Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 8, 2026

397 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $508.57/cwt +32.75 vs last sale · ≈ $2,419/hd at 476 lb · 25 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $451.89/cwt +8.19 vs last sale · ≈ $2,142/hd at 474 lb · 22 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $421.35/cwt +5.92 vs last sale · ≈ $2,385/hd at 566 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 397 357 364
Feeder cattle 291 232 316
Slaughter cattle 48 54 30
Replacement cattle 58 71 18

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder steers sold steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold sharply higher. There was good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher. There was 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
250 250 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,275 —
325 325 1 549.00 $549.00 $1,784 —
410 fancy 410 4 552.50 $552.50 $2,265 —
410–427 424 7 520.00–540.00 $526.46 $2,232 +5.64
480 480 1 517.50 $517.50 $2,484 +27.12
480 fancy 480 2 567.50 $567.50 $2,724 —
510–515 value added 513 2 495.00–510.00 $502.54 $2,578 +10.95
500–526 518 5 470.00–477.50 $472.44 $2,447 +21.32
550 550 1 467.50 $467.50 $2,571 +2.43
603–630 610 4 411.00–415.00 $412.03 $2,513 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 2 480.00 $480.00 $1,944 —
525 525 1 465.00 $465.00 $2,441 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,091 —
225 fancy 225 1 597.00 $597.00 $1,343 —
250–280 265 2 510.00–530.00 $520.57 $1,380 +73.07
295 fancy 295 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,622 +30.00
310–343 335 4 560.00–565.00 $563.84 $1,889 +76.40
350–352 fancy 352 6 572.00–577.50 $572.91 $2,017 +53.66
365–366 366 5 537.50–567.00 $560.71 $2,052 +93.80
405–420 fancy 410 3 490.00 $490.00 $2,009 -15.00
415–437 430 12 452.50–477.50 $463.02 $1,991 +35.52
460–488 474 22 448.00–460.00 $451.89 $2,142 +41.93
525–547 541 6 406.00–420.00 $412.36 $2,231 +27.36
553–587 value added 564 6 433.00–440.00 $437.57 $2,468 +1.76
555–580 567 14 400.00–420.00 $414.40 $2,350 +23.43
616–635 value added 624 5 417.00–421.00 $419.37 $2,617 —
660–680 669 6 350.00–367.50 $360.34 $2,411 -16.55
750 750 2 320.00 $320.00 $2,400 -20.00
815 815 1 323.00 $323.00 $2,632 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,140 —
395 395 2 470.00 $470.00 $1,856 —
425 425 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,838 +102.47
460–495 475 5 435.00–440.00 $438.31 $2,082 +128.65
522 522 2 395.00 $395.00 $2,062 —
755 755 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,340 —
835 835 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,900 —
865 865 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,752 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 388 3 499.00 $499.00 $1,936 +112.03

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
227 fancy 227 2 680.00 $680.00 $1,544 +72.50
240 240 1 595.00 $595.00 $1,428 +170.00
282 282 2 560.00 $560.00 $1,579 +61.70
290 fancy 290 2 597.00 $597.00 $1,731 -13.00
335–343 341 4 569.00–570.00 $569.75 $1,943 —
367–397 376 10 610.00–622.50 $619.48 $2,329 +104.92
405 thin fleshed 405 1 600.00 $600.00 $2,430 —
405–442 424 5 470.00–500.00 $482.52 $2,046 —
440 fancy 440 4 546.00 $546.00 $2,402 —
469 fancy 469 10 520.00 $520.00 $2,439 +21.08
458–495 480 15 490.00–510.00 $500.95 $2,405 +41.28
507–520 517 11 480.00–492.50 $481.12 $2,487 —
560 fancy 560 1 475.00 $475.00 $2,660 —
570–585 579 6 432.50–445.00 $440.62 $2,551 -0.51
607–640 621 5 385.00–395.00 $391.97 $2,434 +89.47
669–690 673 6 360.00–371.00 $369.12 $2,484 —
727 727 2 375.00 $375.00 $2,726 +52.50
775 775 1 297.00 $297.00 $2,302 -28.00
810 810 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,681 +16.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,228 —
390 390 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,774 —
405 405 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,782 —
470 470 2 450.00 $450.00 $2,115 +150.00
510 510 1 462.50 $462.50 $2,359 +142.50
550–570 560 2 425.00–427.50 $426.27 $2,387 —
740 740 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,294 —
955 955 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,722 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 502.00 $502.00 $1,632 +52.00
380–395 392 5 507.50–525.00 $521.61 $2,045 +68.92
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 402.00 $402.00 $1,990 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1220 1147 80-85% 3 158.00–159.50 $158.81 $1,822 —
1055–1425 1193 80-85% 8 168.00–175.50 $172.61 $2,059 +3.39
1105–1440 1231 80-85% 7 180.00–188.00 $183.65 $2,261 —
1110–1440 1281 80-85% 9 191.50–200.00 $194.50 $2,492 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–925 913 85-90% 2 154.00–158.00 $155.97 $1,424 —
910–930 920 85-90% 2 146.00–150.00 $148.02 $1,362 —
735–1045 933 85-90% 4 160.50–169.00 $165.81 $1,547 —
815–1010 943 85-90% 5 171.00–176.00 $173.57 $1,637 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1495–1540 1518 75-80% 2 179.50–186.00 $182.70 $2,773 —
1510–1735 1627 75-80% 3 192.50–209.00 $202.12 $3,288 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295–1700 1424 4 203.50–216.00 $208.06 $2,963 +28.06
1715–1880 1788 3 222.00–231.00 $227.07 $4,060 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
790 790 (<2 yrs)Open 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,856
945–1065 1005 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 197.00–220.00 $209.19 $2,102

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900–1135 1011 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 6 1,975.00–2,885.00 $2,254.32
860–1270 1073 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 10 1,400.00–3,325.00 $2,681.75
885–1415 1161 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 19 1,550.00–3,775.00 $2,839.22

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
660 660 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,910.00 $1,910.00
950 950 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,750.00 $2,750.00

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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
1320–1560 1440 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 3,550.00–3,810.00 $3,690.83 —

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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.