Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 30, 2025

486 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $355.52/cwt +19.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,639/hd at 461 lb · 42 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $331.69/cwt -14.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,751/hd at 528 lb · 38 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $311.00/cwt +3.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,910/hd at 614 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 486 556 486
Feeder cattle 389 411 347
Slaughter cattle 36 91 58
Replacement cattle 61 54 81

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages; over 600 lbs lite test. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher; 500-600 lb heifers steady to 3.00 lower; over 600 lb lite test. Yearlings lite test. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with very 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
335 fancy 335 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,474 -2.81
366–367 366 5 400.00–430.00 $417.98 $1,530 —
400–433 414 7 412.00–423.00 $418.07 $1,731 +26.81
424 thin fleshed 424 5 440.00 $440.00 $1,866 —
475 thin fleshed 475 5 420.00–425.00 $421.00 $2,000 —
487–497 492 15 398.00–413.00 $405.92 $1,997 +14.05
500–545 523 2 377.50–400.00 $388.27 $2,031 +34.74
567–588 577 14 364.00–375.00 $369.71 $2,133 +19.71
630–632 value added 631 3 332.50–341.00 $338.17 $2,134 -2.28
650–667 value added 662 8 330.00–342.00 $340.01 $2,251 -3.04
755 755 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,190 -5.00
950 950 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,971 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,387 +30.00
415 415 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,536 +15.00
527–532 530 4 302.50–337.50 $319.92 $1,696 —
570 570 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,767 —
780 780 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,106 —
970 970 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,988 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 292.00 $292.00 $1,110 —
571 571 3 360.00 $360.00 $2,056 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245 1245 1 174.00 $174.00 $2,166 —
1245 1245 1 193.00 $193.00 $2,403 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
338 338 3 351.00 $351.00 $1,186 -3.82
345 value added 345 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,320 —
355–396 value added 379 9 382.50–400.00 $394.93 $1,497 +17.26
360–395 380 10 355.00–380.00 $368.91 $1,402 +14.64
405–435 value added 422 13 372.50–395.00 $384.65 $1,623 +21.64
430–448 445 6 350.00–362.50 $353.70 $1,574 +12.50
454–485 value added 457 25 356.00–392.50 $361.28 $1,651 +18.61
450–480 467 17 335.00–350.00 $347.05 $1,621 +25.51
500–536 value added 525 30 315.00–353.00 $337.90 $1,774 -13.18
510–546 539 8 304.00–310.00 $308.38 $1,662 -10.41
565–575 value added 568 3 320.00–325.00 $322.02 $1,829 +1.34
560–595 582 16 290.00–318.00 $311.85 $1,815 -0.15
600–601 value added 601 14 329.00–335.00 $329.43 $1,980 +19.40
645 645 6 268.00 $268.00 $1,729 -19.10
662 662 2 294.00 $294.00 $1,946 —
775–790 783 6 236.00–260.00 $249.31 $1,952 +7.31
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,139 +6.07
390–395 393 2 290.00–342.50 $316.42 $1,244 -6.86
405–445 430 4 300.00–337.00 $317.64 $1,366 +12.26
462–495 477 6 300.00–335.00 $320.93 $1,531 +11.99
577 577 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,442 -8.72
600–602 601 3 245.00–250.00 $248.34 $1,493 +3.34
665–672 670 3 230.00–250.00 $243.38 $1,631 -6.62
705 705 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,579 +34.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,488 -35.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 227.00 $227.00 $885 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 412.00 $412.00 $1,174 +6.91
375 375 3 412.00 $412.00 $1,545 +18.85
420–445 430 5 377.00–405.00 $393.41 $1,692 +29.42
470–494 482 14 353.00–399.00 $370.81 $1,787 +16.57
525 525 3 330.00–385.00 $358.00 $1,880 +15.31
557–590 570 10 287.50–360.00 $332.40 $1,895 -3.41
593 value added 593 3 334.00 $334.00 $1,981 —
602–645 value added 616 3 327.00–337.00 $330.49 $2,036 +3.49
610–647 624 6 307.00–324.00 $315.31 $1,968 +22.90
655 655 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,063 +21.67
720 720 2 279.00 $279.00 $2,009 +19.00
765 765 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,066 +14.98
887–890 889 4 190.00–224.00 $206.97 $1,840 —
900–930 908 5 200.00–240.00 $222.55 $2,021 —
985 985 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,970 —
1210 1210 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,299 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,312 -16.18
460–465 463 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,713 +44.19
515 515 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,545 +6.57
560 560 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,624 +2.91
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690 690 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,932 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1440 1440 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,625.00 $2,625.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1695 1350 75-80% 4 143.00–148.50 $146.22 $1,974 —
1120–1830 1416 75-80% 10 149.00–172.50 $154.09 $2,182 +8.98
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1240 1198 80-85% 2 145.00–147.00 $145.96 $1,749 +8.04
945–1700 1296 80-85% 6 154.00–170.00 $160.19 $2,076 +4.10
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 85-90% 1 107.00 $107.00 $653 —
920–1160 1010 85-90% 3 130.00–139.00 $134.34 $1,357 -7.11
1090 1090 85-90% 1 156.00 $156.00 $1,700 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1345 1225 2 170.00–174.00 $172.20 $2,109 —
1535–1950 1732 3 192.00–217.00 $201.41 $3,488 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
890–1165 1018 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 155.00–174.00 $162.97 $1,659
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960 960 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 141.50 $141.50 $1,358

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1115–1505 1322 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 16 1,950.00–2,600.00 $2,353.24
1090–1570 1336 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 2,050.00–2,625.00 $2,477.77
1500 1500 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
985–1080 1033 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,400.00–1,775.00 $1,596.13

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805 805 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00

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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
1395 fancy 1395 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 4,000.00 $4,000.00 —
1395 1395 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 4,050.00 $4,050.00 +826.09
1455–1460 fancy 1458 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 3,625.00–3,700.00 $3,662.44 —
1440–1505 1473 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 2,500.00–2,575.00 $2,538.33 —
1380–1765 1516 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 2,750.00–3,350.00 $3,146.90 —
1780 fancy 1780 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,900.00 $3,900.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1385 1385 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,175.00 $2,175.00 —

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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.