Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 7, 2024

308 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $285.00/cwt -1.51 vs last sale · ≈ $1,616/hd at 567 lb · 24 head
light 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $289.57/cwt -5.62 vs last sale · ≈ $958/hd at 331 lb · 14 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $245.18/cwt -22.42 vs last sale · ≈ $1,393/hd at 568 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 308 514 521
Feeder cattle 269 405 424
Slaughter cattle 33 51 87
Replacement cattle 6 58 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower on similar quality in a lite test with moderate demand. Feeder heifers sold 5.00 to 10.00 lower with moderate demand. Slaughter cows and 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
241 241 3 318.00 $318.00 $766 —
319–325 320 7 320.00–322.00 $321.71 $1,029 —
415–420 418 2 270.00–275.00 $272.51 $1,139 -24.49
475–490 value added 483 2 280.00–281.00 $280.49 $1,355 -6.93
488 488 5 280.00 $280.00 $1,366 —
515 515 1 254.00 $254.00 $1,308 —
567 value added 567 24 285.00 $285.00 $1,616 -1.51
600 value added 600 6 270.00 $270.00 $1,620 -0.08
640–645 643 2 244.00–248.00 $245.99 $1,582 -14.01
681 value added 681 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,702 -30.52
760 760 2 195.00 $195.00 $1,482 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,037 -10.00
465–475 470 2 239.00–265.00 $251.86 $1,184 —
507–517 512 4 235.00–236.00 $235.50 $1,206 -9.32
560–570 565 2 240.00–246.00 $242.97 $1,373 +2.97
610–630 620 2 230.00–231.00 $230.49 $1,429 -9.51
651 651 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,562 +10.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 227.50 $227.50 $648 —
550 550 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,216 +1.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 250.00 $250.00 $500 —
250–285 266 4 260.00–280.00 $270.69 $720 -14.31
320–334 326 11 282.00–292.50 $286.72 $935 +4.08
348 fancy 348 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,044 -7.73
365 fancy 365 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,095 -15.49
421 421 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,052 —
402–445 value added 431 7 270.00–280.00 $272.66 $1,175 -28.44
473 value added 473 11 281.00 $281.00 $1,329 +7.16
500–530 value added 523 4 250.00–252.00 $250.48 $1,310 -19.59
541 541 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,298 -20.00
550–575 566 8 240.00–246.00 $241.52 $1,367 -16.03
550–590 value added 573 4 250.00–259.00 $252.50 $1,447 -17.33
622 value added 622 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,555 -4.22
680 680 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,564 -6.69
717 717 2 195.00 $195.00 $1,398 -10.00
810–827 821 3 172.00–180.00 $177.37 $1,456 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 220.00 $220.00 $440 -33.41
250 250 1 240.00 $240.00 $600 +3.00
340 340 1 256.00 $256.00 $870 —
388 388 4 242.00 $242.00 $939 —
410 410 1 227.00 $227.00 $931 -23.00
460–482 465 9 220.00–240.00 $233.31 $1,085 -18.11
505 505 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,162 —
555 555 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,249 —
600–625 613 2 200.00–210.00 $205.10 $1,257 -17.90
742 742 4 193.00 $193.00 $1,432 —
885 885 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,248 —
930 930 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,497 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,108 —
567 567 7 214.00 $214.00 $1,213 -8.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,164 —
520 520 1 248.00 $248.00 $1,290 +2.54
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,718 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 305.00 $305.00 $869 —
300–345 324 4 290.00–305.00 $294.81 $955 +12.31
375 375 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,162 —
400–445 418 5 250.00–270.00 $256.00 $1,070 -12.21
500–540 520 4 250.00–252.00 $251.02 $1,305 -13.94
565 565 1 237.00 $237.00 $1,339 -24.77
600 600 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,416 —
655–685 665 3 194.00–218.00 $209.76 $1,395 —
715 715 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,401 —
830–845 838 2 175.00–189.00 $182.06 $1,526 —
965 965 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,650 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 3 229.00 $229.00 $950 —
465 465 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,060 —
525 525 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,202 —
575 575 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,259 —
625 625 1 198.00 $198.00 $1,238 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 2 190.00 $190.00 $779 —
475–485 480 2 213.00–215.00 $214.01 $1,027 —
530 530 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,060 -10.00
565–575 570 2 196.00–201.00 $198.48 $1,131 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510–520 513 3 224.00–231.00 $226.36 $1,161 -3.64
555 555 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,276 -20.67

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1425 1362 75-80% 3 137.00–143.50 $139.94 $1,906 —
1505–1525 1515 75-80% 2 119.00–124.00 $121.48 $1,840 —
1320–1895 1573 75-80% 4 131.50–133.00 $132.42 $2,083 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815 815 85-90% 1 94.00 $94.00 $766 —
880 880 85-90% 1 104.00 $104.00 $915 —
985–1065 1028 85-90% 4 109.50–116.50 $111.80 $1,149 +16.92
1180–1220 1200 85-90% 2 123.50–127.50 $125.53 $1,506 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1205 1134 80-85% 5 137.50–143.50 $141.42 $1,604 —
1195 1195 80-85% 1 129.50 $129.50 $1,548 +4.13
1230 1230 80-85% 1 130.50 $130.50 $1,605 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475 1475 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,991 —
1490–1800 1647 3 150.50–169.00 $159.92 $2,634 —
1510–2130 1803 5 174.50–192.50 $182.12 $3,284 +4.96

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1190 1190 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,510.00 $1,510.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1045 1045 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1205 1205 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.