Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 13, 2025

396 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $310.00/cwt ≈ $3,063/hd at 988 lb · 94 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $371.67/cwt +23.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,870/hd at 503 lb · 71 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 396 707 543
Feeder cattle 358 576 430
Slaughter cattle 31 43 81
Replacement cattle 7 88 32

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was mixed with an average quality offering. Good quality feeder steers and heifers were unevenly steady today ranging from 3.00 lower to 4.00 higher or greater in a few spots with a limited supply and moderate demand. Increased heat and humidity is limiting cattle movement and increasing buyers selectiveness and the discounts for plainer and off colored feeders. Slaughter cows were 3.00 to 4.00 lower with a limited supply and moderate demand and slaughter bulls appeared steady with a light test.

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
295 295 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,239 —
345 345 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,587 —
385 385 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,732 +17.78
405 405 1 245.00 $245.00 $992 -167.21
425–440 432 3 390.00–397.00 $394.02 $1,702 -18.19
465–470 468 2 380.00–390.00 $385.03 $1,802 -10.13
520–525 523 2 360.00–377.00 $368.46 $1,927 +0.52
555–565 560 2 340.00–342.50 $341.24 $1,911 +1.24
560–596 value added 587 4 366.00–370.00 $366.95 $2,154 -16.41
605–616 value added 612 5 372.00–386.00 $380.46 $2,328 +14.46
625 625 1 356.00 $356.00 $2,225 +23.03
675 675 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,261 -4.22
745 value added 745 3 340.00 $340.00 $2,533 —
835 value added 835 2 320.00 $320.00 $2,672 —
900 900 1 307.00 $307.00 $2,763 —
988 value added 988 94 310.00 $310.00 $3,063 —
1014 value added 1014 53 308.25 $308.25 $3,126 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–525 515 3 325.00–345.00 $333.43 $1,717 —
565–570 568 2 307.00–315.00 $311.02 $1,767 -3.98
610–632 625 3 300.00–317.00 $311.47 $1,947 —
800 800 1 252.50 $252.50 $2,020 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1365 1275 2 231.00–246.00 $237.97 $3,034 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,544 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,938 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
170 170 1 535.00 $535.00 $910 —
332–347 340 4 385.00–390.00 $387.44 $1,317 —
395 395 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,560 +14.02
405–435 415 4 355.00–375.00 $369.34 $1,533 +5.77
425 425 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,381 -38.57
455–480 value added 471 4 362.50–380.00 $371.18 $1,748 —
501–512 value added 501 63 370.00–376.50 $376.29 $1,885 +23.94
502–545 516 4 307.00–320.00 $311.04 $1,605 -21.56
510–535 524 4 357.50–362.50 $359.51 $1,884 +26.91
555–575 565 2 327.00–330.00 $328.47 $1,856 -23.22
550–590 value added 570 4 357.50–370.00 $363.53 $2,072 -22.72
585 585 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,755 -24.34
600 value added 600 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,160 —
680 680 1 327.50 $327.50 $2,227 -6.50
732–741 737 5 300.00–306.00 $303.62 $2,238 —
760 760 2 304.00 $304.00 $2,310 +29.22
805 805 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,133 +5.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,190 —
480–495 488 2 312.00–322.50 $317.33 $1,549 —
555 555 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,665 —
645 645 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,838 —
695 695 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,016 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,425 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–447 435 3 380.00–397.50 $385.50 $1,677 -8.87
450–475 462 8 380.00–397.50 $385.97 $1,783 -2.56
515–525 520 2 340.00–347.00 $343.47 $1,786 +6.90
560–587 578 3 295.00–311.00 $305.83 $1,768 -26.70
605–638 624 9 300.00–322.50 $308.10 $1,923 —
665–685 672 3 305.00–314.00 $310.94 $2,090 +13.94
760 760 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,280 +30.08
815 815 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,364 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–437 428 3 350.00–365.00 $360.21 $1,542 —
465–475 470 2 338.00–370.00 $353.83 $1,663 -7.17
566 566 4 312.00 $312.00 $1,766 +9.06
685 685 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,884 —
865 865 1 232.50 $232.50 $2,011 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475–495 487 3 320.00–330.00 $324.17 $1,579 -18.33
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,550 -15.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1115 966 85-90% 5 125.00–132.00 $129.98 $1,256 —
970–1245 1086 85-90% 4 155.00–161.50 $158.22 $1,718 +6.52
1160–1555 1323 85-90% 5 136.50–150.00 $143.45 $1,898 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1465 1347 75-80% 7 168.50–171.00 $169.88 $2,288 —
1330–1380 1355 75-80% 2 154.50–157.00 $155.73 $2,110 -25.30
1485–1510 1498 75-80% 2 177.00–179.00 $177.99 $2,666 +2.06
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1475 1300 80-85% 4 169.50–173.00 $171.55 $2,230 —
1480 1480 80-85% 1 179.00 $179.00 $2,649 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1795 1550 2 163.00–168.50 $166.18 $2,576 —
1665 1665 1 195.50 $195.50 $3,255 -10.98

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
800 800 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,900

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1590 fancy 1590 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,050.00 $3,050.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1220 thin fleshed 1220 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,950.00 $1,950.00

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 85-90% 1 147.50 $147.50 $1,667 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680 680 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,516 —

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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.