Cattle Market Pulse

Eastern Cornbelt Direct Cattle Report (IL/IN/MI/MN/OH/KY) Market Report

Kentucky · USDA-reported Direct Livestock

Sale of Monday, August 17, 2026

576 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Eastern Cornbelt Direct Cattle Report (IL/IN/MI/MN/OH/KY) report →

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $308.00/cwt ≈ $2,310/hd at 750 lb · 260 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $307.00/cwt ≈ $2,732/hd at 890 lb · 175 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $335.00/cwt ≈ $2,178/hd at 650 lb · 78 head
Eastern Cornbelt Direct 7-weight heifers came in at $307/cwt, running $15/cwt below the KY average ($322) and $47/cwt under Flemingsburg, KY ($354). The class is down $37/cwt from its early July peak of $344. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 576 — —

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
890 890 175 307.00 $307.00 $2,732 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 78 335.00 $335.00 $2,178 —
750 750 260 308.00 $308.00 $2,310 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 63 304.00 $304.00 $2,356 —

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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.