Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 17, 2025

265 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $343.47/cwt -13.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,937/hd at 564 lb · 21 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $380.98/cwt +3.41 vs last sale · ≈ $1,836/hd at 482 lb · 16 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $356.94/cwt -13.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,834/hd at 514 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 265 906 301
Feeder cattle 203 815 236
Slaughter cattle 45 66 49
Replacement cattle 17 25 16

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was mostly steady with an average quality offering. Good quality feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were mostly steady with a limited supply and good demand for weaned calves. Buyers were active today and willing to pay premiums for quality, while discounting plainer and off colored calves severely. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady to 2.00 higher with a light supply and 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
200 200 1 425.00 $425.00 $850 —
421 421 3 400.00 $400.00 $1,684 -24.10
450 fancy 450 10 447.50 $447.50 $2,014 —
465 465 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,930 +7.97
505 thin fleshed 505 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,970 —
530–545 536 4 355.00–380.00 $368.74 $1,976 +0.72
555–570 562 7 360.00–367.50 $366.13 $2,058 -6.41
635 635 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,159 -8.04
652–680 662 8 333.00–339.00 $336.98 $2,231 -5.72
960 960 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,544 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–390 370 2 310.00–325.00 $317.09 $1,173 —
430–445 438 2 367.50–385.00 $376.40 $1,649 -21.10
452–477 466 5 375.00–387.50 $379.57 $1,769 —
570–593 587 4 326.00–335.00 $328.18 $1,926 -11.82
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670 670 1 327.00 $327.00 $2,191 —
800 800 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,340 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 392.00 $392.00 $1,529 +7.23
425 fancy 425 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,828 +18.13
410–445 428 2 377.50–380.00 $378.70 $1,621 +2.58
467–486 fancy 477 10 395.00 $395.00 $1,884 -11.35
465–497 490 6 346.00–367.00 $357.60 $1,752 -16.04
503 503 7 368.00 $368.00 $1,851 +5.46
500–535 522 9 340.00–360.00 $348.33 $1,818 -14.21
555–580 564 21 325.00–347.50 $343.47 $1,937 -5.02
605–615 610 2 305.00–313.00 $308.97 $1,885 -19.85
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,138 -15.97
367 367 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,284 +5.78
541–545 542 7 325.00–337.50 $328.37 $1,780 +17.08
625 625 1 282.00 $282.00 $1,762 -21.90
680 680 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,938 +4.12
710 710 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,846 —
855 855 1 247.50 $247.50 $2,116 +7.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,190 —
497 497 2 344.00 $344.00 $1,710 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,323 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–285 278 4 397.50–407.50 $404.93 $1,126 —
320–325 323 2 395.00–405.00 $399.96 $1,292 -38.00
350 350 2 402.00–412.00 $407.00 $1,424 -23.87
415 fancy 415 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,868 —
400–435 422 3 405.00–430.00 $421.50 $1,779 +7.66
457–465 460 4 375.00–390.00 $378.79 $1,742 -14.39
520–540 530 2 362.00–367.50 $364.70 $1,933 -5.11
568–590 574 4 340.00–354.00 $350.40 $2,011 -2.79
670–682 678 3 320.00–322.50 $320.82 $2,175 +8.86
720 720 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,250 +13.50
800 800 1 255.00 $255.00 $2,040 —
880 880 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,936 —
905–935 920 2 207.50–217.50 $212.42 $1,954 —
1105 1105 1 205.00 $205.00 $2,265 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 362.50 $362.50 $997 —
345 345 3 355.00 $355.00 $1,225 —
367–370 368 3 370.00–385.00 $375.03 $1,380 -5.10
425–447 437 6 350.00–370.00 $354.62 $1,550 —
455–490 467 3 350.00–365.00 $359.75 $1,680 -14.16
532 532 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,756 —
570 570 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,710 —
605–645 618 3 265.00–275.00 $271.52 $1,678 -33.48
880 880 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,584 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,032 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 300.00 $300.00 $795 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780–1265 963 85-90% 6 122.00–127.00 $124.14 $1,195 —
1060–1095 1078 85-90% 2 157.50–160.00 $158.73 $1,711 —
730–1490 1141 85-90% 7 131.00–144.00 $139.89 $1,596 +4.61
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1400 1223 80-85% 4 147.00–149.00 $147.86 $1,808 —
930–1620 1289 80-85% 11 152.00–167.00 $159.25 $2,053 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1675 1530 75-80% 3 170.00–174.50 $172.40 $2,638 —
1350–1905 1536 75-80% 7 156.00–167.50 $162.70 $2,499 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1290 1248 2 165.00–166.00 $165.48 $2,065 —
1475–1970 1727 3 176.00–183.50 $179.37 $3,098 —
2205 2205 1 219.50 $219.50 $4,840 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
915–1085 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 170.00–178.00 $173.66 $1,737

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Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1035 1035 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1390 1390 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,110.00 $2,110.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
995 995 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,050.00 $2,050.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,400.00 $2,400.00

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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
1430–1645 1490 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 4 2,825.00–3,000.00 $2,951.69 —

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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.