Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 11, 2021

2,558 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) report →

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $126.85/cwt +6.22 vs last sale · ≈ $988/hd at 779 lb · 218 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $123.18/cwt -3.62 vs last sale · ≈ $781/hd at 634 lb · 182 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $129.63/cwt -0.38 vs last sale · ≈ $940/hd at 725 lb · 176 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,558 2,483 2,190
Feeder cattle 2,420 2,414 2,116
Slaughter cattle 111 65 69
Replacement cattle 27 4 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and Yearling steers and heifers 1.00-3.00 lower, Good to moderate demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-3.00 lower,Slaughter bulls 1.00-3.00 lower, Moderate demand for slaughter classes.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 fancy 200 1 203.00 $203.00 $406 —
260–295 274 6 165.00–192.50 $175.18 $480 -7.32
305–330 fancy 313 3 200.00–206.00 $203.89 $638 —
310–340 330 10 170.00–190.00 $177.58 $586 +1.31
350–392 381 10 168.00–180.00 $171.85 $655 -1.58
410–445 423 20 158.00–179.00 $168.63 $713 +7.06
431 fancy 431 4 185.00 $185.00 $797 —
462–480 fancy 465 7 172.00–174.00 $172.30 $801 —
455–498 481 43 146.00–164.00 $152.61 $734 -3.68
522–523 value added 522 13 157.00–157.50 $157.38 $822 -11.28
503–547 529 36 136.00–153.00 $144.86 $766 -8.80
550–596 577 73 130.00–148.00 $140.63 $811 -7.39
603–620 value added 609 18 142.00–149.00 $146.51 $892 -1.12
605–647 629 57 121.00–139.00 $134.53 $846 +2.84
650–695 663 38 124.00–136.00 $130.69 $866 -1.44
671–678 value added 674 18 137.75–139.50 $138.72 $935 +0.30
700–737 value added 723 114 130.25–136.25 $132.47 $958 -0.75
700–749 729 62 115.00–127.50 $124.41 $907 +1.70
757–793 776 35 119.00–126.50 $123.45 $958 +2.82
759–787 value added 779 183 127.00–127.75 $127.50 $993 —
821–835 825 13 119.00–120.50 $119.92 $989 +0.81
811–846 value added 838 86 125.00–128.50 $127.01 $1,064 -1.36
869 value added 869 61 125.90 $125.90 $1,094 —
862–884 873 10 119.00–122.25 $120.60 $1,053 +4.25
906–940 value added 917 62 116.00–119.00 $116.26 $1,066 -8.54
960–992 value added 986 74 114.00–120.00 $118.33 $1,167 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–396 393 4 148.00–149.00 $148.76 $585 -1.24
460–475 468 2 125.00–140.00 $132.62 $621 -2.51
545 545 1 126.00 $126.00 $687 +5.00
565 565 1 128.00 $128.00 $723 +16.00
685 685 1 117.00 $117.00 $801 —
802 802 4 113.00 $113.00 $906 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
217 fancy 217 2 155.00 $155.00 $336 —
265–280 275 3 139.00–142.50 $141.38 $389 —
312–343 331 9 136.00–148.00 $143.59 $475 -1.11
355–361 fancy 360 4 151.00–154.00 $151.74 $546 —
355–395 382 20 125.00–148.00 $142.92 $546 -3.16
400–448 436 34 125.00–143.00 $134.65 $587 -6.72
455–498 481 38 126.00–138.00 $130.85 $629 -4.74
500–535 value added 526 38 131.00–135.00 $133.87 $704 +0.22
500–545 528 77 121.00–130.00 $127.38 $673 +1.87
550–597 570 66 114.00–129.50 $125.43 $715 -2.95
600–645 value added 633 118 122.00–129.25 $127.12 $805 -2.54
600–648 635 64 106.00–121.00 $115.92 $736 -2.02
650–690 673 18 105.00–120.00 $115.94 $780 +0.75
650–692 value added 687 30 121.00–122.00 $121.16 $832 -8.17
704–728 value added 706 120 120.25–126.10 $123.73 $874 —
712–747 736 23 99.00–112.00 $105.85 $779 —
750–782 value added 757 88 120.00–124.00 $120.85 $915 +4.27
750–797 768 46 102.00–118.00 $113.33 $870 +3.48
819–840 823 6 105.00–106.00 $105.83 $871 -8.77
885 885 1 106.00 $106.00 $938 —
931 931 8 106.00 $106.00 $987 —
1000 1000 2 95.00 $95.00 $950 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 120.00 $120.00 $408 —
350–360 355 2 110.00–117.00 $113.55 $403 -8.95
405–427 419 7 120.00 $120.00 $503 -1.03
455 455 1 100.00 $100.00 $455 —
510–545 522 4 107.00–115.00 $109.82 $573 -2.68
590 590 1 115.00 $115.00 $678 +15.00
604–635 609 13 102.00–106.00 $105.36 $642 -1.04
675–690 679 8 101.00–102.00 $101.75 $691 -2.75
745 745 1 85.00 $85.00 $633 -8.07
860 860 1 96.00 $96.00 $826 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1052 1052 2 101.00 $101.00 $1,063 —
1190 1190 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,083 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 100.00 $100.00 $465 —
595 595 1 80.00 $80.00 $476 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 172.50 $172.50 $483 —
390–396 395 4 162.00–174.00 $171.03 $676 -1.50
425–440 436 5 161.00–166.00 $161.97 $706 -2.32
465–492 474 6 133.00–146.00 $139.54 $661 -20.96
500–535 511 15 136.00–156.00 $151.06 $772 +7.14
560–595 575 12 130.00–141.00 $134.03 $771 -6.26
610–645 624 7 122.00–137.00 $130.70 $816 -3.71
643 fancy 643 5 142.00 $142.00 $913 —
655–693 674 13 115.00–132.00 $125.04 $843 -2.98
700–725 717 6 106.00–119.00 $114.18 $819 -3.57
755 755 2 106.00–117.00 $111.50 $842 —
945 945 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,040 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 101.00 $101.00 $591 -9.00
630 630 1 102.00 $102.00 $643 —
670–690 680 2 105.00–112.00 $108.55 $738 —
730 730 1 80.00 $80.00 $584 —
750 750 1 89.00 $89.00 $668 —
880 880 1 94.00 $94.00 $827 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1355 1306 80-85% 5 53.00–58.00 $56.08 $732 —
1190–1475 1351 80-85% 14 59.00–64.00 $61.51 $831 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–1100 945 85-90% 4 45.00–51.00 $47.67 $450 -2.25
1070–1095 1083 85-90% 2 53.00–54.00 $53.49 $579 —
930–1150 1087 85-90% 10 59.00–66.00 $62.04 $674 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1495–1510 1503 75-80% 2 60.00–65.00 $62.51 $940 —
1670 1670 75-80% 1 55.00 $55.00 $918 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510–2025 1720 5 85.00–90.00 $86.11 $1,481 —
1355–2135 1840 10 75.00–82.00 $79.86 $1,469 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
735–1215 987 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 7 62.00–89.00 $74.27 $733
1045–1150 1098 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 66.00–70.00 $68.10 $748

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960–1130 1032 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 875.00–925.00 $898.99
1035–1260 1142 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 675.00–850.00 $778.94
1150–1305 1232 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 850.00–1,150.00 $985.32

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1115 1115 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —
1050–1415 1303 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 5 775.00–1,275.00 $1,047.03 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.