Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 7, 2026

529 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $376.45/cwt +19.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,958/hd at 520 lb · 32 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $339.53/cwt ≈ $2,295/hd at 676 lb · 29 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $374.75/cwt +34.75 vs last sale · ≈ $2,318/hd at 619 lb · 26 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 529 265 0
Feeder cattle 428 203 0
Slaughter cattle 79 45 0
Replacement cattle 22 17 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

No trends due to market being closed last week for the holidays, however the feeder market appeared stronger with a good supply and strong demand weaned and pre-conditioned feeders.

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
435 435 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,870 +30.00
440–441 fancy 441 4 453.00–460.00 $454.75 $2,005 —
452–470 fancy 461 4 451.00–460.00 $455.41 $2,099 +7.91
450–471 466 5 410.00–440.00 $433.20 $2,019 +18.20
503–541 value added 517 13 460.00–472.00 $470.03 $2,430 —
530–545 538 2 385.00–414.00 $399.70 $2,150 +30.96
550–560 value added 559 10 400.00–423.00 $419.43 $2,345 —
567 fancy 567 2 447.50 $447.50 $2,537 —
575–580 578 3 377.50–394.00 $382.97 $2,214 +16.84
601 fancy 601 10 409.00 $409.00 $2,458 —
600–605 value added 602 3 370.00–377.50 $374.99 $2,257 —
630–641 636 13 340.00–356.00 $348.34 $2,215 +8.34
663–695 676 8 346.00–363.50 $358.83 $2,426 +21.85
712–730 715 12 320.00–346.50 $342.86 $2,451 —
755–780 763 3 320.00–329.00 $322.97 $2,464 —
820–822 822 12 326.00–330.50 $329.38 $2,708 —
875 875 1 301.00 $301.00 $2,634 —
905 905 2 285.00 $285.00 $2,579 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 417.50 $417.50 $1,607 +100.41
610 610 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,800 —
705 705 2 292.50 $292.50 $2,062 —
850 850 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,422 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 640 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,824 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 fancy 295 2 442.00–445.00 $443.50 $1,308 —
317 317 2 395.00 $395.00 $1,252 —
375–385 fancy 378 4 417.00–435.00 $427.14 $1,615 —
380–385 383 2 395.00–410.00 $402.45 $1,541 +10.45
400 fancy 400 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,640 -20.00
400–417 407 5 380.00–390.00 $388.03 $1,579 +9.33
451–498 fancy 474 12 389.00–417.50 $392.94 $1,863 -2.06
455–480 476 6 370.00–380.00 $376.73 $1,793 +19.13
516–535 value added 519 19 380.00–397.00 $390.41 $2,026 —
500–545 522 13 350.00–370.00 $356.05 $1,859 +7.72
555–572 value added 568 10 377.00–387.50 $378.92 $2,152 —
560–586 576 11 360.00–372.50 $370.23 $2,133 +26.76
630–633 632 5 320.00–344.00 $334.43 $2,114 +25.46
651 value added 651 9 357.50 $357.50 $2,327 —
670–699 687 20 318.00–340.00 $331.44 $2,277 —
705–735 717 3 305.00–317.50 $309.27 $2,217 —
760 760 4 310.00 $310.00 $2,356 —
805–842 830 3 297.00–300.00 $297.97 $2,473 —
854 854 10 306.50 $306.50 $2,618 —
1045 1045 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,404 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–310 303 3 350.00–372.50 $357.42 $1,083 —
360 360 2 382.50 $382.50 $1,377 +32.50
425–446 438 5 365.00–372.00 $369.28 $1,617 —
465–497 483 5 350.00–360.00 $354.12 $1,710 —
525 525 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,732 +1.63
552 552 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,766 —
620–640 633 3 300.00–310.00 $306.74 $1,942 +24.74
860 860 1 272.50 $272.50 $2,344 +25.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,035 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 —— 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,305 +45.07
306–325 310 —— 5 445.00–450.00 $448.95 $1,392 +48.99
370 fancy 370 —— 1 482.50 $482.50 $1,785 —
383–386 385 —— 6 425.00–427.50 $426.25 $1,641 +19.25
400–410 fancy 405 —— 2 462.50–467.00 $464.78 $1,882 +14.78
405–440 426 —— 10 400.00–430.00 $417.58 $1,779 -3.92
465 fancy 465 —— 1 440.00 $440.00 $2,046 —
455–485 473 —— 4 395.00–420.00 $408.56 $1,932 +29.77
500–521 fancy 515 —— 5 411.00–420.00 $417.85 $2,152 —
505–531 525 —— 4 370.00–395.00 $388.98 $2,042 +24.28
555–570 563 —— 3 367.50–380.00 $373.37 $2,102 +22.97
572 fancy 572 —— 2 395.00 $395.00 $2,259 —
600–645 620 —— 4 345.00–360.00 $352.56 $2,186 —
655 655 —— 1 342.00 $342.00 $2,240 +21.18
720–725 721 —— 5 320.00–327.00 $324.40 $2,339 +11.90
1230 1230 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 215.00 $215.00 $2,644 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 400.00 $400.00 $980 —
420–445 433 2 370.00–387.50 $378.50 $1,639 +23.88
465–490 478 2 385.00–402.50 $393.52 $1,881 +33.77
545 545 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,839 +7.50
640 640 1 304.00 $304.00 $1,946 +32.48
745 745 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,900 —
810 810 3 267.00 $267.00 $2,163 —
920 920 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,932 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,832 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,120 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725–1435 1121 85-90% 15 128.00–144.00 $136.44 $1,529 -3.45
1025–1370 1180 85-90% 5 147.00–162.50 $150.85 $1,780 —
965–1400 1193 85-90% 3 117.00–120.00 $118.85 $1,418 —
1215 1215 85-90% 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,179 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1460 1266 80-85% 16 146.50–159.50 $152.21 $1,927 -7.04
1295 1295 80-85% 1 165.00 $165.00 $2,137 +5.75
1190–1440 1335 80-85% 3 130.00–132.50 $131.60 $1,757 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1720 1460 75-80% 11 154.00–162.50 $157.75 $2,303 —
1490–1705 1568 75-80% 3 168.50–170.00 $169.52 $2,658 —
1690 1690 75-80% 1 148.00 $148.00 $2,501 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1920 1514 4 167.00–178.00 $173.95 $2,634 —
1245–1935 1563 6 184.00–194.50 $189.72 $2,965 —
1915–2475 2130 3 200.00–217.50 $207.28 $4,415 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
965 965 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00
1015 1015 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,650.00 $2,650.00
1190–1452 1333 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 2,550.00–3,075.00 $2,928.47
1315–1555 1435 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,475.00–3,175.00 $2,795.73
1535–1545 1540 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,585.00–2,600.00 $2,592.52
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1130 1130 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00
Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
795 795 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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
1545 1545 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00 —

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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.