Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 8, 2025

266 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $370.49/cwt +13.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,781/hd at 481 lb · 30 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $354.60/cwt -3.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,035/hd at 574 lb · 22 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $403.67/cwt -14.34 vs last sale · ≈ $2,088/hd at 517 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 266 743 497
Feeder cattle 234 488 379
Slaughter cattle 24 84 98
Replacement cattle 8 171 20

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was mostly steady with a good quality offering. Good quality feeder steers and heifers were mostly steady to 4.00 higher in spots with a moderate supply and good demand for weaned and value added feeder cattle. Slaughter cows appeared steady with a light test, and slaughter bulls were 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
380 380 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,539 —
480–495 488 3 400.00–405.00 $401.69 $1,960 +6.23
500–527 value added 512 11 405.00–412.50 $408.51 $2,092 -13.33
525–542 536 3 377.50–390.00 $385.92 $2,069 -9.08
550–555 value added 554 4 395.00–412.50 $408.15 $2,261 +7.19
550–565 559 6 377.00–382.50 $379.06 $2,119 —
617 value added 617 8 403.00 $403.00 $2,487 +12.82
691 691 3 340.00 $340.00 $2,349 -10.00
712–740 729 5 330.00–342.50 $334.88 $2,441 +2.00
785 785 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,473 -20.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–395 380 3 362.50–385.00 $372.76 $1,416 +15.26
445 445 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,558 -5.00
473 473 3 370.00 $370.00 $1,750 +15.00
525–545 535 2 340.00–360.00 $349.81 $1,871 +10.81
685 685 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,055 ±0.00
1007 1007 2 247.00 $247.00 $2,487 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,335 —
460 460 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,208 -62.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,382 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 fancy 230 1 442.50 $442.50 $1,018 —
360 fancy 360 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,440 —
355–372 369 5 370.00–380.00 $378.07 $1,395 +1.77
415–432 427 4 350.00–380.00 $369.57 $1,578 +7.21
441 fancy 441 3 392.50 $392.50 $1,731 —
450–480 474 13 348.00–362.00 $358.61 $1,700 +1.48
460–496 fancy 486 17 375.00–380.00 $379.58 $1,845 —
507–530 517 4 345.00–370.00 $357.11 $1,846 -6.89
550–595 574 22 346.00–365.00 $354.60 $2,035 +0.53
610–640 625 5 339.00–345.00 $342.21 $2,139 +23.86
635 635 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,016 -0.85
667 667 2 341.00 $341.00 $2,274 +28.70
677 677 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,133 -20.99
700–720 713 3 297.50–310.00 $302.52 $2,157 -1.39
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 357.50 $357.50 $965 +5.00
345 345 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,121 -45.57
350 350 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,155 -25.01
415–430 423 4 320.00–342.50 $334.30 $1,414 -6.37
475 475 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,520 -19.56
520–530 526 4 300.00–317.00 $312.29 $1,643 -17.42
550–580 576 7 315.00–327.00 $316.64 $1,824 -1.46
640 640 1 301.00 $301.00 $1,926 +1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 190.00 $190.00 $532 —
575 575 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,509 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,703 +47.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165 1165 1 193.00 $193.00 $2,248 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 407.50 $407.50 $1,182 —
410 410 5 415.00 $415.00 $1,702 +24.95
455 455 3 380.00–390.00 $383.33 $1,744 -16.67
500–541 529 7 360.00–372.50 $367.50 $1,944 +6.96
570 570 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,938 +4.88
581–587 fancy 583 6 371.00–372.00 $371.66 $2,167 —
605–645 631 9 344.00–365.00 $359.95 $2,271 —
710 710 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,343 +40.21
760 760 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,223 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 350.00 $350.00 $962 -50.00
420 420 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,470 -13.75
497 497 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,690 -10.71
520–540 529 4 325.00–345.00 $331.95 $1,756 +2.38
655 655 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,965 —
730 730 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,117 +27.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 347.50 $347.50 $1,460 —
601 601 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,923 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,500 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–930 892 85-90% 3 165.00–185.00 $171.21 $1,527 —
875–1145 985 85-90% 7 132.50–143.00 $136.57 $1,345 +35.70
1245 1245 85-90% 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,868 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1165 1160 80-85% 2 153.00–158.50 $155.74 $1,807 —
1350 1350 80-85% 1 177.50 $177.50 $2,396 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440 1440 75-80% 1 172.50 $172.50 $2,484 +12.04
1450–1690 1570 75-80% 2 156.00–157.00 $156.54 $2,458 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1800 1379 7 149.00–177.50 $169.03 $2,331 —
1705–2230 1968 2 181.50–186.00 $184.05 $3,622 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1075 1075 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1085 1085 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
855 855 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1450 1450 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,650.00 $2,650.00 —

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500 1500 85-90% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,950 —

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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.