Cattle Market Pulse

Mid-Kentucky Livestock Market Report

Upton, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 17, 2024

837 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $262.05/cwt +16.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,588/hd at 606 lb · 44 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $259.57/cwt +21.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,451/hd at 559 lb · 40 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $271.36/cwt +11.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,237/hd at 456 lb · 33 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 837 1,104 1,252
Feeder cattle 671 961 1,112
Slaughter cattle 95 90 100
Replacement cattle 71 53 40

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 5.00 to 8 .00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher and sharply higher in some instances. Slaughter cows and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 to 3.00 higher

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
380–393 386 9 335.00–350.00 $343.21 $1,325 -7.79
452 452 13 314.50 $314.50 $1,422 -4.90
511–543 520 16 303.00–312.50 $308.04 $1,602 —
570 570 5 294.00 $294.00 $1,676 +7.00
628 628 2 252.00 $252.00 $1,583 -17.08
705 705 9 244.00 $244.00 $1,720 +0.75
776 776 11 250.00 $250.00 $1,940 —
801 801 8 239.25 $239.25 $1,916 —
884 value added 884 28 250.00 $250.00 $2,210 +1.75
1069 1069 17 218.25 $218.25 $2,333 —
1100 1100 51 207.50 $207.50 $2,282 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478 478 3 241.00 $241.00 $1,152 -26.00
603 603 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,387 -3.50
823 823 2 195.00 $195.00 $1,605 -22.50
970 970 2 210.00 $210.00 $2,037 +7.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265 1265 1 159.00 $159.00 $2,011 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
291 291 7 316.00 $316.00 $920 +14.00
305–335 322 12 300.00–315.00 $306.21 $986 —
365 365 19 294.50 $294.50 $1,075 +0.95
408 408 5 281.50 $281.50 $1,149 +17.26
454–457 456 33 270.00–275.00 $271.36 $1,237 +11.36
503–530 value added 516 25 270.00–272.00 $271.01 $1,398 +11.12
548 548 2 234.00 $234.00 $1,282 -13.50
553–575 559 40 250.00–261.00 $259.57 $1,451 +25.57
640 640 14 220.00 $220.00 $1,408 -10.02
664–671 667 17 227.00–234.00 $231.65 $1,545 -0.85
740 740 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,635 -16.69
871 871 16 216.00 $216.00 $1,881 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–425 418 4 251.00–275.00 $263.22 $1,100 +33.22
522–548 541 7 220.00–225.00 $223.62 $1,210 +21.62
560–584 576 6 212.00–245.00 $234.31 $1,350 —
715 715 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,251 -39.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350 1350 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,971 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–293 291 15 330.00–351.00 $348.31 $1,014 +28.31
373–383 375 11 341.00–345.00 $344.26 $1,291 -5.74
409 409 18 313.00 $313.00 $1,280 -5.00
460–466 461 32 301.00–314.50 $312.79 $1,442 +19.79
506 506 4 288.00 $288.00 $1,457 +0.50
559 559 16 279.00 $279.00 $1,560 +9.36
600–634 606 44 249.50–265.00 $262.05 $1,588 +16.55
700 700 5 234.00 $234.00 $1,638 +11.50
779 779 11 226.00 $226.00 $1,761 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
366–391 380 9 301.00 $301.00 $1,144 +31.00
447 447 4 257.50 $257.50 $1,151 —
450–460 457 6 230.00–289.00 $261.13 $1,193 —
510 510 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,262 +27.50
559–584 565 8 240.00 $240.00 $1,356 -20.00
614 614 5 226.00 $226.00 $1,388 +11.00
809 809 6 194.00 $194.00 $1,569 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 80-85% 1 99.00 $99.00 $1,198 —
1000–1587 1350 80-85% 33 108.00–119.00 $113.78 $1,536 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235 1235 75-80% 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,284 —
1506–1650 1526 75-80% 13 108.50–115.00 $109.49 $1,671 —
1645 1645 75-80% 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,974 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1000 926 85-90% 5 86.00–94.00 $91.29 $845 —
1000 1000 85-90% 2 102.00 $102.00 $1,020 +4.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375–1545 1433 3 138.00–141.00 $139.72 $2,002 —
1220–1960 1676 11 142.50–156.50 $152.40 $2,554 —
1780–1995 1931 4 159.50–165.00 $161.64 $3,121 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
1030 1030 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,380.00 $1,380.00
1150–1350 1209 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 10 1,515.00–1,750.00 $1,589.58
1250–1650 1450 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,725.00–2,150.00 $1,966.81
1350–1750 1550 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,410.00–1,600.00 $1,517.26
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00
960 960 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,060.00 $1,060.00
1010 1010 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,285.00 $1,285.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 970.00 $970.00
950–1120 1035 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,775.00–2,175.00 $1,991.43
1000–1300 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,725.00–2,100.00 $1,936.96

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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
1265 1265 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,275.00 $2,275.00 —
1065–1550 1308 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,875.00–2,625.00 $2,319.55 —
1365 1365 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,725.00 $2,725.00 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1420 1420 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,525.00 $2,525.00 —

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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.