Name: Mount Sterling Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was uneven with an average quality offering. Feeder steers and Heifers 400 lbs and under appeared stronger with a lite test, while the 450-650 lbs steers and heifers were unevenly steady ranging from 3.00 higher to 3.00 lower in spots with a moderate supply and good demand for weaned and harder conditioned calves. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady to 2.00 higher with a moderate supply and good demand.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $486.25/cwt on 14 head, up $4.13 from the prior sale (only 18 head in that comparison). That ranks 19 of 22 comparable sales and sits +29.60 against this barn's trailing median of $456.65.

Average price

$486.25

▲ 4.13 vs prior sale

14 head · 546 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,654

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+7.75

vs KY average

+11.77 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	546	486.25	2,654	14thin

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 sale14 hd

486.25

—

KY average29 barns · 1,430 hd

478.50

+7.75

National average171 barns · 13,387 hd

474.48

+11.77

This barn, trailing median22 sales

456.65

+29.60

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	—	Average	1,672	223.45	3,735	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,225	176.45	2,162	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,461	173.99	2,542	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,084	160.54	1,740	10
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,370	147.53	2,021	2thin

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)	1,163	$3,224	4thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,215	$3,025	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,318	$2,855	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	970	$1,600	1thin
Bulls	N/A	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,400	$3,200	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	905	$2,600	1thin

Every lot, as filed

72 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	550–600	568	389.83/cwt	380.00–397.00	2,214	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	500–550	541	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,651	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	440	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,936	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	516	399.15/cwt	385.00–407.50	2,060	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	442.50/cwt	442.50–442.50	2,633	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open	600–650	613	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,513	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	525	457.50/cwt	455.00–460.00	2,402	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	252	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	1,462	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	650–700	656	435.79/cwt	432.00–437.50	2,859	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	755	325.34/cwt	325.00–326.00	2,456	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	463	515.69/cwt	510.00–525.00	2,388	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,010	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	2,283	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	550–600	550	472.50/cwt	472.50–472.50	2,599	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	668	386.24/cwt	382.50–390.00	2,580	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	645	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,516	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	361	486.12/cwt	480.00–490.00	1,755	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	345	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,725	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	400–450	421	541.86/cwt	540.00–542.50	2,281	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	472	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	2,112	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	735	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,499	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	650–700	660	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,079	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	400–450	442	482.60/cwt	475.00–485.00	2,133	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	460	552.50/cwt	552.50–552.50	2,542	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	150–200	170	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,020	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	265	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,590	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	492.39/cwt	477.50–497.50	2,403	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	875	187.59/cwt	172.50–211.00	1,641	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,400	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	500–550	510	481.67/cwt	480.00–485.00	2,457	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	300–350	340	532.50/cwt	532.50–532.50	1,811	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,225	176.45/cwt	171.00–180.00	2,162	3
Bulls	—	—	1,690	213.75/cwt	213.00–214.50	3,612	2
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,370	147.53/cwt	147.00–148.00	2,021	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,107	171.59/cwt	165.00–177.50	1,900	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,049	143.96/cwt	140.50–147.00	1,510	4
Bulls	—	—	1,653	233.15/cwt	226.00–239.50	3,854	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,365	3,750.00/head	3,750.00–3,750.00	3,750	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,215	3,025.00/head	3,025.00–3,025.00	3,025	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1-2	—	905	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium 1-2	—	965	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Steers	Large 1-2	700–750	725	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,538	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,461	173.99/cwt	168.50–178.50	2,542	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	610	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,166	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	565	406.16/cwt	397.00–415.00	2,295	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	350–400	373	527.10/cwt	507.50–547.50	1,966	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	970	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,096	3,048.83/head	3,025.00–3,100.00	3,049	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,495	3,132.44/head	3,025.00–3,275.00	3,132	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	725	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	2,302	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	200–250	230	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,012	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	565	292.00/cwt	292.00–292.00	1,650	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	400–450	410	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,353	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	285	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,140	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	540	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	2,066	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	467	527.50/cwt	527.50–527.50	2,463	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	570	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,166	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	450–500	495	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,757	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	600–650	615	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,799	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	400	565.00/cwt	565.00–565.00	2,260	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	550–600	555	426.00/cwt	426.00–426.00	2,364	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	500–550	531	426.88/cwt	420.00–430.00	2,267	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	295	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,387	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	650	374.00/cwt	374.00–374.00	2,431	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	450	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,093	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	540	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,565	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	628	363.55/cwt	357.50–370.00	2,283	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	600–650	624	439.41/cwt	435.00–445.50	2,742	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	315	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	1,827	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Value Added	550–600	555	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,747	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	2,663	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	710	365.00/cwt	360.00–370.00	2,592	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	390	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,950	1

