Sale reports / Kentucky / Mount Sterling Livestock Auction / 2026-04-08

Mount Sterling Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · Wed, Apr 8
● Final88 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2202
Feeder Cattle receipts
291 head
▲ 59 vs last sale 232▼ 25 vs year ago 316 · −7.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
48 head
▼ 6 vs last sale 54▲ 18 vs year ago 30 · +60.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
58 head
▼ 13 vs last sale 71▲ 40 vs year ago 18 · +222.2%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week feeder steers sold steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold sharply higher. There was good demand for feeder classes. Slaughter cows sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher. There was good demand for slaughter classes.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $417.54/cwt on 28 head, up $11.60 from the prior sale. That ranks 27 of 31 comparable sales and sits +22.71 against this barn's trailing median of $394.83.
Average price
$417.54
▲ 11.60 vs prior sale
28 head · 558 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,328
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$287
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$24.28/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−2.63
vs KY average
−10.82 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2560419.282,34926
Medium and Large 2-3522395.002,0622thin
One grade step is worth $24.28/cwt here — about $287 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 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 sale28 hd
417.54
—
KY average25 barns · 1,295 hd
420.18
−2.63
National average175 barns · 10,626 hd
428.36
−10.82
This barn, trailing median31 sales
394.83
+22.71
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—High1,580216.213,4167thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,583194.353,0775thin
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,227181.242,22427
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low932164.541,53313

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 Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,161$2,83919
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,073$2,68210
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,011$2,2546
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)950$2,7501thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)660$1,9101thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,440$3,6912thin

Every lot

88 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 · Steers12 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1-2250510.00/cwt510.00–510.001,2751
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2325549.00/cwt549.00–549.001,7841
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2-3405480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,9442
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy410552.50/cwt552.50–552.502,2654
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2424526.46/cwt520.00–540.002,2327
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Fancy480567.50/cwt567.50–567.502,7242
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2480517.50/cwt517.50–517.502,4841
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added513502.54/cwt495.00–510.002,5782
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2518472.44/cwt470.00–477.502,4475
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2-3525465.00/cwt465.00–465.002,4411
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2550467.50/cwt467.50–467.502,5711
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2610412.03/cwt411.00–415.002,5134
Feeder Cattle · Heifers26 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1-2Fancy225597.00/cwt597.00–597.001,3431
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1-2225485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,0911
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2265520.57/cwt510.00–530.001,3802
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 2-3285400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,1401
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2Fancy295550.00/cwt550.00–550.001,6231
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2335563.84/cwt560.00–565.001,8894
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy352572.91/cwt572.00–577.502,0176
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2366560.71/cwt537.50–567.002,0525
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2388499.00/cwt499.00–499.001,9363
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3395470.00/cwt470.00–470.001,8572
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy410490.00/cwt490.00–490.002,0093
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2-3425432.50/cwt432.50–432.501,8381
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2430463.02/cwt452.50–477.501,99112
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2474451.89/cwt448.00–460.002,14222
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3475438.31/cwt435.00–440.002,0825
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3522395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,0622
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2541412.36/cwt406.00–420.002,2316
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added564437.57/cwt433.00–440.002,4686
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2567414.40/cwt400.00–420.002,35014
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Value Added624419.37/cwt417.00–421.002,6175
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2669360.34/cwt350.00–367.502,4116
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2750320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,4002
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2-3755310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,3411
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2815323.00/cwt323.00–323.002,6321
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 2-3835227.50/cwt227.50–227.501,9001
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 2-3865202.50/cwt202.50–202.501,7521
Feeder Cattle · Bulls30 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1-2Fancy227680.00/cwt680.00–680.001,5442
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1-2240595.00/cwt595.00–595.001,4281
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2282560.00/cwt560.00–560.001,5792
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2Fancy290597.00/cwt597.00–597.001,7312
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2-3315390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,2291
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2325502.00/cwt502.00–502.001,6321
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2341569.75/cwt569.00–570.001,9434
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2376619.48/cwt610.00–622.502,32910
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2-3390455.00/cwt455.00–455.001,7751
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2392521.61/cwt507.50–525.002,0455
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed405600.00/cwt600.00–600.002,4301
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3405440.00/cwt440.00–440.001,7821
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2424482.52/cwt470.00–500.002,0465
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy440546.00/cwt546.00–546.002,4024
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2Fancy469520.00/cwt520.00–520.002,43910
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2-3470450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,1152
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2480500.95/cwt490.00–510.002,40515
Bulls450–500Small and Medium 1-2495402.00/cwt402.00–402.001,9901
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2-3510462.50/cwt462.50–462.502,3591
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2517481.12/cwt480.00–492.502,48711
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2Fancy560475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,6601
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2-3560426.27/cwt425.00–427.502,3872
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2579440.62/cwt432.50–445.002,5516
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2621391.97/cwt385.00–395.002,4345
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2673369.12/cwt360.00–371.002,4846
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2727375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,7262
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 2-3740310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,2941
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2775297.00/cwt297.00–297.002,3021
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1-2810331.00/cwt331.00–331.002,6811
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 2-3955285.00/cwt285.00–285.002,7221
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,424208.06/cwt203.50–216.002,9634
Bulls——1,788227.07/cwt222.00–231.004,0603
Slaughter Cattle · Cows10 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%913155.97/cwt154.00–158.001,4242
Cows—Lean 85-90%920148.02/cwt146.00–150.001,3622
Cows—Lean 85-90%933165.81/cwt160.50–169.001,5474
Cows—Lean 85-90%943173.57/cwt171.00–176.001,6375
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,147158.81/cwt158.00–159.501,8223
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,193172.61/cwt168.00–175.502,0598
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,231183.65/cwt180.00–188.002,2617
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,281194.50/cwt191.50–200.002,4929
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,518182.70/cwt179.50–186.002,7732
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,627202.12/cwt192.50–209.003,2883
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-26601,910.00/head1,910.00–1,910.001,9101
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-29502,750.00/head2,750.00–2,750.002,7501
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2790235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,8571
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,005209.19/cwt197.00–220.002,1022
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,0112,254.32/head1,975.00–2,885.002,2546
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,0732,681.75/head1,400.00–3,325.002,68210
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1612,839.22/head1,550.00–3,775.002,83919
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,4403,690.83/head3,550.00–3,810.003,6912

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.