Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 14, 2024

367 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $229.57/cwt +5.11 vs last sale · ≈ $1,410/hd at 614 lb · 22 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $272.18/cwt +21.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,539/hd at 565 lb · 16 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $186.55/cwt ≈ $1,517/hd at 813 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 367 1,208 735
Feeder cattle 283 1,067 591
Slaughter cattle 69 116 87
Replacement cattle 15 25 57

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday weaned steer and heifer packages sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with good demand. Yearlings lightly tested. 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
405–440 value added 422 7 285.00–309.00 $297.91 $1,257 +16.44
482 value added 482 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,350 -3.55
510–525 518 4 248.00–254.00 $250.96 $1,300 -1.01
545 value added 545 1 256.00 $256.00 $1,395 -19.22
561–577 value added 563 14 256.00–281.00 $274.92 $1,548 +4.58
582 582 2 253.00 $253.00 $1,472 +7.24
600–630 615 2 239.00–240.00 $239.51 $1,473 +6.18
621–640 value added 630 10 249.00–253.00 $250.22 $1,576 +1.42
667 value added 667 10 255.00 $255.00 $1,701 +9.50
706 706 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,553 —
750 750 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,650 —
802–815 813 13 182.00–212.00 $186.55 $1,517 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 210.00 $210.00 $525 —
420 420 1 217.00 $217.00 $911 —
555–560 558 2 237.00–245.00 $240.98 $1,345 +11.89
645 645 3 237.00 $237.00 $1,529 +23.03
680 680 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,360 —
700–725 711 5 187.00–211.00 $202.55 $1,440 -6.83
845 845 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,251 —
865 865 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,280 —
947 947 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,231 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 220.00 $220.00 $957 —
515 515 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,071 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,316 +6.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 value added 317 2 222.00 $222.00 $704 -18.00
352–370 356 6 208.00–230.00 $222.88 $793 -2.71
385–395 value added 391 4 228.00–248.00 $237.06 $927 -19.73
455–480 value added 471 5 235.00–277.00 $247.68 $1,167 +1.71
510–520 515 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,133 +19.50
502–548 value added 525 10 226.00–238.00 $232.00 $1,218 +4.73
550 550 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,182 +15.00
570–583 value added 579 11 230.00–231.00 $230.73 $1,336 +2.71
600 600 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,260 +4.36
615 value added 615 21 230.50 $230.50 $1,418 +1.34
665–695 681 4 182.00–187.00 $183.52 $1,250 -11.96
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 195.00 $195.00 $575 —
370 370 1 196.00 $196.00 $725 -2.54
415–420 418 3 202.50–210.00 $207.52 $867 —
465–490 480 10 200.00–220.00 $212.15 $1,018 +12.15
560–595 583 3 171.00–200.00 $180.28 $1,051 -5.29
600–640 623 6 166.00–181.00 $170.37 $1,061 -5.90
850 850 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,105 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 value added 370 5 297.00 $297.00 $1,099 +8.00
411 value added 411 3 309.00 $309.00 $1,270 +39.00
461–490 468 4 240.00–250.00 $242.62 $1,135 +4.27
502 502 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,235 +15.62
518–537 value added 526 5 246.00–253.00 $250.14 $1,316 +10.14
570 value added 570 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,402 +4.24
585 585 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,433 +14.00
622 622 2 202.00 $202.00 $1,256 +4.92
660–682 674 5 192.00–225.00 $208.50 $1,405 +20.68
795 795 2 182.00–192.00 $187.00 $1,487 ±0.00
895 895 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,522 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
292 292 2 222.50 $222.50 $650 -27.50
380 380 1 242.50 $242.50 $922 +12.50
400–425 413 2 239.00–240.00 $239.48 $989 +11.25
550–565 560 3 226.00–228.00 $227.35 $1,273 +10.40
680–690 685 2 188.00–192.00 $189.99 $1,301 —
710 710 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,214 +11.00
975 975 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,209 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
745 745 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,360 +3.50
760 760 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,368 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 210.00 $210.00 $504 —
545 545 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,090 +1.75

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1490 1301 75-80% 5 93.00–102.00 $98.82 $1,286 —
950–1610 1364 75-80% 7 111.00–122.00 $115.21 $1,571 +7.45
1120–1585 1371 75-80% 12 103.00–111.00 $106.80 $1,464 -0.96
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–935 860 85-90% 3 53.00–76.00 $67.13 $577 —
930–1025 978 85-90% 2 100.00–102.00 $100.95 $987 -4.03
965–1070 1018 85-90% 2 83.00–85.00 $84.05 $856 —
710–1200 1064 85-90% 9 87.00–96.00 $91.84 $977 -2.49
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1355 1163 80-85% 10 103.00–111.00 $107.32 $1,248 —
1125–1290 1185 80-85% 4 93.00–103.00 $98.45 $1,167 —
1200–1270 1235 80-85% 2 115.00–118.00 $116.46 $1,438 +17.28

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1300 1243 3 113.00–118.00 $116.29 $1,445 —
1440 1440 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,411 —
1560–1865 1712 6 127.00–133.00 $129.47 $2,217 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1145 1145 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,285.00 $1,285.00
1330 1330 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
820–900 860 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 925.00–975.00 $948.84

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
870 870 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00
925 925 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,085.00 $1,085.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1105–1250 1153 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,050.00–1,235.00 $1,116.84 —
1210 1210 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —

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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.