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 May 20, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 180Last week 311Year ago 244

Slaughter CattleReceipts 28Last week 31Year ago 72

Replacement CattleReceipts 14Last week 46Year ago 52

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	361	480.00–490.00	486.12
1	400–450	440	440.00	440.00
2	450–500	472	447.50	447.50
7	500–550	516	385.00–407.50	399.15
4	550–600	568	380.00–397.00	389.83
5	600–650	628	357.50–370.00	363.55
1	700–750	735	340.00	340.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Guaranteed Open$ per cwt · actual wt
2	600–650	613	410.00	410.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	650–700	660	315.00	315.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	340	532.50	532.50
2	350–400	373	507.50–547.50	527.10
4	400–450	442	475.00–485.00	482.60
Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	410	330.00	330.00
1	450–500	495	355.00	355.00
2	550–600	565	292.00	292.00
2	600–650	615	292.50	292.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	285	400.00	400.00
1	500–550	540	382.50	382.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
8	500–550	531	420.00–430.00	426.88
2	550–600	555	426.00	426.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
11	500–550	541	490.00	490.00
1	550–600	555	495.00	495.00
38	600–650	624	435.00–445.50	439.41
13	650–700	656	432.00–437.50	435.79
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	250–300	252	580.00	580.00
2	300–350	315	580.00	580.00
1	400–450	400	565.00	565.00
2	450–500	467	527.50	527.50
1	500–550	540	475.00	475.00
1	550–600	595	447.50	447.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	460	552.50	552.50
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	700–750	725	350.00	350.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	450	465.00	465.00
1	650–700	650	374.00	374.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	150–200	170	600.00	600.00
1	250–300	265	600.00	600.00
2	300–350	345	500.00	500.00
1	350–400	390	500.00	500.00
6	450–500	488	477.50–497.50	492.39
2	500–550	525	455.00–460.00	457.50
1	550–600	595	442.50	442.50
1	600–650	645	390.00	390.00
2	650–700	668	382.50–390.00	386.24
2	700–750	710	360.00–370.00	365.00
3	750–800	755	325.00–326.00	325.34
1	1000–1050	1,010	226.00	226.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
4	400–450	421	540.00–542.50	541.86
3	450–500	463	510.00–525.00	515.69
3	500–550	510	480.00–485.00	481.67
1	550–600	550	472.50	472.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	295	470.00	470.00
2	550–600	565	397.00–415.00	406.16
1	600–650	610	355.00	355.00
1	700–750	725	317.50	317.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	230	440.00	440.00
1	550–600	570	380.00	380.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	3	—	875	172.50–211.00	187.59
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	N/A	1	—	1,400	3,200.00	3,200.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	1,365	3,750.00	3,750.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	1,215	3,025.00	3,025.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	1,495	3,025.00–3,275.00	3,132.44
Bred Cows — Medium 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	965	2,300.00	2,300.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	970	1,600.00	1,600.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,096	3,025.00–3,100.00	3,048.83
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	—	905	2,600.00	2,600.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,225	171.00–180.00	176.45
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,107	165.00–177.50	171.59
4	—	1,049	140.50–147.00	143.96
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,461	168.50–178.50	173.99
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,690	213.00–214.50	213.75
2	—	1,653	226.00–239.50	233.15
Dairy Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,370	147.00–148.00	147.53

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

Replacement Cattle

Slaughter Cattle