Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 18, 2026

431 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $430.70/cwt +14.33 vs last sale · ≈ $2,225/hd at 517 lb · 48 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $426.03/cwt +29.39 vs last sale · ≈ $2,454/hd at 576 lb · 34 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $478.48/cwt +33.61 vs last sale · ≈ $2,702/hd at 565 lb · 31 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale
Total receipts	431	624
Feeder cattle	395	555
Slaughter cattle	31	44
Replacement cattle	5	25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers 600 lbs and under were 3.00 to 8.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and strong demand. Yearling steers appeared stronger as well but with limited comparisons. Feeder heifers were sharply higher across all weight classes with a good supply and strong demand. Buyers were active today and continue to increase the premiums paid for quality feeders. Slaughter cows were 2.00 to 4.00 higher with a moderate supply and slaughter bulls appeared stronger but with limited comparisons.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
350–357 thin fleshed	355	3	577.50–600.00	$584.90	$2,076	—
380–396 fancy	393	8	525.00–550.00	$539.48	$2,120	+23.21
400–415 fancy	407	8	532.50–552.50	$540.29	$2,199	—
420–441	436	4	512.00–520.00	$518.07	$2,259	+44.28
467–498	486	13	466.00–494.00	$480.72	$2,336	+4.20
475–494 fancy	487	15	509.00–527.00	$515.96	$2,513	+1.79
505–540	523	2	417.00–440.00	$428.11	$2,239	+37.02
517–547 value added	536	6	446.00–471.00	$457.09	$2,450	+3.43
550–555	553	3	420.00–447.50	$434.16	$2,401	+41.42
558–577 value added	566	28	465.00–490.00	$483.23	$2,735	+27.38
620–640 value added	623	9	430.00–452.00	$447.33	$2,787	+10.56
600–642	629	4	399.00–420.00	$413.54	$2,601	+4.54
655–673 value added	665	20	415.00–431.00	$419.03	$2,787	—
695	695	1	391.00	$391.00	$2,717	—
700	700	1	386.00	$386.00	$2,702	—
755–793	779	9	352.00–373.00	$360.82	$2,811	+0.82
800–842	828	3	332.00–340.00	$334.58	$2,770	—
898	898	3	331.00	$331.00	$2,972	+8.09
990	990	1	290.00	$290.00	$2,871	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
390	390	1	477.50	$477.50	$1,862	—
410	410	1	435.00	$435.00	$1,784	—
460–477	471	3	431.00–436.00	$434.37	$2,046	+11.87
783	783	4	345.00	$345.00	$2,701	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
460	460	1	410.00	$410.00	$1,886	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
265	265	1	470.00	$470.00	$1,246	+1.35
280 fancy	280	1	510.00	$510.00	$1,428	—
337 fancy	337	2	522.50	$522.50	$1,761	+27.50
370–380	375	2	475.00–485.00	$480.07	$1,800	+42.43
365–385 fancy	382	7	497.00–515.00	$507.51	$1,939	+49.46
405–435 fancy	414	6	497.50–505.00	$499.99	$2,070	+26.74
415–440	424	4	452.50–475.00	$465.04	$1,972	+20.82
455 fancy	455	3	482.50	$482.50	$2,195	+17.44
470–485	477	4	435.00–450.00	$441.19	$2,104	+41.25
500–546 value added	516	46	421.00–436.00	$431.60	$2,227	+12.02
530	530	2	410.00	$410.00	$2,173	+20.88
550–570	560	2	385.00–394.00	$389.58	$2,182	+7.86
557–578 value added	577	32	417.50–429.00	$428.31	$2,471	+16.94
610–640	627	3	335.00–355.00	$346.52	$2,173	+1.65
610–647	629	4	384.00–390.00	$386.91	$2,434	+42.04
655	655	2	360.00–365.00	$362.50	$2,374	+29.20
667–697	688	11	338.00–355.00	$345.56	$2,377	+12.26
706–730	714	5	314.00–335.00	$327.69	$2,340	+60.19
748	748	3	342.50	$342.50	$2,562	+22.42
750	750	3	336.00	$336.00	$2,520	+18.66
759	759	10	349.50	$349.50	$2,653	+32.16
770	770	1	315.00	$315.00	$2,426	-2.34
885	885	2	347.50	$347.50	$3,075	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
355–395	373	4	435.00–455.00	$448.71	$1,674	+41.21
425–445	435	2	422.50–427.50	$424.94	$1,848	—
470	470	2	405.00–410.00	$407.50	$1,915	—
515	515	2	372.50	$372.50	$1,918	—
690	690	1	310.00	$310.00	$2,139	+4.93
850	850	1	270.00	$270.00	$2,295	—
905–915	910	2	277.00–277.50	$277.25	$2,523	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
285	285	1	300.00	$300.00	$855	—
322	322	2	330.00	$330.00	$1,063	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
470	470	1	385.00	$385.00	$1,810	—
505	505	1	370.00	$370.00	$1,868	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
280 fancy	280	1	585.00	$585.00	$1,638	—
305–320	313	2	540.00–555.00	$547.32	$1,713	—
355–380 fancy	368	2	560.00–587.50	$573.28	$2,110	—
385	385	1	525.00	$525.00	$2,021	—
400	400	1	495.00	$495.00	$1,980	+17.25
465–495	478	4	462.00–472.50	$469.19	$2,243	+36.69
480 fancy	480	1	497.00	$497.00	$2,386	—
502 fancy	502	2	475.00	$475.00	$2,384	+20.00
525	525	2	440.00–452.50	$446.25	$2,343	+27.43
565–580	575	3	404.00–432.50	$422.92	$2,432	—
625	625	1	406.00	$406.00	$2,538	+29.39
665	665	1	391.00	$391.00	$2,600	+32.23
820	820	1	299.00	$299.00	$2,452	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
515	515	1	370.00	$370.00	$1,906	-20.00
805	805	1	265.00	$265.00	$2,133	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
695–1215	1041	85-90%	6	135.00–150.00	$140.67	$1,464	-21.82
1035–1140	1070	85-90%	3	129.00–132.00	$130.29	$1,394	-9.49
1050–1270	1177	85-90%	3	154.50–178.00	$168.85	$1,987	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1390–1645	1504	75-80%	5	177.00–183.00	$179.20	$2,695	—
1455–1845	1634	75-80%	4	158.00–172.00	$167.52	$2,737	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1175–1415	1307	80-85%	5	164.00–175.00	$169.85	$2,220	—
1435	1435	80-85%	1	191.00	$191.00	$2,741	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1105–1740	1430	3	181.00–198.50	$192.78	$2,757	—
1715–1890	1803	2	209.50–222.00	$216.05	$3,895	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1100–1125	1113	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	2	200.00–203.00	$201.52	$2,243

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1250–1305	1278	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	3,100.00–3,300.00	$3,202.15

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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.