Name: Mount Sterling Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-04-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-29

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was spotty with an average quality offering. Feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were steady to 6.00 lower or greater in spots with a good supply and moderate demand. Yearling steers appeared stronger with a good supply, but limited head to head comparisons. Feeder buyers were active today, but the growing supply of heavier conditioned calves on the market is limiting some buyers interest and the premiums they are willing to pay. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady with a good supply and good demand.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $476.17/cwt on 16 head, up $28.73 from the prior sale. That ranks 14 of 22 comparable sales and sits +19.51 against this barn's trailing median of $456.65.

Average price

$476.17

▲ 28.73 vs prior sale

16 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,596

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+6.36

vs KY average

−4.85 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	545	476.17	2,596	16thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

22 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $515.83, low $358.79, median $456.65 across 22 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale16 hd

476.17

—

KY average26 barns · 1,332 hd

469.81

+6.36

National average169 barns · 10,621 hd

481.02

−4.85

This barn, trailing median22 sales

456.65

+19.51

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	High	1,621	211.34	3,426	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,525	178.45	2,721	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,296	174.83	2,265	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,010	154.24	1,557	14
Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,333	212.41	2,831	3thin

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,248	$3,341	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,031	$2,972	8
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,096	$2,539	5
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	845	$2,875	1thin
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	820	$2,800	2thin
Bulls	N/A	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,578	$3,611	2thin
Bulls	N/A	(<2 yrs)	1,040	$2,575	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,493	$3,958	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,425	$3,900	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	930	$3,400	1thin

Every lot, as filed

74 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	275	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,375	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	485	409.47/cwt	400.00–414.00	1,986	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	470	446.28/cwt	445.00–447.50	2,098	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	637	369.47/cwt	365.00–370.00	2,354	14
Heifers	Large 1-2	850–900	885	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	2,279	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	350–400	380	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,862	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	580	391.29/cwt	385.00–397.00	2,269	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	516	419.51/cwt	407.50–430.00	2,165	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	745	387.00/cwt	387.00–387.00	2,883	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	600–650	620	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,821	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	390	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,755	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	755	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	2,171	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	300–350	340	640.00/cwt	640.00–640.00	2,176	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	440	440.75/cwt	435.00–455.00	1,939	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	564	464.41/cwt	450.00–470.00	2,619	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	375	452.50/cwt	452.50–452.50	1,697	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	353	472.55/cwt	470.00–477.50	1,668	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	688	326.57/cwt	320.00–333.00	2,247	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,864	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	330	585.00/cwt	585.00–585.00	1,931	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	650–700	651	434.00/cwt	434.00–434.00	2,825	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	431	492.50/cwt	492.50–492.50	2,123	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	700–750	735	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,573	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	470	532.81/cwt	515.00–537.50	2,504	5
Steers	Large 1-2	450–500	460	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,208	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	500–550	530	495.48/cwt	482.50–515.00	2,626	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	778	359.89/cwt	335.00–372.50	2,800	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	500	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,175	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	890	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	3,062	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	626	403.47/cwt	400.00–410.00	2,526	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	800–850	821	392.95/cwt	392.95–392.95	3,226	66
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	455	468.76/cwt	467.50–470.00	2,133	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	540	446.60/cwt	430.00–460.00	2,412	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	362	532.50/cwt	532.50–532.50	1,928	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	280	645.00/cwt	645.00–645.00	1,806	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,282	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	550–600	550	471.00/cwt	471.00–471.00	2,591	1
Heifers	Select and Choice	—	1,333	212.41/cwt	202.50–220.00	2,831	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	972	148.89/cwt	137.00–153.00	1,447	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,484	183.54/cwt	180.00–187.00	2,724	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,586	170.81/cwt	169.00–175.00	2,709	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,316	181.31/cwt	180.00–185.00	2,386	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	790	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,003	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,114	168.24/cwt	160.00–176.00	1,874	5
Bulls	—	—	1,765	214.17/cwt	208.00–221.00	3,780	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,281	170.20/cwt	158.00–176.00	2,180	7
Bulls	—	—	1,045	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,090	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,031	2,972.36/head	2,700.00–3,300.00	2,972	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	937	246.09/cwt	222.50–265.00	2,306	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,109	201.07/cwt	190.00–210.00	2,230	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,515	4,100.00/head	4,100.00–4,100.00	4,100	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,380	3,325.00/head	3,325.00–3,325.00	3,325	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,585	4,450.00/head	4,450.00–4,450.00	4,450	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,248	3,341.02/head	2,875.00–3,525.00	3,341	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,124	2,649.25/head	2,625.00–2,675.00	2,649	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	985	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	845	2,875.00/head	2,875.00–2,875.00	2,875	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	820	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	930	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,425	3,900.00/head	3,900.00–3,900.00	3,900	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,040	2,575.00/head	2,575.00–2,575.00	2,575	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,578	3,610.54/head	3,475.00–3,750.00	3,611	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	300–350	345	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,087	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	345	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	2,087	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	510	405.00/cwt	395.00–415.00	2,066	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	495	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,203	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	442	456.57/cwt	450.00–470.00	2,018	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	595	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,172	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	468	459.50/cwt	459.50–459.50	2,150	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	613	343.73/cwt	342.50–345.00	2,107	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	305	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,556	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	545	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,935	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	300–350	310	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,147	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	499.88/cwt	495.00–505.00	2,099	2

