Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 20, 2024

532 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $245.50/cwt +23.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,844/hd at 751 lb · 60 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $268.77/cwt -9.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,273/hd at 474 lb · 41 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $286.94/cwt +6.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,796/hd at 626 lb · 31 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 532 1,249 842
Feeder cattle 444 1,165 716
Slaughter cattle 71 69 94
Replacement cattle 17 15 32

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold steady on similar quality; however new crop fleshy offerings starting to come to town this week. Fleshy, off color and bawling calves facing discounts. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher on attractive quality weaned packages with very good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 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
312–345 323 3 300.00–312.00 $307.73 $994 -12.27
375–395 value added 387 8 320.00–340.00 $327.43 $1,267 -43.00
410–415 value added 413 2 320.00–332.50 $326.29 $1,348 -36.11
420–436 433 5 261.00–290.00 $266.63 $1,155 -13.37
455–490 value added 465 6 300.00–335.00 $318.95 $1,483 -16.33
480 480 1 284.00 $284.00 $1,363 -6.93
500–510 value added 502 6 292.00–305.00 $294.20 $1,477 -22.10
565–575 value added 568 3 268.00–297.00 $287.22 $1,631 -9.67
602–645 value added 626 31 266.00–290.00 $286.94 $1,796 +6.65
710 710 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,676 —
710 value added 710 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,775 -4.75
772 value added 772 11 242.50 $242.50 $1,872 ±0.00
850 850 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,828 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,112 —
450–453 452 5 268.00–285.00 $271.38 $1,227 +21.38
535 535 1 266.00 $266.00 $1,423 +22.00
610–630 620 2 226.00–238.00 $231.90 $1,438 —
650 650 1 238.00 $238.00 $1,547 —
780 780 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,747 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,342 —
555 555 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,388 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 270.00 $270.00 $594 —
275 275 1 282.00 $282.00 $776 -23.43
305–333 328 8 290.00–300.00 $296.83 $974 +1.83
350–392 377 7 270.00–300.00 $280.72 $1,058 +0.28
400–447 value added 422 12 269.00–295.00 $272.50 $1,150 -3.82
415–445 431 4 246.00–259.00 $254.92 $1,099 +8.12
455–490 472 5 246.00–260.00 $253.97 $1,199 +6.97
450–493 value added 474 36 262.00–284.00 $270.82 $1,284 -9.16
505–545 value added 519 12 252.00–269.00 $261.92 $1,359 -5.55
500–545 520 4 241.00–251.00 $246.16 $1,280 +8.17
550–585 563 8 242.00–253.00 $248.29 $1,398 +10.04
551–581 value added 568 17 253.50–280.00 $266.31 $1,513 +3.93
610 610 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,372 +22.41
620 value added 620 2 244.00 $244.00 $1,513 -0.33
665–670 668 4 214.00–216.00 $215.00 $1,436 -9.00
687 value added 687 4 242.00 $242.00 $1,663 -1.25
742 742 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,469 -24.99
751 value added 751 60 245.50 $245.50 $1,844 +15.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 275.00 $275.00 $852 +32.55
350–395 376 4 260.00–277.50 $269.19 $1,012 +3.63
420–435 427 4 210.00–240.00 $232.36 $992 +4.30
450 450 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,080 —
525 525 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,208 +11.55
567 567 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,304 +12.21
610–640 625 2 190.00–208.00 $199.22 $1,245 +24.11
695 695 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,182 -13.44
745 745 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,125 -8.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 250.00 $250.00 $712 —
645 645 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,361 —
695 695 3 208.00 $208.00 $1,446 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 209.00 $209.00 $794 +9.00
465 465 1 202.50 $202.50 $942 —
520 520 1 189.00 $189.00 $983 -21.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1465 1270 2 144.00–150.00 $147.46 $1,873 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 3 307.50–318.00 $314.50 $975 -5.50
350–357 356 5 310.00 $310.00 $1,104 +2.70
352–385 value added 363 3 320.00–340.00 $327.07 $1,187 -33.86
400–405 value added 402 6 320.00–330.00 $326.66 $1,313 -5.87
415–440 428 2 297.00–300.00 $298.54 $1,278 +58.54
460–485 471 8 270.00–315.00 $285.12 $1,343 -14.31
473–480 value added 474 14 280.00–327.00 $311.11 $1,475 +22.44
512–527 value added 520 8 276.00–280.00 $279.01 $1,451 -20.26
500–535 521 8 250.00–270.00 $261.95 $1,365 -10.60
555–595 576 5 250.00–268.00 $258.11 $1,487 —
566–595 value added 576 6 270.00–279.00 $273.38 $1,575 -2.62
605–622 value added 619 5 231.00–252.50 $248.29 $1,537 -10.06
635–645 642 3 230.00–236.00 $234.02 $1,502 -6.74
675 value added 675 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,660 -4.58
670–695 683 2 217.00–227.50 $222.15 $1,517 —
715–725 720 2 210.00–227.00 $218.56 $1,574 -2.95
765 765 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,706 +11.89
800–835 818 2 199.00–215.00 $207.17 $1,695 +6.38
860 860 1 206.00 $206.00 $1,772 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 280.00 $280.00 $672 +12.50
495 495 1 256.00 $256.00 $1,267 +18.96
552–580 561 3 240.00–250.00 $246.56 $1,383 +6.56
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,050 —
530 530 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,298 —
565 565 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,412 +10.00
920 920 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,711 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525–535 530 2 200.00–217.00 $208.42 $1,105 —
560 560 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,210 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–885 835 85-90% 3 88.00–90.00 $88.63 $740 —
830–1140 965 85-90% 8 104.00–110.00 $107.35 $1,036 —
930–1060 984 85-90% 4 94.50–102.00 $97.74 $962 —
950–1165 1033 85-90% 9 112.00–120.00 $116.30 $1,201 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100 1100 80-85% 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,144 —
1060–1210 1142 80-85% 3 108.00–116.00 $112.51 $1,285 —
1060–1380 1165 80-85% 12 125.00–149.00 $133.65 $1,557 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360 1360 75-80% 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,401 —
1215–1815 1447 75-80% 7 121.00–132.50 $126.24 $1,827 -1.19
1445–1555 1500 75-80% 2 110.00–118.00 $114.15 $1,712 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1415–1975 1671 5 146.00–158.00 $150.54 $2,516 +5.71
1160–2550 1713 4 120.00–134.00 $126.07 $2,160 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1220 1220 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
840 840 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00
895 895 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 200.00 $200.00 $950 —

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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
1180–1450 1327 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,850.00–2,350.00 $2,184.80 -322.57
1530 1530 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
945 945 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00 —

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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.