Bluegrass Stockyard market report — October 21, 2026

Mount Sterling, KY · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/21/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

630

Last week 925 (−295)
Last year 707

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$387.92 /cwt

$2,095 per head · 19 hd
vs last week −12.41

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$331.31 /cwt

$2,464 per head · 8 hd
vs last week −3.63

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was mixed with an average quality offering. Feeder steers 350-650 lbs were steady to 5.00 lower with a limited supply and spotty demand, while the yearling steers appeared firm but with limited head to head comparisons. Feeder heifers 350 lbs and under were sharply higher with a lite test, while the 400-600 lbs heifers were steady to 5.00 higher with a good supply and good demand for quality cattle. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady to 3.00 higher with a good supply and good demand.
USDA Market News reporter, October 21, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 21

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	3	387 lb	$443.36†	$1,716	−37.89	+18.61	—	$385.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	20	476 lb	$420.20	$2,002	−24.07	−1.52	—	$381.86 (5 hd)
500–599 lb	19	540 lb	$387.92	$2,095	−12.41	+3.44	$407.60 (5 hd)	$368.52 (2 hd)†
600–699 lb	8	648 lb	$356.31	$2,307	+6.60	−8.97	—	$326.00 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	8	744 lb	$331.31	$2,464	−3.63	−8.43	—	—
800–899 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$354.50 (61 hd)	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 21

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	14	357 lb	$413.86	$1,479	+13.58	+5.73	—	—
400–499 lb	17	472 lb	$367.13	$1,734	+1.11	−16.35	—	$347.45 (7 hd)
500–599 lb	16	558 lb	$333.23	$1,858	−2.59	−28.91	$355.58 (33 hd)	$313.87 (7 hd)
600–699 lb	8	663 lb	$310.66	$2,060	+10.54	−14.81	$358.01 (8 hd)	$285.00 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	2	740 lb	$310.00†	$2,294	+21.52	+9.66	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 21

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	6	1,265 lb	$139.83	$137.00–$145.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	11	1,323 lb	$130.81	$121.00–$136.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	6	1,546 lb	$141.01	$139.00–$143.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	17	1,627 lb	$131.63	$124.00–$136.00
Lean 85-90%	High	1	1,215 lb	$131.00	$131.00–$131.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	14	1,128 lb	$113.71	$107.00–$125.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	6	1,109 lb	$95.94	$91.00–$101.00
Lean 85-90%	Very Low	2	913 lb	$62.71	$55.00–$69.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $387.92/cwt
4-week average: $377.32
13-week average: $381.37
4-week vs 13-week: −1.1%

52-wk low $331.25high $489.09

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $331.31/cwt
4-week average: $323.76
13-week average: $328.67
4-week vs 13-week: −1.5%

52-wk low $300.00high $388.48

Sales in 9 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $333.23/cwt
4-week average: $331.83
13-week average: $337.64
4-week vs 13-week: −1.7%

52-wk low $320.76high $413.79

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2019

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Apr and May and lowest in Nov and Dec.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	−1.9%	14%	7
Feb	−0.4%	29%	7
Mar	+3.9%	86%	7
Apr	+5.6%	100%	7
May	+5.5%	86%	7
Jun	+3.8%	100%	7
Jul	+2.2%	57%	7
Aug	+2.6%	71%	7
Sep	0.0%	57%	7
Oct	−3.8%	14%	7
Nov	−5.8%	0%	7
Dec	−4.8%	0%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Aug and Jul and lowest in Dec and Nov.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	−2.7%	14%	7
Feb	−1.0%	43%	7
Mar	−0.1%	43%	7
Apr	+1.0%	43%	7
May	+2.6%	57%	7
Jun	+2.3%	71%	7
Jul	+4.5%	83%	6
Aug	+4.8%	83%	6
Sep	+4.3%	86%	7
Oct	+0.3%	71%	7
Nov	−3.4%	0%	7
Dec	−4.6%	14%	7

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Wed Oct 21	630	$387.92	$331.31	$333.23
Wed Oct 14	925	$400.34	$334.95	$335.82
Wed Oct 7	441	$365.57	$312.00†	$333.43
Wed Sep 30	773	$355.44	$316.79	$324.86
Wed Sep 23	256	$369.94	$318.91†	$322.21
Wed Sep 16	173	$344.17†	—	$331.44
Wed Sep 9	154	$359.32	—	$335.67
Wed Sep 2	68	$331.25†	$312.33†	$324.22†
Wed Aug 26	169	$339.12†	—	$320.76†
Wed Aug 19	221	$432.53	$324.25†	$361.09
Wed Aug 12	345	$442.61	$350.00†	$350.22
Wed Aug 5	308	$448.24	$357.50†	$358.52
Wed Jul 29	227	—	—	$357.82
Wed Jul 22	194	$424.81	—	$397.50†

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Kentucky sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Paris Stockyards, Paris	20 mi	Oct 22	$397.97	$340.39
Farmers Stockyards, Flemingsburg	27 mi	Oct 20	$367.42	$339.17
Blue Grass Stockyards, Richmond	29 mi	Oct 23	$400.23	$335.83†
Blue Grass Stockyards, Lexington	31 mi	Oct 20	$366.78	$345.31
Blue Grass South Stockyards, Stanford	54 mi	Oct 22	$374.80	$335.01
United Producers, Inc., Owenton	59 mi	Oct 21	$369.14†	$321.00

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Wednesday	October 21, 2026	630	46	AMS_2202

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Bluegrass Stockyard - Mt. Sterling, KY” (AMS_2202). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.