Cattle Market Pulse

Bluegrass Stockyard Market Report

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 20, 2026

222 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $439.41/cwt +9.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,742/hd at 624 lb · 38 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $413.94/cwt -3.98 vs last sale · ≈ $2,169/hd at 524 lb · 15 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $435.79/cwt +3.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,859/hd at 656 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 222 388 368
Feeder cattle 180 311 244
Slaughter cattle 28 31 72
Replacement cattle 14 46 52

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was uneven with an average quality offering. Feeder steers and Heifers 400 lbs and under appeared stronger with a lite test, while the 450-650 lbs steers and heifers were unevenly steady ranging from 3.00 higher to 3.00 lower in spots with a moderate supply and good demand for weaned and harder conditioned calves. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady to 2.00 higher with a moderate supply and 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
252 252 2 580.00 $580.00 $1,462 —
315 315 2 580.00 $580.00 $1,827 -47.50
400 400 1 565.00 $565.00 $2,260 —
460 fancy 460 1 552.50 $552.50 $2,542 —
467 467 2 527.50 $527.50 $2,463 +10.00
540 540 1 475.00 $475.00 $2,565 +0.23
530–545 value added 541 11 490.00 $490.00 $2,651 -17.00
555 value added 555 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,747 —
595 595 1 447.50 $447.50 $2,663 -24.96
605–632 value added 624 38 435.00–445.50 $439.41 $2,742 —
653–662 value added 656 13 432.00–437.50 $435.79 $2,859 -14.21
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 465.00 $465.00 $2,092 —
650 650 1 374.00 $374.00 $2,431 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 725 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,538 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 fancy 340 1 532.50 $532.50 $1,810 —
350–375 361 4 480.00–490.00 $486.12 $1,755 +21.76
365–380 fancy 373 2 507.50–547.50 $527.10 $1,966 —
440 440 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,936 -1.80
425–448 fancy 442 4 475.00–485.00 $482.60 $2,133 —
472 472 2 447.50 $447.50 $2,112 +12.90
505–535 516 7 385.00–407.50 $399.15 $2,060 -9.91
510–535 value added 531 8 420.00–430.00 $426.88 $2,267 +3.64
555 value added 555 2 426.00 $426.00 $2,364 —
555–575 568 4 380.00–397.00 $389.83 $2,214 +29.83
605–620 613 2 410.00 $410.00 $2,513 +29.00
605–635 628 5 357.50–370.00 $363.55 $2,283 -17.45
660 660 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,079 -58.48
735 735 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,499 +11.92
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,353 -55.00
495 495 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,757 —
565 565 2 292.00 $292.00 $1,650 —
615 615 2 292.50 $292.50 $1,799 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,140 —
540 540 1 382.50 $382.50 $2,066 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
170 170 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,020 —
265 265 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,590 —
345 345 2 500.00 $500.00 $1,725 -58.22
390 390 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,950 -60.00
418–430 fancy 421 4 540.00–542.50 $541.86 $2,281 —
450–475 fancy 463 3 510.00–525.00 $515.69 $2,388 —
480–491 488 6 477.50–497.50 $492.39 $2,403 -5.28
510 fancy 510 3 480.00–485.00 $481.67 $2,457 -3.33
525 525 2 455.00–460.00 $457.50 $2,402 -2.34
550 fancy 550 1 472.50 $472.50 $2,599 —
595 595 1 442.50 $442.50 $2,633 +0.60
645 645 1 390.00 $390.00 $2,516 —
665–670 668 2 382.50–390.00 $386.24 $2,580 +24.63
710 710 2 360.00–370.00 $365.00 $2,592 +30.00
750–765 755 3 325.00–326.00 $325.34 $2,456 —
1010 1010 1 226.00 $226.00 $2,283 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,386 —
555–575 565 2 397.00–415.00 $406.16 $2,295 —
610 610 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,166 —
725 725 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,302 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,012 —
570 570 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,166 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1400 1400 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 3,200.00 $3,200.00 -392.97

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1115 1049 85-90% 4 140.50–147.00 $143.96 $1,510 —
955–1255 1107 85-90% 6 165.00–177.50 $171.59 $1,900 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1670 1461 75-80% 4 168.50–178.50 $173.99 $2,542 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1315 1225 80-85% 3 171.00–180.00 $176.45 $2,162 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555–1750 1653 2 226.00–239.50 $233.15 $3,854 —
1680–1700 1690 2 213.00–214.50 $213.75 $3,612 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
675–985 875 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 172.50–211.00 $187.59 $1,641

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1215 1215 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,025.00 $3,025.00
1365 1365 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,750.00 $3,750.00
1285–1705 1495 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 3,025.00–3,275.00 $3,132.44
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00
1045–1122 1096 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 3,025.00–3,100.00 $3,048.83
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
965 965 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
905 905 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1440 1370 85-90% 2 147.00–148.00 $147.53 $2,021 —

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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.