Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 9, 2024

497 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $259.72/cwt +1.15 vs last sale · ≈ $1,497/hd at 576 lb · 29 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $227.45/cwt -8.58 vs last sale · ≈ $1,176/hd at 517 lb · 23 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $246.11/cwt +10.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,046/hd at 425 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 497 512 734
Feeder cattle 379 419 593
Slaughter cattle 98 75 111
Replacement cattle 20 18 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold mostly steady on similar quality with good demand for weaned 4-weight packages in light supply. Feeder heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher with good demand for weaned 4-weights. Yearlings lightly tested. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold steady with moderate to 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
310–335 330 5 280.00–287.50 $281.41 $929 +11.41
355–385 375 10 270.00–310.00 $281.36 $1,055 -14.35
400 fancy 400 1 308.00 $308.00 $1,232 —
410–437 value added 430 6 270.00–292.00 $281.26 $1,209 —
445 445 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,157 -9.04
455–470 value added 461 5 267.50–278.00 $272.19 $1,255 -13.92
460–480 468 3 251.00–260.00 $256.60 $1,201 -3.91
500–515 value added 510 3 267.50–269.00 $267.99 $1,367 +3.12
515–540 530 3 252.50–256.00 $254.49 $1,349 +1.15
553 value added 553 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,548 —
567–595 580 25 250.00–259.00 $256.48 $1,488 -2.09
605–645 value added 622 10 254.00–270.00 $259.27 $1,613 +18.27
650 650 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,560 —
650–667 value added 659 4 247.00–264.00 $258.82 $1,706 —
745 745 4 231.00 $231.00 $1,721 +22.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,058 —
540 540 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,350 -10.00
551 551 8 230.00 $230.00 $1,267 -19.00
690 690 3 232.00 $232.00 $1,601 +8.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 237.50 $237.50 $534 -27.50
405–420 415 3 250.00–260.00 $254.60 $1,057 -0.40
475 475 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,140 +3.05
505 505 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,192 +4.26
625 625 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,431 +12.52
670 670 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,494 -2.50
755 755 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,623 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 4 215.00 $215.00 $1,021 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 value added 323 2 260.00–290.00 $273.95 $885 —
345 345 1 232.50 $232.50 $802 +0.82
360 value added 360 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,035 —
360 360 2 227.00–235.00 $231.00 $832 -1.15
405 405 1 230.00 $230.00 $932 ±0.00
405–446 value added 426 18 245.00–257.00 $247.00 $1,052 +5.84
450–455 454 7 237.00–241.00 $237.57 $1,079 +5.30
478 value added 478 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,171 +5.00
506–521 517 23 220.00–237.00 $227.45 $1,176 -0.12
555–580 566 11 230.00–235.00 $230.91 $1,307 +0.16
583 value added 583 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,399 -1.43
610 610 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,336 —
617 value added 617 4 246.00 $246.00 $1,518 +10.00
685 685 1 229.00 $229.00 $1,569 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 222.50 $222.50 $712 +5.12
370–371 371 6 215.00–224.00 $222.50 $825 +2.15
480–487 484 9 218.00–220.00 $219.33 $1,062 +3.08
510–540 519 5 200.00–210.00 $205.93 $1,069 -9.26
555–565 559 4 198.00–205.00 $201.26 $1,125 +1.26
602–630 614 5 198.00–201.00 $199.41 $1,224 -0.59
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 220.00 $220.00 $704 —
480 480 2 211.00 $211.00 $1,013 —
590 590 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,180 -20.00
612–625 616 3 200.00–201.00 $200.34 $1,234 —
665 665 2 207.00 $207.00 $1,377 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060 1060 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,749 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 200.00 $200.00 $850 -5.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 315.00 $315.00 $677 —
360–395 382 5 261.00–285.00 $271.11 $1,036 -2.44
420–440 430 3 250.00–265.00 $257.28 $1,106 +12.14
470–484 482 6 250.00 $250.00 $1,205 +0.79
505–545 527 11 244.00–262.00 $251.83 $1,327 -0.81
596 596 3 242.00 $242.00 $1,442 —
600–630 607 9 216.00–233.00 $226.56 $1,375 +7.56
655–660 658 2 208.00–217.00 $212.52 $1,398 +2.52
700–747 727 4 198.00–211.00 $201.68 $1,466 +31.68
750 750 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,658 +45.00
815–845 830 2 164.00–200.00 $182.33 $1,513 +15.33
1160 1160 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,705 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–380 374 4 222.50–240.00 $229.90 $860 -7.60
450–485 463 6 217.00–230.00 $225.64 $1,045 -2.03
515–520 517 3 210.00–225.00 $215.03 $1,112 -6.97
550 550 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,155 -9.41
605 605 2 199.00 $199.00 $1,204 -8.50
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,014 -11.97
505–512 510 3 202.00–204.00 $202.66 $1,034 —
555 555 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,060 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,027 —
720 720 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,368 —
815 815 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,386 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–910 853 85-90% 2 90.00–91.00 $90.47 $772 —
865–1215 1011 85-90% 6 96.50–103.00 $101.31 $1,024 +2.07
755–1440 1057 85-90% 10 104.00–110.00 $108.23 $1,144 +0.04
965–1275 1083 85-90% 8 111.00–120.00 $114.75 $1,243 +6.56
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1260 1134 80-85% 7 116.00–121.00 $118.05 $1,339 —
1115–1320 1218 80-85% 2 111.00–114.00 $112.63 $1,372 —
1040–1495 1224 80-85% 10 122.50–134.00 $126.60 $1,550 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1780 1385 75-80% 9 122.50–129.00 $125.87 $1,743 —
1215–1710 1473 75-80% 9 116.00–122.00 $118.42 $1,744 -8.71

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1800 1367 8 145.00–160.00 $153.00 $2,092 +14.00
1380–1685 1518 3 121.00–128.00 $124.77 $1,894 —
1305–2075 1717 16 160.00–178.00 $167.79 $2,881 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
835–1285 976 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 135.50–158.00 $145.93 $1,424

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
905–1020 963 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,210.00–1,250.00 $1,231.19
970 970 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
985 985 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910–1330 1105 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,400.00–1,600.00 $1,528.28
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
725 725 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 950.00 $950.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
735 735 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 900.00 $900.00 —
750 750 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00 —

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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.