Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 6, 2024

372 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $245.75/cwt ≈ $2,047/hd at 833 lb · 65 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $264.09/cwt +18.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,244/hd at 471 lb · 22 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $272.49/cwt +15.80 vs last sale · ≈ $1,143/hd at 419 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 372 255 412
Feeder cattle 311 223 291
Slaughter cattle 43 27 88
Replacement cattle 18 5 33

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with some weaned 4-weights and yearling packages sharply higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers sold steady on similar quality with a few fancy weaned 300-500 lb offerings sharply higher very good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 2.00 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
320 320 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,024 —
390 value added 390 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,365 -11.70
400–447 value added 429 10 310.00–375.00 $344.51 $1,478 +3.02
430–442 438 3 270.00–278.00 $275.38 $1,206 —
450–485 value added 463 9 282.50–350.00 $317.98 $1,472 +15.31
485 485 1 274.00 $274.00 $1,329 —
500–537 value added 514 13 265.00–291.00 $281.99 $1,449 -1.39
551–580 value added 558 4 268.00–274.00 $269.56 $1,504 +3.41
600 600 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,440 -5.00
600–635 value added 614 8 255.00–280.00 $270.83 $1,663 +9.05
652 652 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,571 —
700–720 value added 710 2 245.00–249.00 $247.03 $1,754 +18.03
760 value added 760 3 239.00 $239.00 $1,816 —
833 fancy 833 65 245.75 $245.75 $2,047 —
895 895 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,781 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 240.00 $240.00 $624 -54.00
300 300 1 290.00 $290.00 $870 -5.00
360–395 378 2 270.00–275.00 $272.38 $1,030 +14.73
477 477 2 259.00 $259.00 $1,235 +19.00
770 770 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,656 +20.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 291.00 $291.00 $1,251 —
975 975 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,823 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 220.00 $220.00 $737 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 value added 295 2 300.00 $300.00 $885 —
317–340 value added 326 6 297.00–300.00 $298.26 $972 —
320–340 333 4 280.00–290.00 $282.72 $941 +19.11
355 value added 355 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,038 —
355–395 374 5 272.50–290.00 $283.43 $1,060 +28.43
400–445 value added 419 18 250.00–286.00 $274.43 $1,150 +16.57
425 425 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,009 -7.50
455–470 463 2 235.00–240.00 $237.46 $1,099 -4.69
450–495 value added 472 20 250.00–286.00 $266.75 $1,259 +14.75
505–525 value added 511 4 242.50–250.00 $245.17 $1,253 -8.77
525 525 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,208 -6.01
550–562 value added 557 6 250.00–256.00 $253.16 $1,410 —
565 565 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,333 -5.00
600 600 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,326 +9.70
617 value added 617 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,450 -6.00
650 value added 650 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,521 —
665 665 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,330 -10.00
710 value added 710 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,668 —
710 710 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,235 -18.00
757 757 2 181.00 $181.00 $1,370 —
862–885 876 5 170.00–188.00 $180.91 $1,585 —
950 950 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,558 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–285 278 2 226.00–250.00 $237.68 $661 -12.98
365–382 376 4 226.00–260.00 $246.95 $929 +19.38
495 495 1 232.00 $232.00 $1,148 +2.00
505–540 523 3 215.00–227.00 $221.38 $1,158 +21.38
635 635 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,149 +10.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 2 209.00 $209.00 $903 —
480 480 1 197.00 $197.00 $946 —
500 500 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,050 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,005 —
355–370 value added 359 4 335.00–340.00 $336.29 $1,207 +6.29
355–385 370 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,092 —
405–430 value added 417 8 270.00–295.00 $290.04 $1,209 -55.96
452 452 2 267.50 $267.50 $1,209 —
450–485 value added 466 7 285.00–340.00 $299.37 $1,395 +22.71
500–530 value added 513 4 269.00–273.00 $271.21 $1,391 +6.89
527 527 2 259.00 $259.00 $1,365 +14.02
575–580 578 4 241.00–258.00 $252.74 $1,461 —
600 600 1 222.00 $222.00 $1,332 —
650–680 660 3 225.00–232.00 $227.40 $1,501 +16.40
780 780 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,474 +2.00
855 855 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,548 —
920 920 1 132.50 $132.50 $1,219 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 256.00 $256.00 $883 -1.46
475–495 485 2 247.50–255.00 $251.17 $1,218 +11.17
555 555 2 222.00 $222.00 $1,232 —
615–620 618 2 204.00–220.00 $212.03 $1,310 +23.91
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 213.00 $213.00 $564 —
370 370 1 220.00 $220.00 $814 +2.00
455 455 1 200.00 $200.00 $910 —
520 520 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,087 —
590 590 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,328 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
492 492 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,230 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1650 1310 75-80% 10 108.00–112.50 $110.01 $1,441 —
1205–1685 1412 75-80% 3 117.00–120.00 $118.95 $1,680 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1205 1165 80-85% 3 107.00–112.00 $110.28 $1,285 —
1160–1225 1199 80-85% 4 96.00–103.00 $100.72 $1,208 —
1050–1355 1214 80-85% 6 117.00–122.00 $119.71 $1,453 +19.71
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1090 1027 85-90% 3 92.00–96.00 $93.96 $965 +0.52
1020–1095 1058 85-90% 2 104.00–114.00 $109.18 $1,155 —
855–1220 1063 85-90% 3 88.00–90.00 $89.46 $951 -16.88
1175 1175 85-90% 1 77.00 $77.00 $905 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195 1195 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,314 —
1205 1205 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,422 —
1435–1950 1594 4 139.00–153.50 $145.08 $2,313 +26.11

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
840–1105 973 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,125.00–1,185.00 $1,159.09
1025 1025 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,085.00 $1,085.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1435 1435 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
645 645 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 600.00 $600.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800 800 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00

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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
1320 1320 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00 —
1745 1745 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1120 1120 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,310.00 $1,310.00 —

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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.