Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report, Mt. Sterling, KY

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 11, 2026

506 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $374.91/cwt +14.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,450/hd at 654 lb · 89 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $325.75/cwt +7.75 vs last sale · ≈ $2,974/hd at 913 lb · 58 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $415.44/cwt -2.77 vs last sale · ≈ $2,169/hd at 522 lb · 28 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 506 393 738
Feeder cattle 387 274 623
Slaughter cattle 50 42 90
Replacement cattle 69 77 25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder and yearling steers steady, Feeder heifers mostly steady except 300-400 lbs they were sharply lower and 600-700 lbs they were 4.00-6.00 lower, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 lower, Slaughter bulls steady, Good demand for slaughter classes.

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
260 260 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,105 -145.00
330 fancy 330 1 615.00 $615.00 $2,030 —
365 365 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,624 -93.71
370–395 fancy 383 2 565.00 $565.00 $2,164 —
405 405 3 477.50 $477.50 $1,934 —
416–440 fancy 421 8 510.00–550.00 $535.99 $2,257 —
450–465 458 2 487.50–498.00 $492.84 $2,257 +20.54
455–485 fancy 470 2 510.00–530.00 $519.68 $2,442 —
525 525 1 450.00 $450.00 $2,362 +10.00
560 value added 560 1 480.00 $480.00 $2,688 —
580 580 2 440.00 $440.00 $2,552 +4.87
618–640 value added 624 4 402.00–430.00 $422.81 $2,638 —
654 value added 654 6 428.00 $428.00 $2,799 +10.78
650–688 680 7 360.00–393.00 $385.02 $2,618 +20.02
720–730 value added 725 2 360.00–387.50 $373.66 $2,709 —
835 835 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,756 —
913 value added 913 58 325.75 $325.75 $2,974 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,200 —
570 570 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,280 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550–580 565 2 325.00–340.00 $332.30 $1,877 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,169 —
320 fancy 320 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,520 -60.03
375 375 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,688 -36.75
372–388 fancy 379 7 500.00–502.50 $501.10 $1,899 -38.90
400–415 fancy 410 7 470.00–522.50 $491.77 $2,016 -3.46
412–440 426 10 450.00–465.00 $456.39 $1,944 -6.16
455–485 470 2 445.00–452.50 $448.63 $2,109 +61.13
500–545 value added 522 26 395.00–428.00 $419.80 $2,191 +0.63
520–525 523 2 352.50–365.00 $358.72 $1,876 -41.28
550–595 574 4 350.00–370.00 $356.24 $2,045 -37.82
560–585 value added 576 4 397.00–415.00 $409.38 $2,358 -2.59
610 value added 610 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,257 -37.50
651–672 value added 652 81 365.00–378.25 $377.37 $2,460 —
670 670 8 350.00 $350.00 $2,345 -15.31
700 700 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,317 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 300.00 $300.00 $885 —
455–485 475 4 340.00–420.00 $371.54 $1,765 —
550–590 573 4 320.00–347.50 $335.26 $1,921 +40.26
675 675 2 300.00–320.00 $310.00 $2,092 —
700 700 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,100 —
770 770 1 307.00 $307.00 $2,364 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 fancy 225 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,148 —
310–345 fancy 328 2 565.00–650.00 $605.23 $1,985 +5.23
380 380 2 458.00 $458.00 $1,740 —
382–392 fancy 387 4 520.00–525.00 $522.47 $2,022 -47.53
400–425 fancy 417 3 507.00–540.00 $517.56 $2,158 -2.01
462–477 fancy 470 5 485.00–514.00 $501.62 $2,358 —
495 495 2 451.00 $451.00 $2,232 -36.70
502–527 fancy 513 5 472.50–500.00 $480.86 $2,467 +12.54
500–545 517 18 410.00–445.00 $422.73 $2,186 +9.66
560–580 573 5 415.00–420.00 $415.98 $2,384 +11.02
605–620 612 3 350.00–370.00 $361.74 $2,214 -25.17
615 fancy 615 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,460 —
668 fancy 668 3 384.00 $384.00 $2,565 —
660–685 673 2 350.00–357.50 $353.68 $2,380 -14.70
720 720 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,304 -13.14
790 790 1 349.00 $349.00 $2,757 -0.46
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–440 433 3 430.00–442.50 $434.04 $1,879 —
485 485 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,013 —
750 750 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,362 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1315–1750 1533 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 2 3,400.00–3,425.00 $3,414.27 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1430 1298 80-85% 13 137.00–159.50 $152.74 $1,983 +0.74
1190–1410 1328 80-85% 7 160.00–166.00 $162.78 $2,162 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1155 1017 85-90% 10 137.50–155.00 $144.56 $1,470 +4.51
1015–1155 1077 85-90% 3 129.00–135.50 $133.28 $1,435 -24.74
1030–1195 1113 85-90% 2 163.00–165.00 $163.93 $1,825 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1640–1690 1665 75-80% 2 161.00 $161.00 $2,681 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1380–2240 1779 7 175.00–188.00 $183.09 $3,257 —
1775–2105 1866 4 191.00–199.00 $196.98 $3,676 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
740–1090 896 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 9 217.00–280.00 $243.35 $2,180
940 940 (<2 yrs)Open 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,256
1175 1175 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 217.50 $217.50 $2,556

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,300.00 $2,300.00
946–1261 1113 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 15 2,925.00–3,700.00 $3,320.37
885–1415 1118 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 12 2,750.00–4,025.00 $3,527.59
940–1790 1283 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 2,200.00–3,250.00 $2,622.25
1395 1395 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,525.00 $3,525.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
790–817 804 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 2,800.00–2,950.00 $2,873.74
832–945 871 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 3,050.00–3,550.00 $3,246.88

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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
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,450.00 $3,450.00 —
1185 1185 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,350.00 $3,350.00 —
1160–1550 1295 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 4 2,900.00–3,500.00 $3,238.22 -1,306.98
1430 1430 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 4,150.00 $4,150.00 —

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
760 760 (<2 yrs)Open 1 3,275.00 $3,275.00 —
825–910 868 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,800.00–3,100.00 $2,942.65 —
1035 1035 (<2 yrs)Open 1 3,625.00 $3,625.00 —

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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.