Sale reports / Kentucky / Mount Sterling Livestock Auction / 2026-05-13

Mount Sterling Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Mt. Sterling, Kentucky · Wed, May 13
● Final90 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2202
Feeder Cattle receipts
311 head
▲ 17 vs last sale 294▼ 2 vs year ago 313 · −0.6%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
31 head
▼ 17 vs last sale 48▼ 50 vs year ago 81 · −61.7%
Replacement Cattle receipts
46 head
▼ 42 vs last sale 88▲ 27 vs year ago 19 · +142.1%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was spotty but mostly lower with a plainer than average quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were mostly 4.00 to 6.00 lower or greater in spots with a good supply and moderate demand. Negative pressure from the futures market and a plainer quality offering limited buyers interest and increased the price spreads in most weight classes. Slaughter cows were 2.00 to 4.00 higher and slaughter bulls were 4.00 to 5.00 higher with strong demand.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $482.12/cwt on 18 head, down $4.64 from the prior sale. That ranks 18 of 23 comparable sales and sits +29.51 against this barn's trailing median of $452.60.
Average price
$482.12
▼ 4.64 vs prior sale
18 head · 536 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,585
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$214
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$55.36/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+3.99
vs KY average
+8.42 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2533491.342,61915thin
Medium and Large 2552435.992,4053thin
One grade step is worth $55.36/cwt here — about $214 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 sale18 hd
482.12
—
KY average24 barns · 969 hd
478.13
+3.99
National average167 barns · 12,191 hd
473.70
+8.42
This barn, trailing median23 sales
452.60
+29.51
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

23 sales
530470411351median 452.6003/0404/2206/1709/2310/28
Steers 500–600 lb: high $515.83, low $365.46, median $452.60 across 23 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—Average1,736212.733,6947thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,477184.022,7174thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,271175.112,2259thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,116152.681,7049thin

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)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,495$3,4252thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)985$3,0101thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,196$2,9346
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,190$2,7142thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,132$2,5553thin
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)(<2 yrs)890$2,5751thin
BullsN/AYoung (2-4 yrs)1,423$3,5933thin
Cow-Calf Pairs1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,470$4,3501thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,135$4,0002thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,286$3,7503thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,225$1,9001thin

Every lot

90 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 · Steers21 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2305627.50/cwt627.50–627.501,9141
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Fancy315675.00/cwt675.00–675.002,1261
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2388437.42/cwt425.00–450.001,6972
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2425440.00/cwt440.00–440.001,8701
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2445535.81/cwt510.00–540.002,3847
Steers450–500Large 1-2455447.50/cwt447.50–447.502,0362
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2492517.50/cwt515.00–520.002,5464
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2505430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,1721
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2512474.77/cwt465.00–495.002,4313
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added520507.00/cwt507.00–507.002,6368
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2575472.46/cwt470.00–475.002,7174
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2575438.98/cwt438.00–440.002,5242
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2640429.84/cwt420.00–450.002,7513
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Value Added655450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,9481
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2659429.56/cwt417.00–437.502,8318
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2785355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,7871
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2823326.61/cwt321.00–337.502,6883
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2905311.00/cwt311.00–311.002,8151
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-2Value Added1,002319.85/cwt319.85–319.853,20545
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 21,025270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,7681
Steers1100–1150Medium and Large 1-2Value Added1,104317.25/cwt317.25–317.253,50250
Feeder Cattle · Heifers28 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2260500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,3001
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2325520.00/cwt520.00–520.001,6901
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2340467.50/cwt467.50–467.501,5901
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3360357.50/cwt357.50–357.501,2871
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2377464.36/cwt462.50–465.001,7514
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2390440.00/cwt440.00–440.001,7161
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2434441.80/cwt435.00–449.001,9176
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2-3435385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,6751
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2440417.50/cwt417.50–417.501,8371
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3450350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,5751
Heifers450–500Large 1-2470360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,6921
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2477434.60/cwt425.00–447.502,07325
Heifers450–500Large 2497310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,5412
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2510409.06/cwt402.50–417.002,0863
Heifers500–550Large 1-2510367.50/cwt367.50–367.501,8741
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Value Added522423.24/cwt420.00–425.002,2095
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3535292.50/cwt292.50–292.501,5651
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2558392.50/cwt392.50–392.502,1903
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy560360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,0161
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2625355.08/cwt350.00–360.002,2192
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2641381.00/cwt381.00–381.002,4424
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2665373.48/cwt372.50–374.002,4843
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2710328.08/cwt325.00–337.502,3295
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2755340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,5672
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open759350.27/cwt350.00–354.002,65915
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 2820287.50/cwt287.50–287.502,3581
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open1,030287.50/cwt287.50–287.502,9611
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,030251.00/cwt251.00–251.002,5851
Feeder Cattle · Bulls17 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2335500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,6751
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2342558.22/cwt535.00–570.001,9093
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2365435.00/cwt435.00–435.001,5881
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy368600.00/cwt600.00–600.002,2083
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2385560.00/cwt560.00–560.002,1561
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3435340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,4791
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2442520.00/cwt520.00–520.002,2982
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2486497.67/cwt495.00–502.502,4199
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2518459.84/cwt450.00–470.002,3823
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2Fancy540485.00/cwt485.00–485.002,6191
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2573441.90/cwt425.00–450.002,5326
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2-3615310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,9071
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2667361.61/cwt350.00–377.502,4124
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 2680339.00/cwt339.00–339.002,3051
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2700335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,3451
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2792305.00/cwt305.00–305.002,4162
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2970270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,6191
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Heifers500–550Large 3530182.50/cwt182.50–182.509671
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,717204.61/cwt198.50–211.003,5135
Bulls——1,785233.03/cwt228.00–238.504,1602
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,066139.92/cwt134.00–148.001,4925
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,150189.00/cwt189.00–189.002,1741
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,179168.64/cwt155.50–179.001,9884
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,283165.06/cwt164.00–166.002,1182
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,287176.14/cwt172.50–181.002,2676
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,408186.37/cwt185.00–188.002,6242
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,545181.67/cwt180.00–183.002,8072
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-21,4233,592.97/head2,850.00–4,100.003,5933
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs4 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,1354,000.00/head4,000.00–4,000.004,0002
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 21,2251,900.00/head1,900.00–1,900.001,9001
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2863,750.00/head3,750.00–3,750.003,7503
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,4704,350.00/head4,350.00–4,350.004,3501
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows6 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-29853,010.00/head3,010.00–3,010.003,0101
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 21,1302,583.02/head2,475.00–2,700.002,5832
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1322,555.23/head2,525.00–2,600.002,5553
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1902,713.81/head2,650.00–2,775.002,7142
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2293,109.97/head2,900.00–3,425.003,1104
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,4953,425.00/head3,425.00–3,425.003,4252
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2965226.43/cwt215.00–233.002,1853
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,041169.58/cwt157.50–181.001,7655
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-28902,575.00/head2,575.00–2,575.002,5751

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.