Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 6, 2026

430 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $478.70/cwt +19.74 vs last sale · ≈ $2,242/hd at 468 lb · 25 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $421.20/cwt +51.73 vs last sale · ≈ $2,639/hd at 627 lb · 21 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $461.93/cwt +31.43 vs last sale · ≈ $2,581/hd at 559 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 430 364 289
Feeder cattle 294 265 217
Slaughter cattle 48 48 46
Replacement cattle 88 51 26

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was stronger with a good quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were 6.00 to 10.00 higher or greater in several spots with a good supply and strong demand for weaned and harder conditioned calves. Slaughter cows were steady with a good supply and slaughter bulls were 1.00 to 2.00 lower with good demand.

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
252–298 fancy 272 7 650.00–700.00 $676.50 $1,840 —
408 fancy 408 3 560.00 $560.00 $2,285 —
425–447 440 6 517.50–527.50 $521.67 $2,295 +29.17
467 fancy 467 2 540.00 $540.00 $2,522 +7.19
512 value added 512 4 515.00–517.00 $516.00 $2,642 +20.52
515–540 532 3 487.50–490.00 $488.31 $2,598 +53.31
555–565 value added 558 4 515.00–522.00 $520.23 $2,903 —
550–577 570 8 482.50–497.50 $489.38 $2,789 +24.97
635 value added 635 1 477.50 $477.50 $3,032 +22.50
635 635 1 441.00 $441.00 $2,800 +37.53
680–682 681 3 425.00 $425.00 $2,894 +10.00
757 757 2 377.00 $377.00 $2,854 +17.11
815–820 818 2 345.00–348.00 $346.50 $2,834 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535–543 541 4 427.50–455.00 $434.30 $2,350 —
555 555 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,331 —
760 760 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,394 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
652 652 2 385.00 $385.00 $2,510 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,869 —
645 645 1 357.50 $357.50 $2,306 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 fancy 200 1 655.00 $655.00 $1,310 —
265 fancy 265 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,590 —
300–305 303 2 500.00–520.00 $509.92 $1,545 -0.08
345 fancy 345 2 550.00 $550.00 $1,898 —
355 fancy 355 2 560.00 $560.00 $1,988 +70.00
367–377 373 7 460.00–500.00 $482.99 $1,802 +10.44
415–435 fancy 422 3 492.50–520.00 $510.54 $2,154 —
400–436 428 9 465.00–475.00 $470.04 $2,012 +29.29
452–498 fancy 467 23 472.00–500.00 $480.77 $2,245 +21.27
480–490 485 2 440.00–470.00 $454.85 $2,206 +8.57
500–545 value added 515 3 442.50–459.00 $453.18 $2,334 —
535–538 537 4 425.00–430.00 $426.24 $2,289 +6.73
550–595 value added 562 12 412.00–432.50 $423.22 $2,378 —
555–595 575 4 385.00–400.00 $391.30 $2,250 +0.01
616–647 626 18 419.00–428.00 $424.90 $2,660 +55.43
630 630 3 399.00 $399.00 $2,514 +29.53
715 715 1 347.50 $347.50 $2,485 —
760–772 768 3 322.00–335.00 $326.29 $2,506 —
945 945 1 262.50 $262.50 $2,481 —
1055 fancy 1055 4 310.00 $310.00 $3,270 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,452 —
490 490 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,960 -9.47
753 753 2 292.50 $292.50 $2,203 +5.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 357 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,178 —
795 795 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,948 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 fancy 235 1 685.00 $685.00 $1,610 —
247 247 2 595.00 $595.00 $1,470 —
305 fancy 305 1 720.00 $720.00 $2,196 —
305–335 320 2 610.00–640.00 $625.70 $2,002 +20.70
356–386 fancy 369 7 557.00–572.50 $563.95 $2,081 —
365–385 370 4 500.00–520.00 $505.20 $1,869 -27.30
410–432 425 7 520.00–535.00 $525.59 $2,234 +25.71
440 fancy 440 6 562.50 $562.50 $2,475 —
465–470 468 3 467.50–495.00 $476.60 $2,230 +7.84
450–493 fancy 480 7 500.00–515.00 $502.86 $2,414 —
500–546 fancy 520 7 465.00–490.00 $477.37 $2,482 —
510–540 530 3 450.00 $450.00 $2,385 +3.40
555 555 1 440.00 $440.00 $2,442 +50.00
550–583 fancy 559 18 458.00–471.00 $463.15 $2,589 -7.85
650–675 669 5 357.50–377.50 $371.98 $2,489 —
730 730 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,518 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–445 430 3 450.00–475.00 $461.55 $1,985 +4.98
475 475 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,900 -45.00
540 540 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,160 -5.00
610–640 623 3 370.00–380.00 $374.24 $2,332 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
985 985 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690–1365 992 85-90% 12 137.00–153.50 $146.18 $1,450 -2.71
1010 1010 85-90% 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,232 —
905–1315 1099 85-90% 8 157.00–173.00 $164.18 $1,804 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 80-85% 1 184.00 $184.00 $2,061 —
1020–1450 1217 80-85% 16 168.00–180.00 $174.09 $2,119 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1770 1479 75-80% 6 168.00–180.50 $175.73 $2,599 -7.81
1380–1635 1505 75-80% 3 185.00–188.00 $186.18 $2,802 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350 1350 1 181.00 $181.00 $2,444 —
1360–1860 1624 6 187.00–200.00 $193.26 $3,139 —
2090–2140 2115 2 206.00–219.00 $212.42 $4,493 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
790–1280 1022 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 9 171.00–217.00 $186.66 $1,908

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
922–1285 1123 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 10 3,050.00–3,700.00 $3,477.13
1005–1205 1135 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 2,500.00–3,400.00 $3,091.01
1115–2075 1353 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 17 2,900.00–3,575.00 $3,305.09
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00
1010–1145 1088 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,225.00–2,800.00 $2,604.59

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780 780 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 3,050.00 $3,050.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1155–1175 1165 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 2,700.00–2,900.00 $2,799.14 —
1290–1515 1378 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 3 3,000.00–3,200.00 $3,111.12 -213.88
1350–1510 1457 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 4,000.00–4,050.00 $4,015.45 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1103–1330 1194 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 5 3,450.00–5,100.00 $4,364.70 —
1325 1325 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 3,750.00 $3,750.00 —
1550 1550 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 4,250.00 $4,250.00 -200.00

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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.