Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 27, 2024

458 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $291.14/cwt +4.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,840/hd at 632 lb · 28 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $257.63/cwt +11.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,855/hd at 720 lb · 22 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $269.42/cwt +0.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,284/hd at 476 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 458 532 1,148
Feeder cattle 376 444 1,014
Slaughter cattle 54 71 95
Replacement cattle 28 17 39

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages and yearlings. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 higher with very good 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
350 350 1 309.00 $309.00 $1,082 —
390 value added 390 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,268 -2.43
420–430 value added 428 6 323.00–334.00 $330.70 $1,415 +4.41
476 value added 476 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,380 -28.95
502–510 value added 504 10 300.00–317.00 $313.58 $1,580 +19.38
530 530 1 259.00 $259.00 $1,373 —
582–590 value added 584 18 258.50–318.00 $272.02 $1,589 -15.20
606–645 value added 632 28 249.00–300.00 $291.14 $1,840 +4.20
650–665 value added 658 3 276.00–295.00 $286.41 $1,885 —
702–737 value added 720 22 254.00–261.50 $257.63 $1,855 +7.63
754 value added 754 15 247.00 $247.00 $1,862 +4.50
961 961 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,922 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 3 280.00–300.00 $286.67 $1,046 —
450 450 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,215 -1.38
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,327 —
745 745 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,527 —
830 830 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,627 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
502 502 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,255 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 5 277.00 $277.00 $692 -5.00
315 value added 315 1 311.00 $311.00 $980 —
305–340 326 4 270.00–293.00 $282.39 $921 -14.44
350 350 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,006 +6.78
400–445 416 6 253.00–260.00 $257.15 $1,070 +2.23
425–437 value added 433 3 270.00–273.00 $272.02 $1,178 -0.48
455–486 value added 476 18 268.00–276.00 $270.39 $1,287 -0.43
485 485 1 252.00 $252.00 $1,222 -1.97
502–526 value added 518 11 255.00–279.00 $268.01 $1,388 +6.09
520–545 533 2 242.00–246.00 $244.05 $1,301 -2.11
560–597 value added 572 12 255.00–260.00 $258.43 $1,478 -7.88
600–634 value added 623 11 240.00–252.00 $247.98 $1,545 +3.98
655–673 value added 671 9 238.00–240.50 $240.23 $1,612 -1.77
705 705 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,410 —
830 830 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,751 —
875 875 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,330 —
925 925 3 152.00–183.00 $162.33 $1,502 —
995 995 2 201.00 $201.00 $2,000 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372–385 379 4 232.50–256.00 $244.45 $926 -24.74
505–545 524 5 220.00–239.00 $227.10 $1,190 -2.90
552 552 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,242 -5.00
650–665 658 2 165.00–211.00 $187.74 $1,235 —
705–730 721 4 161.00–192.00 $181.82 $1,311 +30.82
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 250.00 $250.00 $988 —
750–772 765 3 173.00–182.00 $179.06 $1,370 —
1010 1010 2 177.00 $177.00 $1,788 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1530 1205 6 148.00–166.00 $162.19 $1,954 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 212.00 $212.00 $689 —
370 370 2 210.00 $210.00 $777 +1.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
277 277 2 276.00 $276.00 $765 —
300–315 308 2 260.00–287.00 $273.17 $841 -41.33
340 value added 340 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,088 —
365 value added 365 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,214 +5.43
381 381 3 286.00 $286.00 $1,090 -24.00
400–445 value added 428 6 300.00–325.00 $314.51 $1,346 -12.15
457–475 461 6 276.00–285.00 $278.19 $1,282 -6.93
450–470 value added 466 7 296.00–305.00 $299.47 $1,396 -11.64
512–530 value added 521 4 280.00–284.00 $282.03 $1,469 +3.02
530 530 3 258.00 $258.00 $1,367 -3.95
555–587 value added 574 4 280.00–284.00 $282.05 $1,619 +8.67
580 580 1 277.00 $277.00 $1,607 +18.89
605–615 value added 610 2 250.00–290.00 $269.84 $1,646 +21.55
655–680 value added 666 7 244.00–261.00 $250.52 $1,668 +4.52
730–745 738 2 224.00–230.00 $226.97 $1,675 +8.41
805–820 811 7 202.00–215.00 $212.55 $1,724 +5.38
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 234.00 $234.00 $760 —
360 360 2 225.00 $225.00 $810 —
470 470 2 234.00 $234.00 $1,100 -22.00
600–630 610 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,281 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–370 363 5 220.00–255.00 $228.75 $830 —
430 430 1 214.00 $214.00 $920 —
500 500 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,125 +16.58
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,485 +20.00

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050 1050 75-80% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,208 —
1070–1815 1442 75-80% 23 121.00–141.50 $130.11 $1,876 +3.87
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1270 1188 80-85% 2 114.00–119.00 $116.67 $1,386 -16.98
965–1495 1271 80-85% 11 123.00–142.50 $133.14 $1,692 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1070 1035 85-90% 3 107.00–111.00 $108.95 $1,128 -7.35
1080–1355 1202 85-90% 6 111.00–119.00 $114.44 $1,376 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1685 1443 5 139.00–146.00 $142.55 $2,057 —
1975–1995 1985 2 148.00–149.00 $148.50 $2,948 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1263 1263 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,875.00 $1,875.00
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1175–1185 1180 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,325.00–1,375.00 $1,349.89
1185 1185 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,285.00 $1,285.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
725 725 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 985.00 $985.00

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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
1490–1635 1545 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 2,425.00–3,000.00 $2,700.10 +1,000.10

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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.