Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 19, 2025

556 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $351.74/cwt +10.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,653/hd at 470 lb · 42 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $336.79/cwt +8.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,949/hd at 579 lb · 42 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $397.50/cwt +5.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,777/hd at 447 lb · 35 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 556 544 577
Feeder cattle 455 409 461
Slaughter cattle 71 82 73
Replacement cattle 30 53 43

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was mostly lower with a plainer quality offering. Feeder steers 600 lbs and under were steady to 4.00 lower in spots with a good supply and good demand for quality feeder cattle. Feeder heifers 500 lbs and under were 4.00 to 6.00 lower, while the 550-650 lbs heifers were steady to 5.00 higher with a good supply. Buyers were active today and willing to pay premiums for quality cattle, however nasty weather conditions and a plainer quality offering fueled a softer undertone across the market. Slaughter cows were steady with a good supply and slaughter bulls were 1.00 to 2.00 lower with moderate 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
310 310 3 410.00 $410.00 $1,271 —
399 399 6 407.00 $407.00 $1,624 +5.64
430–449 447 35 375.00–400.00 $397.50 $1,777 +5.05
450–495 476 7 367.50–382.50 $372.91 $1,775 -33.70
556–582 561 11 360.00–367.00 $365.68 $2,051 +13.06
601 601 8 352.00 $352.00 $2,116 +8.74
660–670 668 4 320.00–326.00 $324.27 $2,166 -14.93
742 742 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,226 -35.00
815 815 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,445 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 2 360.00 $360.00 $828 —
265 265 1 347.50 $347.50 $921 -2.50
497 497 2 345.00 $345.00 $1,715 —
530 530 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,802 —
615 615 3 325.00 $325.00 $1,999 —
705 705 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,780 -47.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 2 325.00 $325.00 $1,349 —
495 495 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,683 —
518 518 3 312.00 $312.00 $1,616 —
570 570 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,881 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,050 —
605 605 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,724 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
185 185 1 395.00 $395.00 $731 —
250 250 1 360.00 $360.00 $900 -36.71
356 fancy 356 10 410.00 $410.00 $1,460 —
425 fancy 425 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,572 -21.91
428–445 437 9 335.00–350.00 $341.46 $1,492 -13.57
464 fancy 464 17 377.50 $377.50 $1,752 —
450–492 474 25 328.00–347.50 $334.23 $1,584 -6.77
500–545 517 14 312.00–332.50 $318.73 $1,648 -9.90
550–590 564 11 322.50–332.50 $327.76 $1,849 +10.25
584 584 31 340.00 $340.00 $1,986 +22.49
605 605 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,754 -20.00
610–635 625 7 314.00–330.00 $325.16 $2,032 +15.16
674–680 674 17 311.50–323.00 $312.18 $2,104 —
705–745 725 2 281.00–300.00 $290.24 $2,104 —
780 780 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,028 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 2 330.00 $330.00 $742 —
270–287 281 3 328.00–335.00 $332.76 $935 —
305–340 324 4 325.00–350.00 $338.34 $1,096 —
360–390 376 5 325.00–352.50 $346.73 $1,304 +4.23
415–420 418 3 320.00–327.00 $324.69 $1,357 -7.71
465–472 470 4 305.00–322.50 $314.40 $1,478 -5.60
517–535 523 3 277.50–280.00 $278.35 $1,456 -24.41
551 551 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,598 -5.77
615–625 618 3 267.50–287.50 $274.24 $1,695 -8.32
657–685 666 3 287.50–295.00 $292.43 $1,948 +17.36
800 800 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,000 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 301.00 $301.00 $993 —
350–390 370 2 297.00–300.00 $298.42 $1,104 —
430 430 1 227.50 $227.50 $978 —
460 460 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,184 -27.50
560 560 1 167.50 $167.50 $938 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,273 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 285.00 $285.00 $998 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,018 —
305 305 1 377.00 $377.00 $1,150 -35.36
362–390 374 4 372.50–385.00 $379.21 $1,418 -36.73
410–445 423 8 380.00–392.50 $384.23 $1,625 -35.77
455–485 464 14 370.00–385.00 $379.08 $1,759 -5.20
502 fancy 502 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,857 +1.00
500–545 522 15 330.00–350.00 $336.86 $1,758 -17.51
552 fancy 552 2 360.00 $360.00 $1,987 —
565–595 572 12 327.00–344.00 $340.84 $1,950 +9.87
600–613 610 4 318.00–320.00 $319.51 $1,949 -6.80
665–690 683 4 297.00–305.00 $299.45 $2,045 -23.61
725 725 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,121 —
875 875 2 249.00 $249.00 $2,179 —
955 955 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,244 —
1030 1030 1 216.00 $216.00 $2,225 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225–245 235 2 332.50–350.00 $340.88 $801 —
335–337 336 3 330.00–347.50 $335.81 $1,128 -51.86
370–390 383 3 340.00–365.00 $352.28 $1,349 -37.72
415 415 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,452 -33.01
485 485 3 325.00–357.50 $335.83 $1,629 -3.85
555–575 565 2 295.00–300.00 $297.46 $1,681 —
610–642 629 4 265.00–277.50 $273.20 $1,718 +0.70
675 675 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,789 —
785 785 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,845 —
840 840 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,226 —
855 855 2 240.00 $240.00 $2,052 —
1008 1008 3 202.00 $202.00 $2,036 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372–380 375 3 285.00–302.50 $296.58 $1,112 —
405–425 415 2 250.00–272.50 $260.98 $1,083 —
465–475 470 2 300.00–317.50 $308.66 $1,451 —
500–505 503 2 217.50–272.50 $244.86 $1,232 -55.14
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,032 —
440 440 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,320 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1260 1260 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 85-90% 1 80.00 $80.00 $620 —
805–1120 987 85-90% 7 112.50–121.50 $116.31 $1,148 —
825–1305 1087 85-90% 14 127.00–142.50 $133.43 $1,450 +19.05
1075–1375 1176 85-90% 5 144.00–151.50 $147.26 $1,732 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1650 1506 75-80% 14 146.50–160.00 $155.68 $2,345 +3.79
1395–1640 1531 75-80% 8 162.00–171.50 $164.63 $2,520 +12.74
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260 1260 80-85% 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,739 -30.50
1115–1445 1277 80-85% 9 147.00–156.50 $150.97 $1,928 -17.53
1285 1285 80-85% 1 169.00 $169.00 $2,172 +0.50

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1725 1482 3 154.50–164.00 $158.05 $2,342 —
1350–1685 1573 3 173.00–181.50 $176.50 $2,776 —
1780–1835 1808 2 189.50–194.50 $191.96 $3,471 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
765 765 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,950.00 $1,950.00
1130 1130 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,025.00 $2,025.00
1270 1270 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
1120–1500 1327 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 2,025.00–2,675.00 $2,216.43
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
820–1235 965 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,700.00–1,800.00 $1,760.32
1290 1290 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,385.00 $1,385.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
635 635 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
765 765 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00

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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
1280–1320 1295 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 3 2,100.00–2,600.00 $2,368.73 —
1585 1585 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,750.00 $3,750.00 —

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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.