Sale reports / Kentucky / Mount Sterling Livestock Auction / 2025-04-30

Mount Sterling Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · Wed, Apr 30
● Final93 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2202
Feeder Cattle receipts
389 head
▼ 22 vs last sale 411▲ 42 vs year ago 347 · +12.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
36 head
▼ 55 vs last sale 91▼ 22 vs year ago 58 · −37.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
61 head
▲ 7 vs last sale 54▼ 20 vs year ago 81 · −24.7%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher with very good demand for weaned packages; over 600 lbs lite test. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher; 500-600 lb heifers steady to 3.00 lower; over 600 lb lite test. Yearlings lite test. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher with good demand. Slaughter bulls sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with very good demand.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $321.83/cwt on 60 head. That ranks 1 of 31 comparable sales and sits −73.01 against this barn's trailing median of $394.83.
Average price
$321.83
60 head · 547 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,761
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$288
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1-2
$75.61/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−7.35
vs KY average
−7.51 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2545325.611,77557
Medium and Large 2-3577250.001,4432thin
Large 1-2595250.001,4881thin
One grade step is worth $75.61/cwt here — about $288 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale60 hd
321.83
—
KY average25 barns · 1,467 hd
329.18
−7.35
National average176 barns · 11,721 hd
329.34
−7.51
This barn, trailing median31 sales
394.83
−73.01
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

31 sales
445400355309median 394.8303/0404/2206/2409/0910/28
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $431.17, low $323.36, median $394.83 across 31 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,529189.732,9015thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,272156.631,9928thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,397151.842,12114
CowsLean 85-90%Low946133.201,2605thin
SteersChoiceAverage1,245193.002,4031thin
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,245174.002,1661thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,336$2,4785
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,500$2,3001thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,290$2,26918
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)805$1,6001thin
BullsN/AYoung (2-4 yrs)1,440$2,6251thin
Cow-Calf Pairs2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,780$3,9001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,478$3,28713
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,473$2,5382thin

Every lot

93 lots · USDA AMS · Bluegrass Stockyard - Mt. Sterling, KY
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers20 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Fancy335440.00/cwt440.00–440.001,4741
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2-3365380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,3871
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2366417.98/cwt400.00–430.001,5305
Steers350–400Large 1-2380292.00/cwt292.00–292.001,1101
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2414418.07/cwt412.00–423.001,7317
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2-3415370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,5361
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed424440.00/cwt440.00–440.001,8665
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed475421.00/cwt420.00–425.002,0005
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2492405.92/cwt398.00–413.001,99715
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2523388.27/cwt377.50–400.002,0312
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2-3530319.92/cwt302.50–337.501,6964
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2-3570310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,7672
Steers550–600Large 1-2571360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,0563
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2577369.71/cwt364.00–375.002,13314
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added631338.17/cwt332.50–341.002,1343
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Value Added662340.01/cwt330.00–342.002,2518
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2755290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,1901
Steers750–800Medium and Large 2-3780270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,1061
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2950207.50/cwt207.50–207.501,9711
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 2-3970205.00/cwt205.00–205.001,9891
Feeder Cattle · Heifers26 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2-3335340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,1392
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2338351.00/cwt351.00–351.001,1863
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Value Added345382.50/cwt382.50–382.501,3201
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Value Added379394.93/cwt382.50–400.001,4979
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2380368.91/cwt355.00–380.001,40210
Heifers350–400Small and Medium 1-2390227.00/cwt227.00–227.008851
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3393316.42/cwt290.00–342.501,2442
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Value Added422384.65/cwt372.50–395.001,62313
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2-3430317.64/cwt300.00–337.001,3664
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2445353.70/cwt350.00–362.501,5746
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Value Added457361.28/cwt356.00–392.501,65125
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2467347.05/cwt335.00–350.001,62117
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3477320.93/cwt300.00–335.001,5316
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added525337.90/cwt315.00–353.001,77430
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2539308.38/cwt304.00–310.001,6628
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added568322.02/cwt320.00–325.001,8293
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2-3577250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,4432
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2582311.85/cwt290.00–318.001,81516
Heifers550–600Large 1-2595250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,4881
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added601329.43/cwt329.00–335.001,98014
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2-3601248.34/cwt245.00–250.001,4933
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2645268.00/cwt268.00–268.001,7296
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open662294.00/cwt294.00–294.001,9462
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2-3670243.38/cwt230.00–250.001,6313
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 2-3705224.00/cwt224.00–224.001,5791
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2783249.31/cwt236.00–260.001,9526
Feeder Cattle · Bulls21 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2285412.00/cwt412.00–412.001,1741
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2375412.00/cwt412.00–412.001,5453
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2-3375350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,3131
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2430393.41/cwt377.00–405.001,6925
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2-3463370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,7132
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2482370.81/cwt353.00–399.001,78714
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2-3515300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,5451
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2525358.00/cwt330.00–385.001,8803
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2-3560290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,6241
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2570332.40/cwt287.50–360.001,89510
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added593334.00/cwt334.00–334.001,9813
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added616330.49/cwt327.00–337.002,0363
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2624315.31/cwt307.00–324.001,9686
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2655315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,0631
Bulls650–700Large 1-2690280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,9321
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2720279.00/cwt279.00–279.002,0092
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2765270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,0661
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1-2889206.97/cwt190.00–224.001,8404
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1-2908222.55/cwt200.00–240.002,0215
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2985200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,9703
Bulls1200–1250Medium and Large 1-21,210190.00/cwt190.00–190.002,2991
Slaughter Cattle · Steers2 lots · lightest first
Steers—Choice1,245193.00/cwt193.00–193.002,4031
Steers—Select and Choice1,245174.00/cwt174.00–174.002,1661
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,225172.20/cwt170.00–174.002,1092
Bulls——1,732201.41/cwt192.00–217.003,4883
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%610107.00/cwt107.00–107.006531
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,010134.34/cwt130.00–139.001,3573
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,090156.00/cwt156.00–156.001,7001
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,198145.96/cwt145.00–147.001,7492
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,296160.19/cwt154.00–170.002,0766
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,350146.22/cwt143.00–148.501,9744
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,416154.09/cwt149.00–172.502,18210
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-21,4402,625.00/head2,625.00–2,625.002,6251
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 2-31,0331,596.13/head1,400.00–1,775.001,5962
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3222,353.24/head1,950.00–2,600.002,35316
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3362,477.77/head2,050.00–2,625.002,4785
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,5002,300.00/head2,300.00–2,300.002,3001
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2-3960141.50/cwt141.50–141.501,3581
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,018162.97/cwt155.00–174.001,6593
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs7 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 2-31,3852,175.00/head2,175.00–2,175.002,1751
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,3954,050.00/head4,050.00–4,050.004,0501
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Fancy1,3954,000.00/head4,000.00–4,000.004,0001
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Fancy1,4583,662.44/head3,625.00–3,700.003,6622
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,4732,538.33/head2,500.00–2,575.002,5382
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,5163,146.90/head2,750.00–3,350.003,1478
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Fancy1,7803,900.00/head3,900.00–3,900.003,9001
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 2-38051,600.00/head1,600.00–1,600.001,6001

This sale against other markets

Kentucky weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Kentucky auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.