Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 9, 2025

364 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $269.57/cwt ≈ $2,221/hd at 824 lb · 41 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $314.50/cwt +1.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,641/hd at 522 lb · 25 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $349.21/cwt -24.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,660/hd at 475 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 364 640 548
Feeder cattle 316 422 447
Slaughter cattle 30 117 80
Replacement cattle 18 101 21

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady on similar quality weaned packages; softer undertone on fleshy short-weaned and plain to average quality offerings. Yearlings limited comparison. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold steady with 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
305 305 2 390.00 $390.00 $1,190 ±0.00
375–385 378 3 385.00–390.00 $388.35 $1,468 +0.47
380 value added 380 6 425.00 $425.00 $1,615 —
415–440 value added 427 3 370.00–380.00 $375.10 $1,602 -12.74
420–440 430 2 350.00–367.00 $358.30 $1,541 +15.80
455–485 value added 470 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,810 +5.14
476 476 17 345.00 $345.00 $1,642 -5.00
500–530 value added 522 9 340.00–375.00 $365.27 $1,907 —
527 527 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,581 —
570–580 value added 574 15 330.00–351.00 $342.91 $1,968 -15.53
605 605 1 283.00 $283.00 $1,712 -8.07
630 value added 630 1 327.00 $327.00 $2,060 -12.99
655–660 658 3 287.50–290.00 $288.33 $1,897 -13.19
791 value added 791 13 273.00 $273.00 $2,159 -4.45
802–830 824 41 268.00–270.00 $269.57 $2,221 —
938 938 13 250.50 $250.50 $2,350 -11.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,102 —
366–395 376 3 345.00–367.50 $352.89 $1,327 —
568 568 3 280.00 $280.00 $1,590 -5.00
600 600 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,500 -5.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,382 —
400 400 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,400 —
565 565 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,554 —
685 685 2 258.00–270.00 $264.00 $1,808 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,287 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 2 341.00–360.00 $350.50 $981 —
305–335 325 3 315.00–340.00 $332.18 $1,080 +22.92
375 375 3 318.00 $318.00 $1,192 +14.56
400–441 value added 425 10 320.00–330.00 $324.47 $1,379 -12.80
420–431 427 7 287.00–318.00 $310.39 $1,325 -6.61
450–480 460 3 305.00–307.00 $306.30 $1,409 -2.11
465–481 value added 476 9 310.00–318.00 $315.05 $1,500 -20.51
505–525 520 4 295.00–307.00 $297.91 $1,549 -9.30
503–546 value added 522 21 309.00–325.00 $317.66 $1,658 —
560–588 value added 577 5 304.00–305.00 $304.39 $1,756 —
605 value added 605 1 294.00 $294.00 $1,779 -1.68
625–632 631 6 268.00–281.00 $278.85 $1,760 +2.11
710 710 3 260.00 $260.00 $1,846 —
930 930 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,814 +15.00
950 950 2 203.00 $203.00 $1,928 —
1015 1015 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,847 -18.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 312.00 $312.00 $889 —
350 350 2 287.50 $287.50 $1,006 +8.02
415–425 420 2 280.00–285.00 $282.47 $1,186 -22.53
480–495 490 5 250.00–300.00 $263.80 $1,293 -25.01
500–530 520 4 260.00–280.00 $272.90 $1,419 +1.12
605–620 613 2 232.50–245.00 $238.83 $1,464 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 332 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,129 +2.78
380–395 389 4 370.00–395.00 $378.75 $1,473 +3.75
400–415 value added 410 3 375.00 $375.00 $1,538 —
410–440 423 6 325.00–370.00 $349.69 $1,479 -11.77
450–490 474 7 340.00–375.00 $352.74 $1,672 +26.77
500–540 value added 510 4 320.00–346.00 $326.88 $1,667 -11.93
545 545 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,771 +27.60
551–555 value added 552 4 330.00–332.50 $330.63 $1,825 +1.82
555–560 558 3 290.00–300.00 $295.01 $1,646 -2.08
640 640 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,600 -41.72
750–780 765 2 240.00–264.00 $251.76 $1,926 —
820 820 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,599 -24.97
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 6 311.00 $311.00 $1,082 —
390 390 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,287 —
415 415 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,245 ±0.00
570–595 580 5 240.00–277.50 $258.56 $1,500 -23.94
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,603 —
607 607 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,609 +7.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 305.00 $305.00 $900 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–950 875 85-90% 2 117.00–124.00 $120.20 $1,052 —
775–1000 888 85-90% 2 128.00–131.00 $129.31 $1,148 —
650–1210 900 85-90% 4 108.00–117.00 $112.10 $1,009 +19.83
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1155 1123 80-85% 4 145.50–155.00 $148.69 $1,670 —
1125–1380 1212 80-85% 3 124.00–128.50 $126.49 $1,533 +0.86
1290 1290 80-85% 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,806 -2.46
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1505 1417 75-80% 3 135.00–140.50 $137.55 $1,949 —
1240–1590 1427 75-80% 3 141.50–145.50 $142.86 $2,039 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435 1435 1 168.00 $168.00 $2,411 —
1275–2085 1805 4 178.00–183.00 $181.39 $3,274 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1035 1035 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,490

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1145 1145 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,925.00 $1,925.00
1225 1225 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,525.00 $2,525.00

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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
1115 1115 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,200.00 $3,200.00 —
1165 fancy 1165 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 3,675.00 $3,675.00 —
1275 1275 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,600.00 $3,600.00 +625.22
1375 fancy 1375 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,675.00 $3,675.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
815–1225 972 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 2,375.00–2,450.00 $2,406.52 —

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1855 1855 75-80% 1 130.50 $130.50 $2,421 —

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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.