Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 12, 2025

738 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $275.81/cwt +27.81 vs last sale · ≈ $2,272/hd at 824 lb · 118 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $307.34/cwt +21.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,614/hd at 525 lb · 36 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $335.18/cwt +40.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,741/hd at 519 lb · 27 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 738 655 1,249
Feeder cattle 623 549 1,165
Slaughter cattle 90 64 69
Replacement cattle 25 42 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder steers 400-600lbs were sharply higher, steers above 600lbs were steady to up 2.00. Feeder heifers 300-500lbs were in high demand an sharply higher, heifers over 500lbs were steady. Pre-conditioned packaged calves were in high demand with great buyer demand. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls were steady. Groups of 20 head or more: Steers *59hd 818lbs 277.60 BLK 56hd 830lbs 275.50 MIX

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
262 262 2 350.00 $350.00 $917 —
350–370 357 3 340.00–417.00 $366.63 $1,309 —
370 fancy 370 1 452.50 $452.50 $1,674 —
420 420 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,575 —
401–449 fancy 435 10 420.00–442.50 $426.23 $1,854 —
450–488 477 12 375.00–406.00 $401.28 $1,914 —
510–542 526 4 325.00–337.50 $331.44 $1,743 +36.44
560–571 value added 569 5 345.00–355.00 $346.97 $1,974 +31.68
557–598 587 11 325.00–337.50 $332.06 $1,949 —
643 643 3 296.00 $296.00 $1,903 —
655–680 661 8 287.00–300.00 $296.66 $1,961 +35.92
710–715 712 3 270.00–277.50 $274.99 $1,958 —
751–770 755 5 260.00–280.00 $275.92 $2,083 +18.42
810–812 811 3 245.00–250.00 $246.66 $2,000 -1.34
818–830 value added 824 115 275.50–277.60 $276.57 $2,279 —
990 990 2 206.00 $206.00 $2,039 —
1035 1035 1 197.00 $197.00 $2,039 -20.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,456 —
450–495 472 5 320.00–347.50 $331.90 $1,567 +11.90
625 625 2 268.00 $268.00 $1,675 —
790 790 2 256.00–258.00 $257.00 $2,030 —
880 880 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,716 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
306–333 320 6 350.00–385.00 $366.76 $1,174 +59.36
350–380 fancy 362 9 400.00–415.00 $401.61 $1,454 —
370–382 379 8 350.00–392.00 $384.19 $1,456 +84.19
412 fancy 412 2 347.50 $347.50 $1,432 —
410–447 434 10 300.00–335.00 $323.83 $1,405 +35.02
450 fancy 450 5 340.00 $340.00 $1,530 —
465–496 485 16 300.00–327.00 $315.44 $1,530 +33.17
500–534 fancy 523 9 320.00 $320.00 $1,674 —
500–545 526 27 290.00–312.00 $303.12 $1,594 +31.11
556–575 562 5 294.00–296.00 $294.81 $1,657 +21.80
570 fancy 570 2 298.00 $298.00 $1,699 —
600–625 617 6 250.00–295.00 $279.31 $1,723 +35.41
660–696 693 11 259.50–266.00 $260.06 $1,802 +19.67
720 720 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,685 -0.97
775–782 780 9 220.00–239.00 $224.19 $1,749 -12.81
1080 1080 1 211.00 $211.00 $2,279 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
312 312 6 330.00–347.50 $335.83 $1,048 —
370–393 387 4 270.00–341.00 $324.04 $1,254 +82.43
447 447 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,252 +21.94
451–495 462 4 280.00–295.00 $284.02 $1,312 +54.02
520–538 531 5 220.00–276.00 $254.06 $1,349 -13.44
582 582 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,513 +20.00
625 625 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,156 -21.65
660 660 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,558 —
755 755 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,548 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,195 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 325.00 $325.00 $812 —
318–335 327 6 390.00–410.00 $399.74 $1,307 +34.74
352–392 fancy 372 4 430.00–435.00 $432.63 $1,609 —
401–435 fancy 415 11 420.00–445.00 $437.61 $1,816 —
421–446 436 10 380.00–407.00 $394.79 $1,721 +79.79
460–476 473 11 370.00–380.00 $378.23 $1,789 +65.19
500–520 fancy 512 5 330.00–338.00 $334.88 $1,715 —
502–539 521 22 323.00–340.00 $335.25 $1,747 —
555–595 578 12 320.00–329.00 $326.36 $1,886 +62.36
640 640 1 287.00 $287.00 $1,837 +28.72
661 fancy 661 14 290.00 $290.00 $1,917 —
652–690 670 8 263.00–270.00 $265.85 $1,781 +18.86
746 746 3 257.50 $257.50 $1,921 +18.33
763–790 767 13 248.00–258.00 $256.42 $1,967 —
810 810 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,944 —
915–945 938 4 175.00–194.00 $189.36 $1,776 -5.64
1005 1005 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,930 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,295 +70.00
415–445 430 2 360.00 $360.00 $1,548 +90.30
460–495 484 7 311.00–362.00 $335.21 $1,622 +47.19
525–530 528 2 305.00–315.00 $309.98 $1,637 +74.98
580–586 585 4 310.00–316.00 $314.51 $1,840 +79.51
635 635 1 258.00 $258.00 $1,638 +38.00
650–655 653 2 247.50–255.00 $251.26 $1,641 +26.30
740 740 1 238.00 $238.00 $1,761 —
910–915 913 2 160.00–162.50 $161.25 $1,472 —
1025 1025 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,558 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1295 1150 80-85% 5 115.00–129.00 $122.20 $1,405 —
1025–1415 1251 80-85% 4 152.00–159.00 $156.46 $1,957 —
930–1700 1272 80-85% 17 130.00–139.50 $134.89 $1,716 —
1015–1500 1293 80-85% 12 142.00–149.00 $145.13 $1,877 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–975 968 85-90% 2 93.00–108.00 $100.44 $972 —
980–1145 1058 85-90% 4 133.50–145.00 $137.34 $1,453 +9.75
985–1175 1092 85-90% 9 120.00–131.00 $126.95 $1,386 -0.64
865–1310 1113 85-90% 8 110.00–119.50 $114.23 $1,271 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1600–1670 1635 75-80% 2 146.50–155.00 $150.66 $2,463 —
1540–1900 1706 75-80% 6 130.50–138.50 $134.40 $2,293 —
1585–1895 1726 75-80% 4 125.00–129.50 $127.39 $2,199 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1585 1305 4 144.00–152.00 $147.64 $1,927 —
1400–1750 1548 6 158.00–161.00 $159.35 $2,467 —
1755–2330 1995 5 170.00–176.00 $171.40 $3,419 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
870–1000 952 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 155.00–187.50 $166.69 $1,587
1085 1085 (<2 yrs)Open 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,747

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
957–1055 1006 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,700.00–1,975.00 $1,844.20
1087–1405 1193 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,900.00 $1,900.00
1240 1240 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,925.00 $1,925.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,510.00 $1,510.00

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855 855 85-90% 1 85.00 $85.00 $727 —
1390 1390 85-90% 1 111.50 $111.50 $1,550 —

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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.