Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 11, 2024

961 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $282.17/cwt +15.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,723/hd at 611 lb · 86 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $258.59/cwt +3.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,360/hd at 526 lb · 53 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $243.33/cwt -31.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,764/hd at 725 lb · 53 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 961 704 790
Feeder cattle 904 592 635
Slaughter cattle 47 89 109
Replacement cattle 10 23 46

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers under 700 lbs traded mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher; some weaned 400-600 lb attractive quality packages sharply higher with very good demand. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs sold mostly 3.00 to 7.00 higher; few attractive weaned 400-500 lb packages sharply higher with very good demand. Yearlings lite test. Slaughter cows sold 5.00 to 10.00 lower in a lite test. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower in a lite test.

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
286–295 value added 289 7 400.00–420.00 $415.62 $1,201 —
310–335 value added 323 7 335.00–400.00 $363.46 $1,174 -2.84
350–355 value added 353 2 352.50–355.00 $353.74 $1,249 -0.18
420 420 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,208 +2.50
400–442 value added 423 18 310.00–365.00 $347.33 $1,469 +8.23
455–473 467 6 280.00–300.00 $291.95 $1,363 +4.32
455–487 value added 478 40 317.00–355.00 $349.36 $1,670 +31.34
532–545 value added 536 6 290.00–307.00 $303.36 $1,626 +14.51
565–570 568 2 275.00–285.00 $279.98 $1,590 +5.98
560–583 value added 575 25 290.00–311.00 $299.09 $1,720 +4.99
600–636 value added 610 83 262.50–297.00 $282.98 $1,726 +12.87
627–635 630 3 259.00–260.00 $259.66 $1,636 +8.15
660 660 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,716 +9.10
655–693 value added 675 21 251.00–270.00 $263.23 $1,777 +5.64
701–740 value added 723 45 240.00–248.50 $244.10 $1,765 —
725–741 737 8 237.50–239.50 $239.01 $1,762 -8.99
757 value added 757 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,817 —
765–770 768 2 230.00–232.50 $231.25 $1,776 -2.78
806 806 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,854 +3.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–440 425 2 265.00–270.00 $267.41 $1,136 —
515–531 528 6 262.50–271.00 $269.42 $1,423 +11.53
565–590 580 6 250.00–267.50 $257.33 $1,493 —
613 613 6 238.00 $238.00 $1,459 +8.00
682–690 685 3 235.00–240.00 $238.32 $1,632 —
730 730 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,570 —
870 870 5 216.00 $216.00 $1,879 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,299 —
523 523 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,412 —
751 751 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,727 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 3 242.50 $242.50 $1,164 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 3 280.00 $280.00 $840 +25.52
350–385 fancy 368 2 300.00–307.00 $303.33 $1,116 —
360–395 373 11 257.00–285.00 $267.47 $998 +11.34
400–430 410 3 242.00–250.00 $247.20 $1,014 -1.24
400–446 value added 430 10 256.00–290.00 $276.07 $1,187 +7.27
452–483 value added 472 21 256.00–282.50 $272.60 $1,287 +13.75
455–490 473 4 246.00–254.00 $249.76 $1,181 +4.89
505–542 value added 525 45 253.50–270.00 $260.62 $1,368 +2.97
515–545 530 8 240.00–253.00 $247.17 $1,310 +3.21
552–568 562 13 240.00–250.00 $245.44 $1,379 +4.25
557–573 value added 568 30 250.00–260.00 $257.61 $1,463 +3.60
607–640 value added 619 30 240.00–255.00 $247.30 $1,531 +2.53
637–647 642 7 224.00–238.00 $233.02 $1,496 +3.02
650–652 651 4 227.00–230.00 $228.50 $1,488 -4.77
659 value added 659 17 243.50 $243.50 $1,605 —
705 705 3 209.00–213.00 $210.33 $1,483 +7.83
700–740 value added 732 30 220.00–241.50 $237.39 $1,738 —
785 785 9 200.00 $200.00 $1,570 —
880 880 6 182.00 $182.00 $1,602 -9.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
257–290 268 3 220.00–255.00 $242.38 $650 —
315–335 325 2 245.00 $245.00 $796 +1.27
379 379 5 250.00 $250.00 $948 +10.00
477 477 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,097 —
500 500 1 237.00 $237.00 $1,185 +2.75
550–575 558 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,311 —
610–620 615 2 211.00–214.00 $212.49 $1,307 -7.51
812 812 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,380 -7.52
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 3 218.00 $218.00 $1,068 —
535 535 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,124 +5.00
580 580 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,160 -10.00
630 630 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,260 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,492 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 287.50 $287.50 $848 —
307 307 2 310.00 $310.00 $952 —
345 value added 345 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,104 —
350–385 value added 368 4 337.50–367.50 $354.22 $1,304 —
380 380 1 307.00 $307.00 $1,167 -15.50
402–448 value added 417 11 297.00–320.00 $316.76 $1,321 +2.29
415–430 423 2 290.00 $290.00 $1,227 +11.00
455–477 470 3 290.00–295.00 $291.61 $1,371 +26.62
475–495 value added 481 8 300.00–343.00 $322.76 $1,552 +22.49
500–545 value added 518 6 270.00–295.00 $278.10 $1,441 +13.17
515–545 526 5 250.00–262.50 $258.12 $1,358 +3.26
565 value added 565 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,610 —
558–590 566 12 247.00–254.00 $251.44 $1,423 -7.34
600–625 609 4 230.00–242.00 $233.08 $1,419 —
604–648 value added 622 10 245.00–254.00 $247.14 $1,537 +1.14
650–680 668 7 234.00–238.00 $235.28 $1,572 +6.73
705 705 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,586 +5.00
750–787 777 6 195.00–217.00 $208.45 $1,620 —
825 825 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,547 —
870 870 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,610 -9.00
935 935 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,706 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–395 378 3 272.50–300.00 $282.21 $1,067 —
457–465 460 4 240.00–265.00 $248.82 $1,145 +17.63
500–515 505 3 240.00–250.00 $246.60 $1,245 +3.34
560–570 565 2 230.00–245.00 $237.57 $1,342 -4.83
615–640 628 2 210.00–217.00 $213.57 $1,341 +3.57
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,050 —
653 653 3 224.00 $224.00 $1,463 —
740 740 2 217.00 $217.00 $1,606 —
815 815 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,528 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,009 —
455–480 470 3 205.00–240.00 $225.98 $1,062 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975 975 85-90% 1 91.00 $91.00 $887 +1.92
835–1215 1025 85-90% 2 111.00–113.00 $111.81 $1,146 +13.36
890–1175 1041 85-90% 7 98.00–105.50 $102.82 $1,070 -3.87
870–1335 1111 85-90% 5 90.00–96.50 $94.06 $1,045 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1380 1249 75-80% 5 101.00–110.00 $105.74 $1,321 —
1000–1645 1337 75-80% 5 111.00–115.00 $113.49 $1,517 —
1525–1890 1677 75-80% 3 118.00–120.50 $119.08 $1,997 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1315 1160 80-85% 4 98.00–106.00 $101.79 $1,181 -15.31
1090–1525 1308 80-85% 2 109.00–113.50 $111.62 $1,460 —
1430 1430 80-85% 1 118.50 $118.50 $1,695 -13.01

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1610–2054 1824 6 142.00–150.00 $145.11 $2,647 -6.61
1705–2105 1856 4 152.00–164.00 $157.11 $2,916 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1230 1230 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00

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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
1070 1070 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,525.00 $1,525.00 —

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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.