Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 29, 2024

319 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $271.61/cwt -4.58 vs last sale · ≈ $1,424/hd at 524 lb · 23 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $308.30/cwt +18.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,722/hd at 559 lb · 19 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $263.22/cwt +5.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,516/hd at 576 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 319 268 420
Feeder cattle 251 203 318
Slaughter cattle 51 50 89
Replacement cattle 17 15 13

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality in a lite test. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 5.00 to 10.00 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
300 value added 300 2 343.00 $343.00 $1,029 —
305 fancy 305 2 361.00 $361.00 $1,101 —
425 value added 425 4 340.00 $340.00 $1,445 +31.00
455 value added 455 2 319.00 $319.00 $1,451 +7.00
525 525 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,418 —
552 552 5 297.00 $297.00 $1,639 —
555–563 value added 561 14 291.00–326.00 $312.34 $1,752 +22.98
600–615 608 2 255.00–257.00 $256.01 $1,557 +0.01
602–645 value added 613 13 270.00–287.00 $283.34 $1,737 —
670 value added 670 2 274.00 $274.00 $1,836 -11.42
775 775 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,868 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 2 272.00 $272.00 $1,387 —
605 605 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,392 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,323 —
560 560 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,498 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 fancy 300 1 330.00 $330.00 $990 —
317 317 2 305.00 $305.00 $967 —
371 fancy 371 5 300.00 $300.00 $1,113 —
380 380 2 270.00–287.50 $278.75 $1,059 -7.25
400–442 value added 415 8 272.50–288.00 $284.90 $1,182 -7.10
405–435 420 2 260.00–270.00 $264.82 $1,112 -1.18
460–495 484 5 260.00–268.00 $263.89 $1,277 +0.93
455–491 value added 487 8 268.00–274.00 $273.30 $1,331 -6.87
500–540 511 5 250.00–260.00 $254.67 $1,301 —
500–545 value added 528 18 264.00–281.00 $276.31 $1,459 +0.12
550–592 value added 574 12 260.00–273.00 $268.22 $1,540 —
555–595 581 5 250.00–255.00 $251.22 $1,460 -6.44
600–615 608 2 232.00–234.00 $233.01 $1,417 -0.99
665–681 677 6 230.00–235.00 $233.36 $1,580 +1.51
705–725 715 2 210.00–215.00 $212.53 $1,520 —
765 765 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,545 —
885 885 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,735 -14.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–220 215 2 256.00–260.00 $258.05 $555 —
310 310 1 240.00 $240.00 $744 ±0.00
350–385 371 5 220.00–240.00 $235.85 $875 —
425–430 428 2 230.00–250.00 $239.94 $1,027 —
475–487 483 5 235.00–244.00 $238.21 $1,151 -2.26
612 612 2 223.00 $223.00 $1,365 +3.00
720 720 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,382 —
805–815 810 2 143.00–171.00 $156.91 $1,271 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,026 —
510 510 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,250 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 220.00 $220.00 $825 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 297.00 $297.00 $728 —
345 345 1 312.00 $312.00 $1,076 —
405–442 value added 424 5 292.00–303.00 $298.03 $1,264 —
440–445 443 2 280.00–284.00 $282.01 $1,249 —
470 470 1 291.00 $291.00 $1,368 +26.25
520–530 value added 527 3 277.00–284.00 $279.30 $1,472 -5.70
555–595 value added 568 9 277.50–288.00 $282.50 $1,605 -15.50
590 590 1 263.00 $263.00 $1,552 +1.52
615 value added 615 2 259.00–274.00 $266.50 $1,639 —
605–645 625 2 249.00–252.00 $250.45 $1,565 -1.06
660 value added 660 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,749 —
700–747 718 7 224.00–233.00 $227.35 $1,632 +5.34
760–795 774 9 219.00–234.00 $230.33 $1,783 +11.33
947 947 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,790 —
975 975 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,843 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 275.00 $275.00 $825 —
455 455 1 244.00 $244.00 $1,110 —
510–525 520 3 243.00–250.00 $247.71 $1,288 +5.21
555 555 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,310 -7.07
600 600 1 226.00 $226.00 $1,356 —
680 680 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,496 —
725 725 3 216.00 $216.00 $1,566 +2.74
950 950 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,672 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 279.00 $279.00 $1,060 —
645 645 2 240.00–242.00 $241.00 $1,554 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580–590 585 2 210.00–220.00 $215.04 $1,258 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1335 1335 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1265 1121 80-85% 5 128.00–136.00 $132.58 $1,486 —
1020–1485 1241 80-85% 11 143.00–162.00 $151.14 $1,876 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1580 1378 75-80% 2 131.00–138.00 $135.01 $1,860 —
1230–1695 1452 75-80% 13 141.50–162.00 $149.24 $2,167 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
750–970 823 85-90% 3 101.00–105.00 $103.48 $852 +1.95
790–1105 981 85-90% 5 115.00–122.00 $117.24 $1,150 -0.14
935–1120 1033 85-90% 3 131.00–143.50 $136.12 $1,406 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1590 1355 2 159.00 $159.00 $2,154 —
1800 1800 1 176.50 $176.50 $3,177 +4.67

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1050 1050 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,407

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1120–1210 1165 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,575.00–1,600.00 $1,587.02
1225 1225 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975–1115 1045 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,125.00–1,250.00 $1,191.69

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1085 1085 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,725.00 $1,725.00

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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
1080 1080 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00 —
1065–1235 1150 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 1,700.00–1,800.00 $1,753.70 —

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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.