Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 13, 2024

594 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $250.81/cwt +13.86 vs last sale · ≈ $1,327/hd at 529 lb · 34 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $254.33/cwt +15.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,429/hd at 562 lb · 34 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $250.42/cwt +10.28 vs last sale · ≈ $1,061/hd at 424 lb · 32 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 594 630 810
Feeder cattle 501 513 677
Slaughter cattle 61 92 111
Replacement cattle 32 25 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers sold steady to 5.00 higher with advance on weaned 500-700 lbs with good demand. Feeder heifers sold 3.00 to 6.00 higher on 400-600 lbs with good demand. Yearling 6-weight open heifers noticeably higher with very good demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower with light to moderate 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
250–270 260 2 309.00–310.00 $309.52 $805 —
330 value added 330 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,072 +25.00
365 365 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,077 —
410–433 value added 426 13 280.00–306.00 $288.03 $1,227 -26.35
415–445 428 5 270.00–275.00 $272.99 $1,168 —
455–460 value added 459 4 275.00–293.00 $282.02 $1,294 -8.95
475–488 484 7 262.00–271.00 $268.48 $1,299 +3.48
500–535 509 15 256.00–263.00 $261.59 $1,331 +7.59
500–537 value added 532 17 265.00–282.00 $275.14 $1,464 +0.14
560 560 1 258.00 $258.00 $1,445 +1.00
565–587 value added 581 15 261.00–273.50 $268.00 $1,557 +3.00
600–602 601 3 240.00–242.00 $240.67 $1,446 -2.74
612–640 value added 626 28 253.00–267.00 $260.73 $1,632 +9.73
660–680 value added 668 5 248.00–255.00 $250.85 $1,676 —
730–747 741 12 227.00–230.00 $227.99 $1,689 -7.01
800 800 3 234.00 $234.00 $1,872 —
930 930 1 216.00 $216.00 $2,009 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–390 380 2 280.00–282.50 $281.28 $1,069 —
470 470 7 258.00 $258.00 $1,213 +28.00
502–540 516 8 235.00–248.00 $242.99 $1,254 +0.27
630 630 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,449 -4.00
717–735 723 3 215.00–221.00 $217.03 $1,569 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–420 418 2 255.00–260.00 $257.49 $1,076 —
545 545 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,390 —
555 555 1 258.00 $258.00 $1,432 —
645 645 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,548 —
690 690 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,677 —
700 700 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,547 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 222.50 $222.50 $946 —
655 655 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,284 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 value added 285 3 265.00 $265.00 $755 —
320–345 value added 339 4 267.50–275.00 $269.27 $913 -5.92
360 360 2 250.00 $250.00 $900 -1.28
370–388 value added 379 7 257.00–260.00 $259.15 $982 -11.85
400–425 406 6 240.00–247.00 $241.99 $982 +3.03
407–445 value added 428 26 247.00–256.00 $252.37 $1,080 +8.37
462–495 472 7 239.00–240.00 $239.58 $1,131 +4.19
450–495 value added 475 25 245.00–259.00 $254.68 $1,210 +7.39
500–547 value added 528 31 241.00–263.50 $252.14 $1,331 +7.76
525–547 540 3 231.00–240.00 $237.08 $1,280 +1.56
557–590 value added 561 30 243.00–261.00 $256.34 $1,438 +6.34
560–595 570 4 238.00–240.00 $239.23 $1,364 +2.06
605–606 value added 606 13 250.00–259.00 $257.62 $1,561 +26.50
600–635 625 7 219.00–233.00 $227.40 $1,421 +3.90
660–690 674 6 219.00–226.00 $224.15 $1,511 +9.15
730–735 733 2 205.00–207.00 $206.00 $1,510 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 235.00 $235.00 $858 +7.42
420–445 437 3 230.00–235.00 $231.70 $1,013 -1.30
450–495 477 4 220.00–230.00 $226.90 $1,082 +5.90
500–520 510 4 214.00–226.00 $220.12 $1,123 -2.07
550–570 560 2 227.00–230.00 $228.47 $1,279 +13.09
600 600 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,260 +5.52
675 675 2 196.00 $196.00 $1,323 +8.53
790 790 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,438 -4.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 3 239.00 $239.00 $1,059 —
685 685 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,452 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155 1155 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,732 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 217.50 $217.50 $631 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–390 388 4 280.00–295.00 $283.68 $1,101 -6.32
433–445 value added 438 7 255.00–270.00 $260.80 $1,142 -21.44
452–490 value added 473 6 259.00–272.50 $264.71 $1,252 -8.24
485–495 490 4 250.00–251.00 $250.25 $1,226 -10.85
511–530 value added 517 8 261.00–273.00 $264.61 $1,368 +4.58
505–526 518 9 244.00–253.00 $251.03 $1,300 +4.05
550–572 565 3 246.00–255.00 $248.92 $1,406 +5.37
565 value added 565 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,469 +7.00
605–610 value added 608 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,398 -8.33
605–610 608 2 223.00–224.00 $223.50 $1,359 -6.59
665 665 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,490 +0.21
762–785 773 6 194.00–221.00 $203.47 $1,573 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 230.00 $230.00 $621 —
335 335 1 255.00 $255.00 $854 —
380 380 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,026 +10.00
490 490 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,102 —
537–541 539 5 232.00–237.00 $235.01 $1,267 +18.01
597 597 2 234.00 $234.00 $1,397 +4.35
650–695 668 10 200.00–217.00 $210.80 $1,408 -0.34
765 765 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,300 -0.98
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 220.00 $220.00 $693 ±0.00
530 530 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,166 —
560–595 578 4 210.00–216.00 $212.91 $1,231 +5.33
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700–715 708 2 203.00–210.00 $206.46 $1,462 +4.46
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1585–1775 1680 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 2 2,300.00–2,800.00 $2,564.14 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1455 1273 75-80% 7 108.00–114.00 $111.78 $1,423 —
1395–1510 1463 75-80% 3 115.00–115.50 $115.17 $1,685 -1.60
1155–2015 1487 75-80% 8 102.00–108.00 $105.77 $1,573 -11.00
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265 1265 80-85% 1 94.00 $94.00 $1,189 -23.84
1215–1560 1328 80-85% 6 97.00–108.00 $101.59 $1,349 -5.32
1250–1485 1353 80-85% 3 110.00–113.50 $111.89 $1,514 —
1345–1370 1358 80-85% 2 117.00–118.50 $117.74 $1,599 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950 950 85-90% 1 86.00 $86.00 $817 —
765–1045 958 85-90% 6 90.00–96.00 $93.57 $896 —
860–1225 1048 85-90% 3 99.50–102.00 $100.57 $1,054 —
1295 1295 85-90% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,412 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405 1405 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,644 —
1495–2430 1813 9 134.50–149.00 $143.30 $2,598 —
1725–2085 1910 3 158.50–164.00 $160.50 $3,066 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1210 1210 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 116.50 $116.50 $1,410

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1110–1247 1190 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,450.00–2,200.00 $1,884.57
1175–1385 1280 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,575.00–2,025.00 $1,781.54
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
985 985 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 985.00 $985.00
1240 1240 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780 780 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 775.00 $775.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950–1080 993 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,700.00–1,825.00 $1,779.70
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
835 835 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00

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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
1255 1255 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

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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.