Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 25, 2026

239 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $452.58/cwt -6.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,176/hd at 481 lb · 28 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $410.73/cwt -19.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,152/hd at 524 lb · 18 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $409.95/cwt -16.08 vs last sale · ≈ $2,313/hd at 564 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 239 431 559
Feeder cattle 206 395 467
Slaughter cattle 28 31 78
Replacement cattle 5 5 14

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was lower with an average quality offering. Light weight feeder steers 400 lbs and under appeared firm, while the 400-600 lbs steers were steady to 5.00 lower with a light test. Feeder heifers 600 lbs and under were 5.00 to 10.00 lower with a moderate supply and moderate demand. Slaughter cows were steady to 2.00 lower and slaughter bulls were steady with good demand. Additionally, an increasing interest and demand was seen and noted for cows to return to the farm.

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
215 fancy 215 1 615.00 $615.00 $1,322 —
260 fancy 260 1 630.00 $630.00 $1,638 —
345 345 1 555.00 $555.00 $1,915 —
360–365 363 2 535.00–562.50 $548.66 $1,992 —
425–428 428 6 517.00–525.00 $518.33 $2,218 +0.26
460 460 1 497.50 $497.50 $2,288 +16.78
529–530 value added 529 6 450.00–465.00 $452.50 $2,394 -4.59
562 value added 562 2 455.00 $455.00 $2,557 -28.23
593 593 4 413.00 $413.00 $2,449 —
605–637 626 3 385.00 $385.00 $2,410 -28.54
695 695 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,537 -26.00
792 792 4 339.50 $339.50 $2,689 -21.32
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
442 442 4 470.00 $470.00 $2,077 +35.00
495 495 1 465.00 $465.00 $2,302 +30.63
600 600 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,100 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,993 —
700 700 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,820 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 fancy 220 1 640.00 $640.00 $1,408 —
245 245 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,176 —
305 305 1 497.50 $497.50 $1,517 —
350 350 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,592 -25.07
350–390 fancy 377 3 490.00–505.00 $494.65 $1,865 -12.86
403–437 fancy 414 8 472.50–485.00 $475.62 $1,969 -24.37
435 435 2 450.00 $450.00 $1,958 -15.04
455–486 fancy 479 23 455.00–472.50 $457.92 $2,193 -24.58
485–495 489 5 422.50–432.50 $428.01 $2,093 -13.18
500–540 value added 523 13 415.00–424.00 $419.91 $2,196 -11.69
510–535 526 5 385.00–392.00 $386.85 $2,035 -23.15
556–580 value added 558 10 406.00–419.00 $417.65 $2,330 -10.66
575–590 585 3 372.50–390.00 $384.27 $2,248 -5.31
605 605 1 349.00 $349.00 $2,111 +2.48
600–645 621 7 387.00–402.00 $391.58 $2,432 +45.06
690 690 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,346 -5.56
737 737 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,506 -2.50
820 820 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,378 —
915 915 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,516 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,460 -48.71
460 460 1 402.00 $402.00 $1,849 -5.50
540 540 1 357.50 $357.50 $1,930 -15.00
605 605 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,003 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,015 +50.00
482 482 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,856 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
667 667 2 330.00 $330.00 $2,201 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 1 233.00 $233.00 $2,819 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 fancy 320 1 620.00 $620.00 $1,984 —
365 fancy 365 1 580.00 $580.00 $2,117 +6.72
375–385 380 2 507.00–510.00 $508.52 $1,932 -16.48
440 fancy 440 1 507.00 $507.00 $2,231 —
460 fancy 460 3 512.00–514.00 $513.33 $2,361 +16.33
520–540 530 2 462.50–467.50 $464.95 $2,464 +18.70
550 550 1 437.50 $437.50 $2,406 +14.58
628–630 629 5 370.00–390.00 $381.98 $2,403 -24.02
651 651 3 387.00 $387.00 $2,519 -4.00
740 740 1 339.00 $339.00 $2,509 —
800 800 1 318.00 $318.00 $2,544 +19.00
895 895 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,685 —
910 910 1 309.00 $309.00 $2,812 —
1210 1210 1 200.00 $200.00 $2,420 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–360 355 2 472.50–480.00 $476.30 $1,691 —
430 430 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,935 —
575 575 1 347.50 $347.50 $1,998 —
615 615 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,122 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,150 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1425 1255 80-85% 5 159.00–173.00 $167.33 $2,100 —
1255 1255 80-85% 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,845 —
1195–1305 1257 80-85% 3 177.50–180.00 $178.46 $2,243 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–970 958 85-90% 2 112.00–115.00 $113.52 $1,088 —
935–1015 975 85-90% 2 133.50–151.50 $142.87 $1,393 —
1090–1215 1153 85-90% 2 160.00–170.00 $164.73 $1,899 -4.12

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510 1510 1 172.50 $172.50 $2,605 —
1655–2315 2108 4 185.00–196.50 $191.15 $4,029 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
840–1175 1043 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 197.00–225.00 $209.97 $2,190
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
930–1220 1048 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 170.00–190.00 $180.76 $1,894

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1235 1235 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,300.00 $3,300.00
1470 1470 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,550.00 $3,550.00
Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
745 745 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
935 935 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00

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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.