Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 21, 2025

368 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $336.00/cwt +1.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,773/hd at 528 lb · 29 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $324.17/cwt -38.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,876/hd at 579 lb · 19 head

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $357.95/cwt +4.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,681/hd at 470 lb · 13 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	368	413	268
Feeder cattle	244	313	203
Slaughter cattle	72	81	50
Replacement cattle	52	19	15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 5.00 lower in a limited comparison with good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady with very good demand. Yearlings lightly tested. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 higher 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
385 fancy	385	1	432.50	$432.50	$1,665	+2.50
410–425 fancy	418	2	427.00–432.50	$429.80	$1,797	—
420–425	424	4	410.00–422.00	$413.47	$1,753	-14.03
565–575	573	6	361.00–370.00	$362.48	$2,077	-5.52
600–635	611	8	320.00–330.00	$324.60	$1,983	-3.34
613 value added	613	3	345.00	$345.00	$2,115	—
700–745	718	5	290.00–310.00	$298.32	$2,142	+7.32
775–785	780	3	287.50–297.00	$291.82	$2,276	—
820	820	1	293.00	$293.00	$2,403	—
852	852	2	278.00	$278.00	$2,369	—
980	980	1	247.50	$247.50	$2,426	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
425–440	433	2	345.00–370.00	$357.28	$1,547	+9.78
505–540	523	2	320.00–355.00	$336.91	$1,762	-16.09
570–585	576	4	325.00–355.00	$334.96	$1,929	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
505	505	1	360.00	$360.00	$1,818	—
592	592	2	320.00	$320.00	$1,894	—

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
515	515	1	220.00	$220.00	$1,133	-92.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
305–340	323	2	365.00–382.50	$374.22	$1,209	—
340 fancy	340	3	400.00	$400.00	$1,360	—
370 fancy	370	1	415.00	$415.00	$1,536	—
370–385	378	2	372.00–387.50	$379.90	$1,436	-7.60
400–440	422	12	352.00–370.00	$363.50	$1,534	+11.28
450–485	464	7	337.50–357.50	$347.56	$1,613	-5.77
465–495 value added	476	6	367.50–380.00	$370.07	$1,762	—
500–540	526	5	310.00–323.00	$315.15	$1,658	-4.85
500–542 value added	528	24	326.00–351.00	$340.34	$1,797	+3.13
557–578 value added	571	13	325.00–334.00	$330.71	$1,888	-31.69
595	595	6	310.00	$310.00	$1,844	—
665–675 value added	672	6	299.00–300.00	$299.33	$2,011	—
720	720	1	267.00	$267.00	$1,922	-4.00
800–830	808	4	236.00–257.00	$251.60	$2,033	-23.40
930	930	1	229.00	$229.00	$2,130	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
235	235	1	350.00	$350.00	$822	+7.50
330–345	338	2	350.00–355.00	$352.44	$1,191	+27.44
475	475	1	335.00	$335.00	$1,591	+4.63
505–523	518	7	280.00–305.00	$298.03	$1,544	—
555	555	1	307.00	$307.00	$1,704	—
620	620	1	245.00	$245.00	$1,519	-6.52
730–735	733	2	221.00–239.00	$229.97	$1,686	—
760–780	767	3	225.00–252.50	$234.33	$1,797	—
815	815	1	200.00	$200.00	$1,630	—

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
320	320	1	308.00	$308.00	$986	—
360	360	1	305.00	$305.00	$1,098	—
460–472	466	4	270.00–280.00	$274.94	$1,281	+2.82

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
596 value added	596	5	312.00	$312.00	$1,860	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
245 fancy	245	1	422.00	$422.00	$1,034	—
355–380	367	3	395.00–410.00	$401.50	$1,474	-8.50
380–385 fancy	382	3	430.00	$430.00	$1,643	—
400–445	423	4	375.00–390.00	$380.48	$1,609	+7.46
455–490	474	6	370.00–385.00	$377.38	$1,789	+6.27
500–530	523	10	334.00–372.50	$353.21	$1,847	-7.22
580–595	590	3	325.00–330.00	$326.64	$1,927	-20.86
610–630	617	3	315.00–335.00	$328.19	$2,025	+16.45
685	685	3	290.00–310.00	$303.33	$2,078	+2.09
710–712	712	6	290.00–292.00	$291.67	$2,077	-26.23
795	795	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,988	-52.50

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
285	285	1	375.00	$375.00	$1,069	+25.00
330–335	333	2	340.00	$340.00	$1,132	-10.00
415	415	1	325.00	$325.00	$1,349	—
475–495	485	2	350.00	$350.00	$1,698	+12.50
535–540	538	2	305.00–322.00	$313.46	$1,686	-31.54
560–590	572	3	301.00–335.00	$314.51	$1,799	-15.53
645	645	2	310.00	$310.00	$2,000	—
735	735	1	240.00	$240.00	$1,764	-50.00

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
500–520	510	2	280.00–290.00	$284.90	$1,453	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
610	610	1	290.00	$290.00	$1,769	—

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1310–1665	1482	75-80%	5	146.00–149.50	$147.80	$2,190	—
1250–1855	1519	75-80%	7	158.00–169.50	$160.98	$2,445	—
1255–1795	1542	75-80%	12	150.50–157.50	$153.65	$2,369	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1125–1490	1300	80-85%	11	158.00–175.00	$166.13	$2,160	—
1065–1675	1301	80-85%	5	152.50–157.00	$153.37	$1,995	—
1100–1635	1354	80-85%	4	147.00–149.00	$148.19	$2,006	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
945	945	85-90%	1	103.00	$103.00	$973	-20.50
845–1085	965	85-90%	2	121.00–124.00	$122.69	$1,184	-13.07
975–1225	1073	85-90%	3	156.00–162.00	$158.60	$1,702	—
1010–1335	1141	85-90%	7	133.00–141.00	$136.95	$1,563	-21.58

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1020–2875	1579	5	124.00–195.00	$163.54	$2,582	—
1610–2185	1864	7	203.00–230.00	$214.79	$4,004	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
735	735	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	180.00	$180.00	$1,323
1055	1055	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	167.00	$167.00	$1,762

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
925	925	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	145.00	$145.00	$1,341

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1320–1370	1345	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	2,250.00–2,325.00	$2,286.80
1540	1540	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	2,675.00	$2,675.00

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
790	790	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	1,575.00	$1,575.00
825	825	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,650.00	$1,650.00
1145	1145	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	2,075.00	$2,075.00

Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
755	755	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,175.00	$1,175.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1245	1245	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	2,725.00	$2,725.00	—
1305–1795	1439	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	6	2,900.00–3,350.00	$3,148.00	—
1315–1665 fancy	1458	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	3	3,500.00–4,200.00	$3,766.40	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1000–1370	1215	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	4	2,300.00–2,450.00	$2,393.36	—

Small 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
840	840	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	1,400.00	$1,400.00	—
990	990	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	2,050.00	$2,050.00	—

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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.