Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 14, 2024

543 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $244.90/cwt +14.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,635/hd at 668 lb · 86 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $214.00/cwt ≈ $2,052/hd at 959 lb · 53 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $254.06/cwt +8.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,437/hd at 566 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 543 308 710
Feeder cattle 430 269 612
Slaughter cattle 81 33 74
Replacement cattle 32 6 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned offerings. Feeder heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher with advance on 500-600 lbs offerings with good demand. Yearling steers lite test. Yearling heifers limited comparison. Slaughter cows sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher with good demand. Market noticeably more active than last week as CME cattle futures and Dow markets rebounded.

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
250 250 1 300.00 $300.00 $750 —
320 320 1 305.00 $305.00 $976 -16.71
305–347 value added 334 6 330.00–360.00 $342.90 $1,145 —
355–385 value added 375 3 310.00–320.00 $313.16 $1,174 —
410–415 413 2 280.00–282.00 $280.99 $1,160 +8.48
400–442 value added 425 10 290.00–315.00 $300.62 $1,278 —
480–495 485 3 290.00–300.00 $293.40 $1,423 +13.40
501–535 508 5 280.00–298.00 $294.21 $1,495 +40.21
500–545 value added 514 9 287.00–308.00 $302.08 $1,553 —
551–575 value added 557 4 282.50–308.00 $301.42 $1,679 +16.42
575 575 1 271.00 $271.00 $1,558 —
575 575 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,524 —
600–605 601 4 264.00–265.00 $264.25 $1,588 —
705–742 730 3 230.00–234.00 $232.71 $1,699 —
760 760 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,740 +34.00
995 995 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,920 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 270.00 $270.00 $742 —
465 465 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,121 -10.86
510–515 512 3 240.00–255.00 $245.03 $1,255 +9.53
620 620 1 226.00 $226.00 $1,401 -4.49
725 725 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,573 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 252.00 $252.00 $1,411 —
665–670 668 4 230.00–234.00 $231.99 $1,550 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–470 462 3 200.00–220.00 $208.99 $966 —
520 520 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,144 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250 1250 1 161.00 $161.00 $2,012 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 323 3 260.00–280.00 $272.99 $882 -13.73
360–390 370 10 270.00–285.00 $276.60 $1,023 —
362–388 value added 382 8 294.00–305.00 $296.61 $1,133 —
400–448 value added 442 15 258.00–270.00 $263.04 $1,163 -9.62
455–480 value added 464 6 258.00–270.00 $260.90 $1,211 -20.10
475–490 483 2 242.00–244.00 $242.98 $1,174 —
500–518 value added 507 9 259.00–264.00 $260.56 $1,321 +10.08
558–575 565 5 240.00–244.00 $241.63 $1,365 +0.11
550–586 value added 566 15 250.00–270.00 $258.20 $1,461 +5.70
600–630 value added 617 9 240.00–250.00 $244.82 $1,511 -5.18
600–632 621 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,428 —
660 660 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,518 ±0.00
668 value added 668 84 245.25 $245.25 $1,638 —
745 value added 745 5 233.50 $233.50 $1,740 —
959 959 53 214.00 $214.00 $2,052 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 242.50 $242.50 $691 +2.50
361–385 369 5 240.00–250.00 $243.72 $899 +1.72
400–440 415 3 230.00–237.50 $234.37 $973 +7.37
500–525 510 5 227.00–230.00 $229.02 $1,168 -0.98
565–580 571 6 214.00–232.00 $225.96 $1,290 +0.96
665–690 680 5 182.50–214.00 $199.25 $1,355 —
700–715 708 2 188.00–192.00 $190.02 $1,345 -2.98
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–445 435 3 210.00–217.00 $213.98 $931 —
452–490 465 3 200.00–214.00 $209.08 $972 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,430 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 285.00 $285.00 $670 —
375–390 383 2 307.00–310.00 $308.47 $1,181 -1.53
402–435 value added 412 4 287.00–300.00 $291.69 $1,202 —
415–448 437 4 270.00–277.00 $273.20 $1,194 +17.20
460–491 480 6 260.00–285.00 $278.23 $1,336 —
515–516 fancy 516 4 301.00–309.00 $303.00 $1,563 —
533 533 3 282.50 $282.50 $1,506 +31.48
550 550 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,430 +23.00
600–640 619 4 220.00–231.00 $226.62 $1,403 -9.38
655–665 660 2 224.00–237.00 $230.45 $1,521 +20.69
700–735 718 4 210.00–220.00 $215.12 $1,545 +19.12
770 770 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,540 —
940 940 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,758 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 245.00 $245.00 $637 —
320 320 1 255.00 $255.00 $816 —
355–390 380 4 247.50–260.00 $255.80 $972 —
420 420 1 230.00 $230.00 $966 —
455–480 464 4 230.00–252.50 $242.02 $1,123 —
557–560 558 3 241.00–242.00 $241.67 $1,349 +11.67
600–645 622 3 190.00–208.00 $195.98 $1,219 —
660–665 664 4 210.00–212.00 $211.50 $1,404 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 220.00 $220.00 $968 +30.00
455–472 466 3 206.00–220.00 $215.45 $1,004 +1.44
535–540 538 2 200.00–206.00 $202.99 $1,092 +2.99
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,406 +20.00
655–670 663 2 208.00–217.00 $212.55 $1,409 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1040–1050 1045 (<2 yrs)N/A 2 2,000.00–2,500.00 $2,251.20 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1725 1383 75-80% 16 140.50–147.50 $143.93 $1,991 +3.99
1205–1625 1404 75-80% 7 129.00–139.50 $136.90 $1,922 —
1590 1590 75-80% 1 150.00 $150.00 $2,385 +17.58
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–1020 903 85-90% 3 102.00–109.50 $104.82 $947 —
995–1025 1010 85-90% 2 91.00–94.00 $92.52 $934 -19.28
930–1185 1032 85-90% 6 133.00–140.50 $135.91 $1,403 +24.11
910–1320 1095 85-90% 11 114.50–130.00 $123.81 $1,356 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1380 1173 80-85% 12 140.50–148.50 $143.92 $1,688 +14.42
1160–1345 1253 80-85% 2 136.00–138.00 $136.93 $1,716 —
1145–1600 1323 80-85% 8 149.50–173.50 $160.36 $2,122 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1435 1190 4 140.00–149.00 $145.66 $1,733 —
1195–1975 1631 7 152.00–165.00 $159.06 $2,594 -0.86
1220–2060 1766 10 174.00–192.00 $183.83 $3,246 —

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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
1240–1270 1255 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,850.00–2,050.00 $1,948.80 —

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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.