Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 21, 2026

308 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $392.13/cwt +23.48 vs last sale · ≈ $2,570/hd at 655 lb · 57 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $381.36/cwt +9.44 vs last sale · ≈ $2,173/hd at 570 lb · 52 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $349.00/cwt +19.62 vs last sale · ≈ $2,802/hd at 803 lb · 29 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 308 511 239
Feeder cattle 277 463 225
Slaughter cattle 16 39 10
Replacement cattle 15 9 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was stronger with a limited number, but good quality offering. Good quality feeder steers were 2.00 to 6.00 higher, except for the 500-600 lbs steers who were sharply higher with strong demand for weaned and pre-conditioned groups. Feeder heifers 200-400 lbs appeared sharply higher but with a light test, while the 400-600 lbs heifers were mostly steady with good demand. Slaughter cows and bulls were 2.00 to 3.00 higher with a limited 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
205 205 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,015 —
357 357 2 527.50 $527.50 $1,883 —
405 fancy 405 1 532.50 $532.50 $2,157 —
435 435 1 490.00 $490.00 $2,132 +19.47
485 fancy 485 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,401 +6.00
490 490 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,230 +1.99
502–525 thin fleshed 512 5 480.00–500.00 $490.87 $2,513 +30.06
517–525 520 3 410.00–432.50 $417.58 $2,171 —
530–543 value added 538 5 455.00–460.00 $458.03 $2,464 +12.40
551 value added 551 4 460.00 $460.00 $2,535 +35.95
595 595 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,261 —
610–625 621 4 367.00–385.00 $375.33 $2,331 -3.62
626 value added 626 5 392.00 $392.00 $2,454 -11.73
650–668 value added 653 49 385.00–397.00 $395.25 $2,581 +7.75
670 670 8 373.00 $373.00 $2,499 +6.34
730 730 1 334.00 $334.00 $2,438 -16.00
760 760 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,584 +2.50
803 value added 803 29 349.00 $349.00 $2,802 —
854 854 6 330.50 $330.50 $2,822 -5.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705 705 1 302.50 $302.50 $2,133 —
885 885 1 307.50 $307.50 $2,721 —
1085 1085 1 216.00 $216.00 $2,344 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,270 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 fancy 205 1 460.00 $460.00 $943 —
285 fancy 285 1 482.50 $482.50 $1,375 +5.00
310–315 fancy 313 2 482.50–495.00 $488.70 $1,530 +11.65
355–360 fancy 358 3 467.50–490.00 $474.93 $1,700 +15.75
355–390 375 3 415.00–440.00 $427.45 $1,603 +15.34
415 fancy 415 1 417.50 $417.50 $1,733 -6.56
466 fancy 466 3 400.00 $400.00 $1,864 -4.99
460–495 480 4 375.00–392.50 $387.56 $1,860 +6.75
510 value added 510 4 391.00 $391.00 $1,994 +3.50
545 545 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,826 -29.38
552–580 563 8 345.00–355.00 $347.53 $1,957 -1.16
563–593 value added 571 44 379.00–390.50 $387.51 $2,213 -1.57
605 value added 605 5 360.00 $360.00 $2,178 —
627 627 4 338.00 $338.00 $2,119 +3.03
985 985 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,462 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,319 -45.00
410 410 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,476 -5.00
600 600 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,800 -20.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 487.50 $487.50 $1,584 +7.50
375 375 1 467.50 $467.50 $1,753 +7.50
395 fancy 395 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,916 —
420 420 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,806 +5.84
435 fancy 435 1 460.00 $460.00 $2,001 -8.85
477 fancy 477 2 445.00 $445.00 $2,123 -7.50
480–490 483 4 395.00–402.50 $400.60 $1,935 -22.40
510–545 524 5 390.00–406.00 $400.80 $2,100 +26.30
546 fancy 546 5 415.00 $415.00 $2,266 -17.67
560 fancy 560 1 397.00 $397.00 $2,223 +3.00
555–580 563 5 370.00–385.00 $377.94 $2,128 -5.79
600–640 618 3 340.00–355.00 $346.58 $2,142 -7.38
717 717 2 338.00 $338.00 $2,423 —
765 765 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,448 —
882 882 4 291.00 $291.00 $2,567 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 417.50 $417.50 $1,232 —
355 355 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,251 -67.66
585 585 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,843 -35.00
711 711 3 290.00 $290.00 $2,062 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–1005 930 85-90% 2 121.00–127.00 $124.24 $1,155 —
665–1235 1023 85-90% 3 142.00–145.00 $143.41 $1,467 -3.09
1175–1240 1208 85-90% 2 151.00–156.50 $153.82 $1,858 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1380 1277 80-85% 3 150.00–162.50 $156.19 $1,995 +4.06
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1635 1635 75-80% 1 162.50 $162.50 $2,657 -6.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1775–1815 1790 3 180.00–191.50 $186.29 $3,335 —
2340 2340 1 173.50 $173.50 $4,060 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1040 1040 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00
1095–1530 1385 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,875.00–2,975.00 $2,901.35
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780 780 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,025.00 $2,025.00
800 800 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,175.00 $2,175.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1055–1100 1078 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 2,125.00–2,550.00 $2,333.06 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1305 1305 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,250.00 $3,250.00 —

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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.