Cattle Market Pulse

Mid-Kentucky Livestock Market Report

Upton, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 5, 2023

1,285 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Mid-Kentucky Livestock Market report →

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $202.52/cwt -13.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,595/hd at 788 lb · 93 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $222.54/cwt +5.48 vs last sale · ≈ $1,354/hd at 608 lb · 72 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $213.35/cwt -1.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,519/hd at 712 lb · 57 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,285 1,001 802
Feeder cattle 1,065 823 672
Slaughter cattle 135 144 114
Replacement cattle 85 34 16

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Average to plain quality feeders sold mostly steady. Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower, Slaughter bulls sold steady.

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
378 378 2 235.00 $235.00 $888 —
459 459 9 228.00 $228.00 $1,047 -2.00
510–538 530 18 233.00–235.00 $234.10 $1,241 +3.97
577–580 578 19 205.00–214.00 $206.90 $1,196 —
604–612 value added 606 67 220.50–224.00 $223.10 $1,352 —
639 639 5 215.00 $215.00 $1,374 -2.06
665–678 669 22 209.00–214.50 $212.41 $1,421 +0.41
705 value added 705 32 214.25 $214.25 $1,510 —
720–722 721 25 209.00–214.00 $212.20 $1,530 -2.80
765–784 775 28 195.50–202.50 $196.76 $1,525 -18.74
793 value added 793 65 205.00 $205.00 $1,626 —
811–836 822 34 190.00–195.00 $192.76 $1,584 -16.74
875 value added 875 15 193.25 $193.25 $1,691 —
954 954 25 185.25 $185.25 $1,767 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 4 160.00 $160.00 $691 —
503–516 510 20 210.00–226.00 $218.90 $1,116 —
574 574 24 216.00 $216.00 $1,240 —
611 611 4 210.00 $210.00 $1,283 —
708 708 20 201.00 $201.00 $1,423 —
765 765 8 202.50 $202.50 $1,549 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 14 210.00 $210.00 $746 +2.00
433 433 4 205.00 $205.00 $888 +1.50
460 460 13 205.00 $205.00 $943 +1.00
517–547 526 42 192.00–202.00 $194.58 $1,023 +1.58
562 562 11 190.50 $190.50 $1,071 -2.68
608 value added 608 8 202.50 $202.50 $1,231 —
628–637 635 29 190.00–196.00 $191.23 $1,214 +7.73
664 value added 664 20 200.00 $200.00 $1,328 —
677–693 688 34 189.50–191.00 $190.11 $1,308 +1.62
739 739 22 186.75 $186.75 $1,380 +4.75
750–783 767 42 183.00–188.50 $185.69 $1,424 +2.69
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–443 414 6 170.00–190.00 $182.87 $757 -7.13
494 494 4 173.00 $173.00 $855 —
512 512 6 180.00 $180.00 $922 +1.79
571–575 572 12 175.00–195.00 $188.30 $1,077 —
627 627 12 165.00 $165.00 $1,035 -3.86
652–681 663 35 183.00–205.00 $193.74 $1,284 +5.76
716 716 20 178.00 $178.00 $1,274 —
768 768 4 180.00 $180.00 $1,382 ±0.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1429 1429 7 124.00 $124.00 $1,772 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
379 379 5 235.00 $235.00 $891 —
418 418 6 230.00 $230.00 $961 ±0.00
464 464 15 220.00 $220.00 $1,021 -4.00
517 517 16 205.00 $205.00 $1,060 -10.00
560 560 20 190.50 $190.50 $1,067 -15.00
614 614 11 180.00 $180.00 $1,105 -6.50
712 712 14 164.50 $164.50 $1,171 —
854 854 12 134.50 $134.50 $1,149 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 3 220.00 $220.00 $627 -5.00
636–644 640 14 161.00–170.00 $165.47 $1,059 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1265 1138 80-85% 2 90.00 $90.00 $1,024 —
985–1465 1176 80-85% 6 60.00–74.00 $68.39 $804 —
985–1555 1332 80-85% 65 75.00–86.00 $82.44 $1,098 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
90–1015 840 85-90% 9 64.00–77.00 $67.88 $570 —
944 944 85-90% 1 78.50 $78.50 $741 +7.18
1100 1100 85-90% 1 77.00 $77.00 $847 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1590–1925 1732 75-80% 6 80.00–88.50 $82.50 $1,429 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1325 1310 12 101.50–108.00 $101.98 $1,336 —
1250–2075 1769 11 114.00–125.50 $118.56 $2,097 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
750–900 840 (<2 yrs)Open 5 1,000.00–1,090.00 $1,057.86
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1130 1130 (<2 yrs)Open 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,085

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Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
700–925 876 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 16 1,225.00–1,700.00 $1,590.88
1080 1080 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 740.00 $740.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 820.00 $820.00
950–1100 1017 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,090.00–1,600.00 $1,405.08
1050 1050 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,525.00 $1,525.00
1050 1050 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 880.00 $880.00
1065–1200 1110 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,200.00–1,225.00 $1,215.99
1150 1150 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
775 775 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
875 875 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 960.00 $960.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
750–950 874 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 17 1,700.00–2,000.00 $1,849.16 —
875 875 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 1,850.00 $1,850.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00 —

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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.