Sale reports / Kentucky / Mount Sterling Livestock Auction / 2025-05-21

Mount Sterling Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · Wed, May 21
● Final93 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2202
Feeder Cattle receipts
244 head
▼ 69 vs last sale 313▲ 41 vs year ago 203 · +20.2%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
72 head
▼ 9 vs last sale 81▲ 22 vs year ago 50 · +44.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
52 head
▲ 33 vs last sale 19▲ 37 vs year ago 15 · +246.7%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 5.00 lower in a limited comparison with good demand. Slaughter cows sold steady with very good demand. Yearlings lightly tested. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 higher with 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 $325.51/cwt on 61 head. That ranks 2 of 31 comparable sales and sits −69.32 against this barn's trailing median of $394.83.
Average price
$325.51
61 head · 548 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,785
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$252
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$32.16/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−3.95
vs KY average
−8.75 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2548331.321,81548
Large 1-2596312.001,8605thin
Medium and Large 2-3523299.151,5638thin
One grade step is worth $32.16/cwt here — about $252 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale61 hd
325.51
—
KY average26 barns · 1,475 hd
329.47
−3.95
National average158 barns · 12,726 hd
334.26
−8.75
This barn, trailing median31 sales
394.83
−69.32
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—Average1,745193.443,37612
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,311159.352,08920
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,523154.572,35424
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,083137.141,48513

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)1,343$2,3752thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,148$1,9163thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)825$1,6501thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)790$1,5751thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,313$2,88115
Cow-Calf Pairs1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,245$2,7251thin

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 · Steers17 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy385432.50/cwt432.50–432.501,6651
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy418429.80/cwt427.00–432.501,7972
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2424413.47/cwt410.00–422.001,7534
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2-3433357.28/cwt345.00–370.001,5472
Steers500–550Large 1-2505360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,8181
Steers500–550Small and Medium 1-2515220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,1331
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2-3523336.91/cwt320.00–355.001,7622
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2573362.48/cwt361.00–370.002,0776
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2-3576334.96/cwt325.00–355.001,9294
Steers550–600Large 1-2592320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,8942
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2611324.60/cwt320.00–330.001,9838
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added613345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,1153
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2718298.32/cwt290.00–310.002,1425
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2780291.82/cwt287.50–297.002,2763
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2820293.00/cwt293.00–293.002,4031
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2852278.00/cwt278.00–278.002,3692
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2980247.50/cwt247.50–247.502,4261
Feeder Cattle · Heifers28 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 2-3235350.00/cwt350.00–350.008231
Heifers300–350Small and Medium 1-2320308.00/cwt308.00–308.009861
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2323374.22/cwt365.00–382.501,2092
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2-3338352.44/cwt350.00–355.001,1912
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Fancy340400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,3603
Heifers350–400Small and Medium 1-2360305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,0981
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy370415.00/cwt415.00–415.001,5361
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2378379.90/cwt372.00–387.501,4362
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2422363.50/cwt352.00–370.001,53412
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2464347.56/cwt337.50–357.501,6137
Heifers450–500Small and Medium 1-2466274.94/cwt270.00–280.001,2814
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3475335.00/cwt335.00–335.001,5911
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Value Added476370.07/cwt367.50–380.001,7626
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3518298.03/cwt280.00–305.001,5447
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2526315.15/cwt310.00–323.001,6585
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added528340.34/cwt326.00–351.001,79724
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2-3555307.00/cwt307.00–307.001,7041
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added571330.71/cwt325.00–334.001,88813
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2595310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,8456
Heifers550–600Large 1-2Value Added596312.00/cwt312.00–312.001,8605
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2-3620245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,5191
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Value Added672299.33/cwt299.00–300.002,0116
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2720267.00/cwt267.00–267.001,9221
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 2-3733229.97/cwt221.00–239.001,6862
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2-3767234.33/cwt225.00–252.501,7973
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2808251.60/cwt236.00–257.002,0334
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 2-3815200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,6301
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1-2930229.00/cwt229.00–229.002,1301
Feeder Cattle · Bulls21 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1-2Fancy245422.00/cwt422.00–422.001,0341
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 2-3285375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,0691
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2-3333340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,1322
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2367401.50/cwt395.00–410.001,4743
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy382430.00/cwt430.00–430.001,6433
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3415325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,3491
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2423380.48/cwt375.00–390.001,6094
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2474377.38/cwt370.00–385.001,7896
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2-3485350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,6982
Bulls500–550Small and Medium 1-2510284.90/cwt280.00–290.001,4532
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2523353.21/cwt334.00–372.501,84710
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2-3538313.46/cwt305.00–322.001,6862
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2-3572314.51/cwt301.00–335.001,7993
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2590326.64/cwt325.00–330.001,9273
Bulls600–650Large 1-2610290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,7691
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2617328.19/cwt315.00–335.002,0253
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2-3645310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,0002
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2685303.33/cwt290.00–310.002,0783
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2712291.67/cwt290.00–292.002,0776
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 2-3735240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,7641
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2795250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,9881
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,579163.54/cwt124.00–195.002,5825
Bulls——1,864214.79/cwt203.00–230.004,0047
Slaughter Cattle · Cows10 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%945103.00/cwt103.00–103.009731
Cows—Lean 85-90%965122.69/cwt121.00–124.001,1842
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,073158.60/cwt156.00–162.001,7023
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,141136.95/cwt133.00–141.001,5637
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,300166.13/cwt158.00–175.002,16011
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,301153.37/cwt152.50–157.001,9955
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,354148.19/cwt147.00–149.002,0064
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,482147.80/cwt146.00–149.502,1905
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,519160.98/cwt158.00–169.502,4457
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,542153.65/cwt150.50–157.502,36912
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows6 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Small and Medium 2-37551,175.00/head1,175.00–1,175.001,1751
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 2-37901,575.00/head1,575.00–1,575.001,5751
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 2-38251,650.00/head1,650.00–1,650.001,6501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 2-31,1452,075.00/head2,075.00–2,075.002,0751
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3452,286.80/head2,250.00–2,325.002,2872
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,5402,675.00/head2,675.00–2,675.002,6751
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs6 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Small and Medium 2-38401,400.00/head1,400.00–1,400.001,4001
Cow-Calf Pairs—Small and Medium 2-39902,050.00/head2,050.00–2,050.002,0501
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 2-31,2152,393.36/head2,300.00–2,450.002,3934
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2452,725.00/head2,725.00–2,725.002,7251
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,4393,148.00/head2,900.00–3,350.003,1486
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Fancy1,4583,766.40/head3,500.00–4,200.003,7663
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows3 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2735180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,3231
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2-3925145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,3411
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,055167.00/cwt167.00–167.001,7621

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.