Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 25, 2026

530 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $440.32/cwt -29.52 vs last sale · ≈ $2,134/hd at 485 lb · 32 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $483.52/cwt +21.92 vs last sale · ≈ $2,062/hd at 426 lb · 30 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $422.44/cwt -3.31 vs last sale · ≈ $2,196/hd at 520 lb · 24 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 530 324 756
Feeder cattle 439 280 654
Slaughter cattle 47 24 72
Replacement cattle 44 20 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was mostly stronger with an average quality offering. Feeder steers 350 lbs and under appeared sharply higher with a lite test, while the 400-600 lbs steers were unevenly steady with a good supply and good demand. Feeder heifers 300-600 lbs were mostly 2.00 to 6.00 higher or greater in spots with a good supply and good demand for weaned and thinner conditioned feeders. Slaughter cows appeared steady and slaughter bulls appeared 4.00 to 6.00 higher, with a good supply and good demand, compared to last weeks lite 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
240 fancy 240 1 627.00 $627.00 $1,505 —
277 fancy 277 4 672.50 $672.50 $1,863 +30.33
260–290 280 3 565.00 $565.00 $1,582 —
325 325 1 512.50 $512.50 $1,666 —
356 fancy 356 4 635.00 $635.00 $2,261 —
353–390 368 7 570.00–605.00 $585.70 $2,155 +30.70
408–425 fancy 412 4 554.00–570.00 $558.12 $2,299 -10.93
407–435 418 18 500.00–541.00 $524.56 $2,193 +44.56
468 fancy 468 6 541.00 $541.00 $2,532 -14.00
450–483 472 14 523.00–531.00 $528.61 $2,495 +19.94
515–517 value added 516 3 504.00–507.00 $505.00 $2,606 -12.27
510–541 532 7 481.00–494.00 $490.81 $2,611 +13.31
550–572 value added 568 11 483.00–487.00 $483.70 $2,747 -6.29
592 592 4 463.00 $463.00 $2,741 +3.00
615–635 622 6 442.50–450.00 $447.45 $2,783 —
660–675 value added 668 2 426.00–441.00 $433.42 $2,895 +3.42
705–732 value added 723 3 380.00–390.00 $386.75 $2,796 -2.53
780–795 788 3 336.00–357.00 $348.29 $2,745 -6.76
829 829 6 347.00 $347.00 $2,877 +9.70
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–390 378 2 475.00–490.00 $482.25 $1,823 —
450–495 479 5 440.00–465.00 $446.74 $2,140 —
520 520 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,184 +2.58
605 605 1 367.50 $367.50 $2,223 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 427.50 $427.50 $1,368 —
445 445 1 417.00 $417.00 $1,856 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
175 175 1 490.00 $490.00 $858 —
220 220 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,012 -50.00
265–290 278 2 480.00–485.00 $482.39 $1,341 —
265–295 fancy 283 3 515.00–532.50 $527.04 $1,492 —
358–395 fancy 369 10 502.00–530.00 $518.82 $1,914 +19.27
362–385 370 12 457.50–497.50 $487.55 $1,804 —
411–445 fancy 426 19 482.50–502.00 $495.28 $2,110 +5.28
400–441 427 11 442.50–470.00 $463.22 $1,978 +7.29
450–472 fancy 463 9 455.00–467.50 $464.49 $2,151 -13.82
475–499 493 23 410.00–441.00 $430.86 $2,124 +3.36
500–537 value added 519 20 416.00–434.50 $427.51 $2,219 -5.07
505–542 524 4 385.00–410.00 $397.06 $2,081 +2.08
550–590 value added 556 14 420.00–438.50 $428.93 $2,385 +4.41
550–578 564 10 385.00–414.00 $404.83 $2,283 +19.83
605–625 value added 611 4 390.00–415.00 $398.88 $2,437 +2.74
612–635 619 4 345.00–360.00 $353.66 $2,189 —
700–733 725 5 310.00–335.00 $327.10 $2,371 -16.56
785 785 9 338.00 $338.00 $2,653 +5.00
975 975 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,048 —
1115 1115 1 183.00 $183.00 $2,040 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
195 195 1 450.00 $450.00 $878 —
270 270 1 437.50 $437.50 $1,181 —
360–375 368 2 400.00–402.50 $401.22 $1,476 —
420 420 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,743 -22.50
475 475 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,900 -18.34
500–530 513 4 350.00–367.50 $357.70 $1,835 —
550 550 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,980 —
620 620 1 312.00 $312.00 $1,934 -58.00
657 657 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,070 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 3 345.00 $345.00 $1,673 —
