Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 18, 2026

324 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $425.74/cwt +10.31 vs last sale · ≈ $2,237/hd at 525 lb · 22 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $422.54/cwt +39.73 vs last sale · ≈ $2,385/hd at 565 lb · 20 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $375.62/cwt +1.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,731/hd at 727 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 324 506 751
Feeder cattle 280 387 611
Slaughter cattle 24 50 72
Replacement cattle 20 69 68

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday both the feeder and slaughter markets were stronger with a limited but high quality offering. Feeder steers 300-600 lbs were 3.00 to 8.00 higher or greater in spots with a moderate supply and strong demand for weaned packages and groups. Feeder heifers 400 lbs and under appeared steady with a light test, while the 500-600 lbs heifers were sharply higher with strong demand for high quality and value added females. Slaughter cows were mostly steady for the leans, while the heavier conditioned high dressing cows were sharply higher with a limited supply and strong demand. Slaughter bulls appeared stronger with a light test.

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
225 225 1 540.00 $540.00 $1,215 —
260–297 fancy 285 3 630.00–647.50 $642.17 $1,830 —
335–345 fancy 340 2 620.00–647.50 $633.95 $2,155 +18.95
365 365 1 555.00 $555.00 $2,026 +110.00
425 425 1 480.00 $480.00 $2,040 +2.50
420–448 fancy 441 4 550.00–575.00 $569.05 $2,510 +33.06
462 value added 462 2 587.50 $587.50 $2,714 —
450–495 473 2 505.00–512.00 $508.67 $2,406 +15.83
478 fancy 478 4 555.00 $555.00 $2,653 +35.32
500–542 value added 514 11 495.00–529.00 $517.27 $2,659 —
520 520 1 477.50 $477.50 $2,483 +27.50
570 570 4 460.00 $460.00 $2,622 +20.00
555–597 value added 576 12 470.00–500.00 $489.99 $2,822 +9.99
605–647 value added 613 14 437.00–472.00 $465.18 $2,852 +42.37
660–680 669 4 390.00–402.00 $395.99 $2,649 +10.97
677 value added 677 4 430.00 $430.00 $2,911 +2.00
709–735 value added 712 10 387.00–397.50 $389.28 $2,772 +15.62
740–746 742 10 350.00–370.00 $361.96 $2,686 —
765–770 766 9 347.50–356.00 $355.05 $2,720 —
800–830 820 3 336.00–340.00 $337.30 $2,766 +7.30
857–882 865 19 332.00–333.50 $332.48 $2,876 —
980 980 1 317.00 $317.00 $3,107 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–290 285 2 465.00–485.00 $475.18 $1,354 —
530–535 533 2 400.00–435.00 $417.42 $2,225 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
577 577 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,962 -60.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,173 —
342 342 2 492.50 $492.50 $1,684 —
350–375 fancy 362 5 492.50–512.50 $499.55 $1,808 -1.55
412 fancy 412 2 490.00 $490.00 $2,019 -1.77
400–445 430 10 445.00–465.00 $455.93 $1,960 -0.46
452–455 fancy 454 10 467.50–481.00 $478.31 $2,172 —
492 492 2 427.50 $427.50 $2,103 -21.13
505–510 509 4 385.00–405.00 $394.98 $2,010 +36.26
510–532 value added 529 18 412.00–438.00 $432.58 $2,288 +12.78
556–572 value added 564 19 412.00–429.50 $424.52 $2,394 +15.14
575 575 1 385.00 $385.00 $2,214 +28.76
632–640 value added 636 13 380.00–400.00 $396.14 $2,519 +26.14
681 681 3 356.00 $356.00 $2,424 +6.00
710–720 716 6 340.00–348.00 $343.66 $2,461 +12.66
760 760 8 333.00 $333.00 $2,531 —
855 855 1 327.50 $327.50 $2,800 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 437.50 $437.50 $1,816 —
450–470 458 3 415.00–422.50 $418.34 $1,916 —
645 645 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,386 —
775 775 1 262.50 $262.50 $2,034 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,120 —
590 590 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,976 -0.26

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 —— 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,210 —
465 465 —— 1 482.50 $482.50 $2,244 +31.50
495 fancy 495 —— 1 507.50 $507.50 $2,512 +5.88
500–530 fancy 513 —— 3 462.50–487.00 $473.37 $2,428 -7.49
535–541 540 —— 4 435.00–442.50 $436.86 $2,359 +14.13
655–657 fancy 656 —— 4 402.00–405.00 $403.50 $2,647 +19.50
665 665 —— 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,995 -53.68
680 680 —— 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,312 -13.68
1100 1100 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 272.50 $272.50 $2,998 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,357 —
425 425 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,912 —
480–495 485 4 430.00–452.50 $436.90 $2,119 —
620 620 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,984 —
905 905 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,810 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1520 1520 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 3,600.00 $3,600.00 +185.73
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,476 -74.04

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–1010 857 85-90% 3 164.00–179.00 $174.19 $1,493 —
870–1420 1056 85-90% 5 133.00–148.00 $141.16 $1,491 +7.88
1295 1295 85-90% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,515 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1295 1203 80-85% 5 176.00–183.00 $179.09 $2,154 —
1345 1345 80-85% 1 154.00 $154.00 $2,071 -8.78
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1560 1480 75-80% 3 181.50–191.00 $185.93 $2,752 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1925 1925 1 190.50 $190.50 $3,667 —
2020–2155 2088 2 209.50–210.00 $209.74 $4,379 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
895 895 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 277.00 $277.00 $2,479
870–980 925 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 175.00–181.00 $177.82 $1,645

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,875.00 $2,875.00
1115–1325 1192 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 2,575.00–2,950.00 $2,769.55
995–1370 1239 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 10 2,575.00–3,275.00 $3,015.93
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
965 965 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,535.00 $1,535.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1250 1250 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
775 775 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,475.00 $2,475.00

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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.