How this sale compares

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.

Kentucky feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Bluegrass Stockyard - Mt. Sterling, KY

Wed Apr 29, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Frankfort, KY (LS-LG)

Feeder CattleReceipts 265Last week 344Year ago 389

Slaughter CattleReceipts 48Last week 46Year ago 36

Replacement CattleReceipts 51Last week 39Year ago 61

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	275	500.00	500.00
1	300–350	305	510.00	510.00
3	350–400	353	470.00–477.50	472.55
7	400–450	440	435.00–455.00	440.75
2	450–500	470	445.00–447.50	446.28
12	500–550	516	407.50–430.00	419.51
7	550–600	580	385.00–397.00	391.29
14	600–650	637	365.00–370.00	369.47
2	650–700	688	320.00–333.00	326.57
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	390	450.00	450.00
3	450–500	485	400.00–414.00	409.47
1	500–550	545	355.00	355.00
2	600–650	613	342.50–345.00	343.73
1	750–800	755	287.50	287.50
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	850–900	885	257.50	257.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	380	490.00	490.00
47	450–500	468	459.50	459.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	310	370.00	370.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	330	585.00	585.00
3	400–450	431	492.50	492.50
1	500–550	500	435.00	435.00
8	550–600	564	450.00–470.00	464.41
10	600–650	626	400.00–410.00	403.47
1	650–700	690	415.00	415.00
6	700–750	745	387.00	387.00
3	750–800	778	335.00–372.50	359.89
1	850–900	890	344.00	344.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
7	500–550	530	482.50–515.00	495.48
1	600–650	620	455.00	455.00
4	650–700	651	434.00	434.00
66	800–850	821	392.95	392.95
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	340	640.00	640.00
5	450–500	470	515.00–537.50	532.81
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	375	452.50	452.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
1	700–750	735	350.00	350.00
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	460	480.00	480.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	280	645.00	645.00
1	300–350	345	605.00	605.00
2	350–400	362	532.50	532.50
2	400–450	420	495.00–505.00	499.88
2	450–500	455	467.50–470.00	468.76
3	500–550	540	430.00–460.00	446.60
1	550–600	585	390.00	390.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	550–600	550	471.00	471.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	345	315.00	315.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	442	450.00–470.00	456.57
1	450–500	495	445.00	445.00
2	500–550	510	395.00–415.00	405.00
1	550–600	595	365.00	365.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,333	202.50–220.00	212.41
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	972	137.00–153.00	148.89
1	—	790	127.00	127.00
5	—	1,114	160.00–176.00	168.24
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,484	180.00–187.00	183.54
4	—	1,586	169.00–175.00	170.81
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,316	180.00–185.00	181.31
7	—	1,281	158.00–176.00	170.20
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,765	208.00–221.00	214.17
1	—	1,045	200.00	200.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	8	—	1,031	2,700.00–3,300.00	2,972.36
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,248	2,875.00–3,525.00	3,341.02
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	4	—	1,124	2,625.00–2,675.00	2,649.25
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	985	2,100.00	2,100.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	5	—	937	222.50–265.00	246.09
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,109	190.00–210.00	201.07
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,515	4,100.00	4,100.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,585	4,450.00	4,450.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,380	3,325.00	3,325.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	930	3,400.00	3,400.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,425	3,900.00	3,900.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	845	2,875.00	2,875.00
(<2 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	820	2,800.00	2,800.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	N/A	1	—	1,040	2,575.00	2,575.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	N/A	2	—	1,578	3,475.00–3,750.00	3,610.54

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Mount Sterling Livestock Auction

Reporter comment USDA

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

What quality paid 500–600 lb

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

How it compared 500–600 lb

Slaughter cattle

Replacement cattle Per head

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

Bluegrass Stockyard - Mt. Sterling, KY

Feeder Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Replacement Cattle