Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 21, 2022

2,290 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $149.64/cwt +2.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,306/hd at 872 lb · 253 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $142.16/cwt ≈ $1,375/hd at 967 lb · 229 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $149.56/cwt +12.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,000/hd at 669 lb · 126 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,290 1,529 984
Feeder cattle 2,069 1,417 864
Slaughter cattle 198 102 117
Replacement cattle 23 10 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold steady. Feeder heifers under 600lbs sold 1.00 - 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers over 600lbs sold steady. Good demand on all feeder classes. Yearlings sold mostly steady. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady.

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
200 200 1 207.50 $207.50 $415 —
265–275 270 2 190.00–200.00 $195.09 $527 —
270 fancy 270 1 207.00 $207.00 $559 -6.76
320 fancy 320 2 209.00 $209.00 $669 +4.46
325–332 329 5 194.00–205.00 $200.82 $661 —
355–396 380 7 200.00–203.00 $202.02 $768 —
395 fancy 395 4 209.00 $209.00 $826 -14.24
405–445 430 12 170.00–183.00 $175.52 $755 -18.21
438–443 fancy 441 8 189.00–201.00 $196.53 $867 -9.69
456–470 fancy 465 9 188.00–198.00 $195.25 $908 -8.75
455–482 471 10 170.00–182.00 $176.40 $831 -9.59
500–510 value added 505 2 192.00–199.00 $195.53 $987 +5.11
500–536 521 52 172.00–186.00 $180.31 $939 +1.43
569 value added 569 7 183.00 $183.00 $1,041 -4.72
555–597 576 27 170.00–180.00 $176.81 $1,018 +1.72
600–645 628 30 150.00–163.00 $157.94 $992 -2.68
617–638 value added 630 17 164.00–170.00 $166.35 $1,048 -3.98
658–675 664 33 152.00–165.00 $159.95 $1,062 +2.01
708 value added 708 4 162.00 $162.00 $1,147 -0.68
725–745 733 7 143.00–147.00 $145.27 $1,065 -6.48
754 value added 754 65 161.90 $161.90 $1,221 —
750–795 777 5 141.00–151.00 $147.14 $1,143 -1.15
806–818 value added 810 66 145.50–153.50 $148.55 $1,203 -4.76
803–835 822 51 140.00–145.00 $140.33 $1,154 —
863–880 value added 872 242 144.75–152.20 $150.08 $1,309 +3.33
870–895 883 11 136.00–144.50 $139.87 $1,235 —
960–980 value added 967 229 138.90–145.00 $142.16 $1,375 —
1023 1023 11 120.00 $120.00 $1,228 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430–445 438 2 140.00–142.00 $141.02 $618 —
457 457 2 139.00 $139.00 $635 —
541 541 4 146.00 $146.00 $790 —
606 606 4 160.00 $160.00 $970 —
660–685 673 2 137.00–141.00 $139.04 $936 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 169.00 $169.00 $363 -2.00
280 280 1 170.00 $170.00 $476 —
296 fancy 296 3 174.00 $174.00 $515 —
300–335 320 5 145.00–159.00 $152.29 $487 -8.21
330 fancy 330 1 168.00 $168.00 $554 —
360–390 377 20 163.00–171.00 $167.84 $633 +9.47
392 fancy 392 4 190.00 $190.00 $745 +17.59
403–431 fancy 421 32 169.00–181.00 $171.81 $723 +0.64
402–447 432 31 150.00–167.00 $159.24 $688 -3.03
455–498 481 82 150.00–166.00 $158.97 $765 +2.40
502–537 value added 517 20 156.00–165.00 $160.52 $830 +3.09
500–549 522 32 140.00–156.00 $151.62 $791 +3.07
556–575 value added 564 15 155.00–163.00 $159.09 $897 —
550–594 575 36 140.00–153.00 $147.67 $849 +1.91
605–640 value added 613 87 146.00–166.80 $165.91 $1,017 +20.39
600–640 617 15 130.00–145.00 $136.86 $844 +1.03
663–673 value added 664 95 146.00–154.75 $153.80 $1,021 —
650–698 683 31 130.00–144.00 $136.56 $933 -0.68
705–723 value added 722 40 137.00–140.00 $137.22 $991 —
718–740 734 25 125.00–135.00 $131.42 $965 -0.14
781–795 784 10 120.00–131.00 $128.77 $1,010 -4.21
805–811 809 6 123.00–129.00 $127.01 $1,028 -2.28
873 873 4 137.50 $137.50 $1,200 —
950 950 1 116.00 $116.00 $1,102 —
1117 1117 7 111.00 $111.00 $1,240 —
1157 1157 2 106.00 $106.00 $1,226 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 158.00 $158.00 $458 —
367–395 375 8 151.00–155.00 $153.12 $574 —
475 475 2 140.00 $140.00 $665 —
520 520 3 125.00–126.00 $125.67 $653 —
570 570 1 128.00 $128.00 $730 —
675–685 680 2 121.00–125.00 $122.99 $836 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327–345 337 8 163.00–179.00 $173.77 $586 -1.35
350–395 380 3 167.00–185.00 $175.30 $666 +19.57
400–440 424 13 163.00–177.00 $170.49 $723 -12.41
435 fancy 435 1 184.00 $184.00 $800 -19.77
453–495 482 22 166.00–180.00 $173.72 $837 -5.42
500–547 522 25 155.00–171.00 $166.19 $868 +1.47
550–596 573 25 150.00–170.00 $158.64 $909 -1.21
600–635 622 12 130.00–147.00 $141.10 $878 —
655–660 657 4 134.00–149.00 $141.75 $931 -2.97
705–740 725 14 130.00–140.00 $135.26 $981 +0.14
755–792 781 4 127.00–139.00 $130.91 $1,022 +1.91
935 935 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,131 —
966 966 8 122.00 $122.00 $1,179 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1230 1186 80-85% 5 68.00–74.00 $70.83 $840 +0.83
845–1945 1214 80-85% 44 76.00–84.00 $80.63 $979 —
1070–2060 1332 80-85% 22 86.00–100.00 $88.42 $1,178 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1555 1303 75-80% 5 72.00–77.00 $75.41 $983 —
1070–1625 1399 75-80% 17 80.00–84.00 $82.19 $1,150 —
1200–1680 1417 75-80% 7 85.00–89.00 $87.04 $1,233 +0.89
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–840 783 85-90% 5 50.00–56.00 $52.09 $408 —
825–1090 944 85-90% 9 59.00–66.00 $62.79 $593 -8.65
870–1135 995 85-90% 11 68.00–76.00 $69.91 $696 +10.93

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1560 1353 4 99.00–105.00 $102.61 $1,388 —
1350–2440 1679 9 108.00–116.00 $112.11 $1,882 —
1560–1905 1786 4 118.00–131.00 $124.55 $2,224 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1080 1080 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00
1215 1215 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00
1220–1355 1288 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 950.00 $950.00
1335–1380 1358 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 975.00–1,125.00 $1,051.24
1405 1405 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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
1215 1215 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 900.00 $900.00 —
1230–1425 1319 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 1,000.00–1,375.00 $1,253.89 —

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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.