Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 21, 2024

552 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $266.01/cwt +36.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,553/hd at 584 lb · 125 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $258.82/cwt ≈ $1,084/hd at 419 lb · 24 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $287.36/cwt +7.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,360/hd at 473 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 552 367 441
Feeder cattle 484 283 347
Slaughter cattle 57 69 69
Replacement cattle 11 15 25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday 400-500 lb weaned feeder steers sold sharply higher; middleweights and yearlings 3.00 higher in a limited comparison. Feeder heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher; however 300-400 lbs and good quality weaned packages sold sharply higher with good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 6.00 higher with very 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
340 340 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,020 —
390 value added 390 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,326 —
420 420 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,050 —
400–447 value added 426 17 275.00–355.00 $333.88 $1,422 +35.97
450–493 value added 473 21 270.00–310.00 $288.66 $1,365 +8.66
480 480 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,248 —
505–540 value added 518 12 269.00–286.00 $275.05 $1,425 +19.05
550–595 value added 564 15 260.00–282.00 $269.10 $1,518 -5.82
600–635 615 5 236.00–244.00 $239.20 $1,471 -0.31
612–642 value added 620 15 251.00–261.00 $253.79 $1,573 +3.57
654–695 value added 666 17 244.00–258.00 $252.75 $1,683 -2.25
675 675 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,552 —
700–705 703 3 223.00–224.00 $223.67 $1,572 +3.67
712 value added 712 4 256.00 $256.00 $1,823 —
805–809 808 6 215.00–219.00 $218.34 $1,764 +31.79
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 251.00 $251.00 $1,167 —
532 532 4 250.00 $250.00 $1,330 +4.00
555 555 1 257.00 $257.00 $1,426 —
637–645 641 4 232.00–234.00 $233.01 $1,494 —
667 667 2 229.00 $229.00 $1,527 —
715 715 1 206.00 $206.00 $1,473 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 287.50 $287.50 $776 +77.50
470 470 2 236.00 $236.00 $1,109 —
650 650 1 222.00 $222.00 $1,443 +22.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 2 250.00 $250.00 $900 —
470 470 1 200.00 $200.00 $940 —
510 510 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,117 +11.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–265 263 2 230.00–235.00 $232.48 $611 —
290 value added 290 2 287.50–293.00 $290.25 $842 —
322 value added 322 2 290.00 $290.00 $934 +68.00
305–340 323 2 228.00–235.00 $231.31 $747 —
360–390 375 5 240.00–250.00 $245.14 $919 +22.26
367–392 value added 378 5 252.50–280.00 $265.28 $1,003 +28.22
401–440 value added 419 24 247.50–270.00 $258.82 $1,084 —
457 value added 457 2 254.00 $254.00 $1,161 +6.32
476–497 484 5 240.00–242.00 $241.18 $1,167 —
500–547 value added 515 18 237.00–259.00 $243.96 $1,256 +11.96
505–545 525 2 225.00–230.00 $227.60 $1,195 +7.60
572–595 580 3 218.00–230.00 $225.89 $1,310 +10.89
550–593 value added 584 122 236.00–273.50 $267.00 $1,559 +36.27
600–640 614 4 192.00–216.00 $208.68 $1,281 -1.32
607–625 value added 616 5 228.00–242.00 $235.14 $1,448 +4.64
650–690 669 4 182.00–210.00 $190.59 $1,275 +7.07
695 value added 695 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,536 —
742 742 9 210.00 $210.00 $1,558 —
750–770 760 2 180.00–196.00 $187.89 $1,428 —
805–815 810 2 172.00–179.00 $175.52 $1,422 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 190.00 $190.00 $428 —
280 280 1 181.00 $181.00 $507 -14.00
300–335 318 2 200.00 $200.00 $636 —
350 350 1 220.00 $220.00 $770 +24.00
430 430 1 195.00 $195.00 $838 -12.52
455–480 468 2 200.00–210.00 $205.13 $960 -7.02
545 545 2 209.00 $209.00 $1,139 —
725 725 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,160 —
785 785 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,350 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1325 1178 2 130.00–146.00 $137.00 $1,614 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740 740 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,125 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–385 374 5 267.50–272.00 $269.82 $1,009 —
350–395 value added 375 6 292.50–330.00 $303.88 $1,140 +6.88
420 420 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,060 —
415–440 value added 430 4 289.00–320.00 $303.14 $1,304 -5.86
452–470 value added 457 11 273.00–302.50 $287.15 $1,312 —
480–490 485 2 250.00–266.00 $258.08 $1,252 +15.46
515 value added 515 4 267.00 $267.00 $1,375 +16.86
520–540 530 2 239.00–251.00 $245.11 $1,299 -0.89
550–595 value added 578 5 256.00–266.00 $257.90 $1,491 +11.90
602–620 611 7 212.00–229.00 $220.70 $1,348 +18.70
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 230.00 $230.00 $494 —
280 280 1 209.00 $209.00 $585 -13.50
305–345 322 3 248.00–275.00 $264.61 $852 —
352 352 2 250.00 $250.00 $880 +7.50
490 490 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,090 —
610 610 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,135 —
835 835 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,286 —
942–945 943 3 110.00–120.00 $116.66 $1,100 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
452 452 2 181.00 $181.00 $818 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,313 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375 1375 75-80% 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,458 -0.80
1270–1575 1426 75-80% 5 107.00–113.50 $110.28 $1,573 —
1145–1770 1510 75-80% 15 114.50–132.50 $123.69 $1,868 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–990 936 85-90% 5 71.00–78.00 $74.55 $698 —
905–1040 990 85-90% 4 95.00–99.00 $96.69 $957 -4.26
895–1130 1013 85-90% 2 100.00–101.00 $100.44 $1,017 +16.39
905–1145 1042 85-90% 5 83.00–88.00 $85.37 $890 +1.32
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1390 1168 80-85% 6 107.00–112.00 $108.80 $1,271 +1.48
1135–1230 1183 80-85% 2 101.00–103.00 $101.96 $1,206 +3.51
1065–1380 1266 80-85% 6 117.00–134.00 $125.49 $1,589 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195 1195 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,410 —
1830–2190 2020 3 129.00–139.00 $134.48 $2,716 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1120–1235 1178 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,250.00–1,300.00 $1,276.22
1330 1330 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,460.00 $1,460.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1280 1280 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,285.00 $1,285.00 —

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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.