00–180.00 $176.91 $1,348 +6.31
800–840 810 4 150.00–161.00 $158.15 $1,281 —
850 850 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,284 -14.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
371 371 3 220.00 $220.00 $816 -20.00
450–496 478 17 227.00–232.50 $227.67 $1,088 +6.64
505–527 519 11 181.00–220.00 $216.55 $1,124 +36.55
583–591 588 8 210.00–225.00 $215.58 $1,268 —
655 655 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,048 —
740 740 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,221 —
775 775 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,162 -1.00
910 910 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,092 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 200.00 $200.00 $490 —
326 326 3 208.00 $208.00 $678 -2.00
383 383 3 200.00 $200.00 $766 —
410 410 1 192.50 $192.50 $789 —
485 485 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,018 +10.00
518–545 526 5 211.00–212.50 $211.31 $1,111 —
550–570 561 4 200.00–210.00 $207.55 $1,164 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
681 681 5 188.00 $188.00 $1,280 +7.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1555 1555 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,225.00 $2,225.00 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735–1080 873 85-90% 3 59.00–70.00 $64.76 $565 -1.77
930–1065 1022 85-90% 5 74.00–78.00 $75.95 $776 -7.77
1040–1150 1095 85-90% 2 93.50–95.50 $94.55 $1,035 +18.39
965–1280 1163 85-90% 4 81.00–90.00 $85.80 $998 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1310 1162 75-80% 3 86.00–92.00 $90.36 $1,050 —
1260–1540 1375 75-80% 5 95.50–100.50 $97.50 $1,341 -5.60
1485–1825 1655 75-80% 2 92.50–94.00 $93.17 $1,542 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1145 1108 80-85% 2 96.00–99.50 $97.81 $1,084 +2.44
1050–1315 1167 80-85% 7 89.00–94.00 $91.74 $1,071 +2.02
1425 1425 80-85% 1 87.50 $87.50 $1,247 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1600 1396 4 78.00–109.00 $96.94 $1,353 —
1500–2045 1715 4 116.00–119.00 $117.80 $2,020 —
1845–1950 1883 3 127.50–130.50 $128.70 $2,423 +2.28

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1075–1290 1158 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,025.00–1,250.00 $1,169.30
960–1430 1229 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 7 1,175.00–1,300.00 $1,237.67
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1025–1190 1108 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 875.00–1,000.00 $942.16
1150 1150 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1025–1600 1346 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 7 1,425.00–1,800.00 $1,572.14 —

↑ 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.