Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 15, 2025

452 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $332.06/cwt +57.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,763/hd at 531 lb · 40 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $298.44/cwt +42.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,567/hd at 525 lb · 37 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $270.60/cwt ≈ $1,778/hd at 657 lb · 35 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 452 301 70
Feeder cattle 388 236 54
Slaughter cattle 51 49 16
Replacement cattle 13 16 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

No market comparison due to Holiday closure and winter weather closure last week; however all classes noticeably higher than before Holiday break. Market active with good buyer participation.

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
315–336 value added 331 4 387.50 $387.50 $1,283 +24.96
365–381 value added 377 4 392.50–426.00 $400.61 $1,510 —
400–410 405 5 357.50–375.00 $364.04 $1,474 +68.12
400–445 value added 422 11 382.50–405.00 $392.38 $1,656 —
462–476 value added 471 6 358.00–395.00 $370.09 $1,743 +69.46
460–485 479 4 345.00–357.50 $354.50 $1,698 —
517–545 value added 531 40 312.00–340.00 $332.06 $1,763 —
550–590 560 4 291.00–309.00 $295.74 $1,656 +24.74
571–580 value added 574 6 320.00–321.00 $320.66 $1,841 —
600 600 3 284.00 $284.00 $1,704 +35.96
612–617 value added 616 32 321.00–321.50 $321.42 $1,980 +41.68
660–695 691 10 270.00–283.00 $279.74 $1,933 —
705–717 value added 713 8 268.00–283.00 $273.57 $1,951 —
715 715 2 255.00 $255.00 $1,823 —
770 value added 770 2 257.00 $257.00 $1,979 —
805–840 816 4 249.00–252.00 $250.74 $2,046 +16.74
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 350.00 $350.00 $700 —
570 570 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,496 —
638 638 4 250.00 $250.00 $1,595 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,470 —
785 785 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,923 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215 1215 1 170.00 $170.00 $2,066 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,195 +70.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 260.00 $260.00 $702 —
305–345 318 3 295.00–305.00 $301.39 $958 +38.64
300–332 value added 321 3 315.00–327.50 $323.61 $1,039 +44.50
350–390 value added 384 12 315.00–337.50 $320.54 $1,231 +12.73
400–447 value added 424 8 310.00–325.00 $322.34 $1,367 +43.44
425–440 435 3 282.50–285.00 $283.31 $1,232 +21.53
470 470 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,340 +27.71
475–495 value added 487 10 295.00–300.00 $298.05 $1,452 +20.67
500–537 value added 525 37 290.00–306.00 $298.44 $1,567 +41.75
555–565 value added 558 3 287.50–290.00 $289.16 $1,614 +34.16
610 610 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,586 +32.02
645–647 value added 646 17 268.00–271.00 $269.06 $1,738 —
650–653 value added 651 30 263.00–283.50 $275.28 $1,792 —
690–695 693 5 240.00–245.00 $242.50 $1,681 —
780 780 3 226.00 $226.00 $1,763 +36.00
800 800 2 209.00 $209.00 $1,672 —
857 857 5 206.00 $206.00 $1,765 —
935 935 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,683 —
955 955 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,643 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 270.00 $270.00 $662 —
250–267 261 3 260.00–267.50 $265.11 $692 —
315 315 1 292.00 $292.00 $920 —
390–395 393 2 255.00–270.00 $262.45 $1,031 —
435 435 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,174 —
525 525 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,352 +24.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 277.50 $277.50 $1,124 —
580 580 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,479 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
252 252 2 355.00 $355.00 $895 —
415 value added 415 2 375.00 $375.00 $1,556 +77.33
420–430 423 8 317.00–325.00 $320.26 $1,355 +38.50
460–485 463 8 322.50–325.00 $324.69 $1,503 +47.70
452–495 value added 474 4 337.50–340.00 $338.69 $1,605 +46.19
505–520 value added 513 2 315.00–317.50 $316.23 $1,622 +36.96
520 520 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,404 -3.83
560 560 2 280.00–297.50 $288.75 $1,617 +21.04
640 640 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,616 +22.50
700 700 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,694 +14.62
755 755 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,736 —
885 885 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,814 -1.00
915 915 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,976 +1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 287.00 $287.00 $1,220 —
595 595 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,368 -0.67
610–630 620 2 220.00–225.00 $222.46 $1,379 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 255.00 $255.00 $803 —
435 435 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,088 +50.00
520 520 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,066 -15.00
745 745 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,550 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–1725 1176 80-85% 8 133.00–139.00 $136.60 $1,606 —
1150–1225 1195 80-85% 3 129.00–130.00 $129.34 $1,546 —
1070–1530 1257 80-85% 14 140.00–154.00 $143.93 $1,809 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440 1440 75-80% 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,944 +20.58
1220–1715 1447 75-80% 10 140.00–146.00 $144.10 $2,085 +29.68
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–775 768 85-90% 2 115.00–119.00 $116.98 $898 —
875–1175 947 85-90% 6 120.00–133.00 $124.18 $1,176 —
890–1215 1053 85-90% 2 104.00–106.00 $104.85 $1,104 +7.98

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1255 1253 2 159.00 $159.00 $1,992 —
2115 2115 1 177.00 $177.00 $3,744 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1095–1345 1197 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 153.00–157.50 $154.44 $1,849

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920 920 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00
900–1090 975 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,200.00–1,675.00 $1,469.49
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1095 1095 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
680 680 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00

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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
1315 1315 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695 695 1 140.00 $140.00 $973 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,200 —
690 690 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,201 —

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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.