555 555 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,970 —
770 770 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,118 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,320 +50.00
500 500 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,350 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1300 1263 2 220.00–231.00 $225.34 $2,846 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 thin fleshed 210 1 670.00 $670.00 $1,407 —
230–235 fancy 233 2 605.00 $605.00 $1,410 —
250–295 272 5 500.00–572.50 $545.17 $1,483 —
305–335 320 2 532.50–537.50 $535.12 $1,712 —
300–348 fancy 330 8 600.00–635.00 $620.27 $2,047 —
355–382 fancy 372 4 565.00–570.00 $568.81 $2,116 —
370–395 387 3 510.00–537.50 $527.88 $2,043 —
425–432 fancy 429 5 540.00–547.50 $544.28 $2,335 —
410–442 430 5 510.00–528.00 $521.32 $2,242 —
465–497 fancy 483 9 500.00–516.00 $504.49 $2,437 -3.01
485–495 488 3 447.00–481.00 $469.51 $2,291 -12.99
502–520 fancy 511 4 483.00–487.50 $485.21 $2,479 +11.84
515 thin fleshed 515 2 516.00 $516.00 $2,657 —
525–540 534 7 440.00–462.50 $452.15 $2,414 +15.29
555–560 fancy 557 11 471.00–490.00 $481.93 $2,684 —
567–585 575 6 417.50–455.00 $434.52 $2,498 —
600–612 fancy 608 3 410.00–412.00 $410.66 $2,497 —
615–637 627 4 370.00–395.00 $383.92 $2,407 —
665 fancy 665 3 400.00 $400.00 $2,660 -3.50
666–675 668 4 350.00–370.00 $364.95 $2,438 +64.95
725 fancy 725 1 372.50 $372.50 $2,701 —
866 fancy 866 3 346.00 $346.00 $2,996 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462–470 465 3 427.50–432.50 $429.19 $1,996 -7.71
590 590 1 410.00 $410.00 $2,419 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 357.50 $357.50 $1,948 —
565 565 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,034 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,864 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065 1065 85-90% 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,172 -31.16
875–1300 1078 85-90% 10 156.00–175.00 $165.20 $1,781 +24.04
930–1340 1166 85-90% 7 143.00–153.00 $148.41 $1,730 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1285 1218 80-85% 4 163.00–170.00 $166.95 $2,033 -12.14
1195–1355 1258 80-85% 5 176.50–181.00 $178.96 $2,251 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1585 1458 75-80% 2 176.00–179.00 $177.63 $2,590 -8.30

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1900 1731 4 214.00–220.50 $216.92 $3,755 —
1585–2425 1885 5 201.00–206.50 $204.50 $3,855 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
835–1050 948 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 187.50–215.00 $197.70 $1,874

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
995–1220 1108 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 3,000.00–3,450.00 $3,202.14
1122 1122 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,875.00 $2,875.00
1215–1240 1228 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 3,500.00–3,750.00 $3,623.73
1006–1510 1229 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 2,950.00–3,750.00 $3,339.08
1040–1380 1284 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 2,400.00–2,875.00 $2,706.67
1090–1376 1305 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,375.00–2,600.00 $2,553.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1180 1180 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
795–835 815 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,350.00–2,550.00 $2,452.45

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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 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,750.00 $3,750.00 —
1155 1155 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,700.00 $3,700.00 —
1320–1350 1335 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 3,450.00–3,500.00 $3,474.72 —
1750 1750 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 5,300.00 $5,300.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1270 1270 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,350.00 $3,350.00 —

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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.