Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 17, 2022

1,731 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $147.49/cwt +13.64 vs last sale · ≈ $921/hd at 624 lb · 174 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $157.69/cwt +7.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,136/hd at 721 lb · 145 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $142.19/cwt +6.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,192/hd at 838 lb · 140 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,731 1,150 2,252
Feeder cattle 1,571 1,034 2,138
Slaughter cattle 158 111 111
Replacement cattle 2 5 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers 3.00-5.00 higher, Yearling steers 2.00-4.00 higher, Feeder heifers 4.00-6.00 higher, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 8.00-10.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 2.00-4.00 higher, Very good 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
205–241 fancy 232 6 201.00–211.00 $203.91 $473 —
296 fancy 296 2 215.00 $215.00 $636 —
358–385 370 8 181.00–199.00 $188.90 $699 -9.39
405–445 427 40 175.00–197.00 $183.76 $785 -0.12
451 fancy 451 13 201.00 $201.00 $907 —
455–487 481 9 181.00–196.00 $193.76 $932 +22.71
525–530 value added 529 12 184.00–187.00 $186.09 $984 +15.13
500–544 531 34 160.00–181.00 $172.50 $916 +7.57
555–597 566 44 160.00–177.00 $168.60 $954 +8.89
600 fancy 600 23 173.00 $173.00 $1,038 —
610–645 value added 619 4 154.00 $154.00 $953 -9.00
600–648 632 11 132.00–149.00 $143.98 $910 -3.67
650–697 677 37 131.00–150.00 $142.11 $962 -15.77
702–737 717 14 138.00–145.00 $141.94 $1,018 —
709–742 value added 721 131 153.50–162.75 $159.37 $1,149 +9.02
758 value added 758 65 150.25 $150.25 $1,139 +6.64
760–792 780 10 132.00–141.00 $138.37 $1,079 +3.37
815–832 value added 831 63 147.20–148.00 $147.22 $1,223 +7.22
840–845 844 77 137.50–139.00 $138.08 $1,165 —
857–883 878 12 130.00–139.00 $137.67 $1,209 —
920 920 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,196 +6.25
995 995 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,214 —
1022 1022 7 128.00 $128.00 $1,308 —
1060 1060 1 136.00 $136.00 $1,442 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356 356 3 161.00 $161.00 $573 —
440 440 1 172.00 $172.00 $757 —
520 520 2 137.00–150.00 $143.50 $746 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 fancy 290 1 180.00 $180.00 $522 —
310–340 fancy 327 5 181.00–197.50 $189.73 $620 —
325–345 338 4 153.00–176.00 $162.91 $551 -13.17
365 fancy 365 1 181.00 $181.00 $661 —
353–395 374 29 151.00–175.00 $165.22 $618 +12.05
401–447 fancy 419 12 171.00–175.00 $173.57 $727 —
405–445 427 29 150.00–165.00 $156.14 $667 -3.82
450–497 480 59 149.00–166.00 $156.05 $749 +3.23
500–542 525 30 139.00–153.00 $149.74 $786 +9.41
510–548 value added 544 43 156.00–158.00 $157.96 $859 +10.04
550–590 564 27 135.00–153.00 $145.67 $822 +9.06
564 value added 564 14 156.00 $156.00 $880 +12.69
605–640 value added 624 168 144.00–149.50 $148.04 $924 —
620–640 630 6 130.00–134.00 $131.97 $831 -1.88
651–695 668 49 121.00–141.00 $136.89 $914 +8.45
708–740 717 6 115.00–126.00 $119.85 $859 -12.15
772–780 value added 775 111 130.00–132.25 $130.88 $1,014 +1.24
810 810 4 115.00–123.00 $121.00 $980 -8.00
860–885 863 11 113.00–124.00 $119.83 $1,034 —
945 945 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,115 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 143.00 $143.00 $608 —
690 690 1 116.00 $116.00 $800 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 140.00 $140.00 $546 —
435 435 1 131.00 $131.00 $570 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
185 fancy 185 1 212.50 $212.50 $393 —
240 240 2 173.00–190.00 $181.50 $436 —
240 fancy 240 1 202.50 $202.50 $486 —
301–335 310 4 189.00–190.00 $189.27 $587 +4.27
345 fancy 345 1 205.00 $205.00 $707 —
357–390 369 4 175.00–180.00 $177.47 $655 +1.69
350–390 fancy 377 3 200.00–202.50 $201.73 $761 —
410–430 422 8 164.00–182.50 $172.54 $728 +7.54
465–491 478 12 160.00–180.00 $169.13 $808 +1.33
503 fancy 503 3 182.00 $182.00 $915 —
502–546 525 16 158.00–175.00 $166.41 $874 +3.23
550–587 572 13 152.00–169.00 $162.17 $928 +11.17
610–647 631 15 135.00–153.00 $145.77 $920 +2.77
660 660 1 141.00 $141.00 $931 +4.73
705–740 717 9 121.00–129.00 $126.29 $905 +0.29
760–797 785 3 120.00–126.00 $121.94 $957 +4.94
805 805 1 120.00 $120.00 $966 —
875 875 1 113.00 $113.00 $989 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 157.50 $157.50 $472 —
380 380 1 160.00 $160.00 $608 —
445 445 1 150.00 $150.00 $668 —
485–495 491 4 130.00–156.00 $146.58 $720 —
540 540 1 140.00 $140.00 $756 —
550 550 2 130.00–140.00 $135.00 $742 —
675 675 1 120.00 $120.00 $810 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1225 1178 80-85% 2 70.00–73.00 $71.56 $843 -0.60
1060–1285 1193 80-85% 16 75.00–86.00 $82.08 $979 +9.92
1005–1645 1302 80-85% 32 87.00–104.00 $92.48 $1,204 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1645 1465 75-80% 9 77.00–85.00 $83.54 $1,224 +6.63
1240–1785 1544 75-80% 30 86.00–100.00 $91.29 $1,410 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985 985 85-90% 1 51.00 $51.00 $502 —
875–1200 994 85-90% 9 60.00–67.00 $64.55 $642 —
900–1310 1033 85-90% 13 71.00–78.00 $75.02 $775 +13.50
960–1200 1088 85-90% 6 79.00–88.00 $81.79 $890 +13.28

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1640 1386 6 85.00–96.00 $91.70 $1,271 —
1310–2000 1737 8 113.00–122.00 $117.96 $2,049 —
1365–2400 1809 6 100.00–112.00 $109.17 $1,975 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1000–1040 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 85.00–100.00 $92.65 $945

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 115.00 $115.00 $293 —
345 345 1 110.00 $110.00 $380 —
360 360 1 125.00 $125.00 $450 —
460 460 1 110.00 $110.00 $506 —
895 895 63 110.00 $110.00 $984 —

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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.