Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 5, 2022

1,753 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 $154.41/cwt +8.97 vs last sale · ≈ $1,350/hd at 874 lb · 354 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $160.63/cwt +26.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,179/hd at 734 lb · 116 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $157.40/cwt +17.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,009/hd at 641 lb · 109 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,753 1,774 1,426
Feeder cattle 1,640 1,612 1,385
Slaughter cattle 107 149 41
Replacement cattle 6 13 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers and heifers 3.00-5.00 higher, Very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls 2.00-4.00 higher, 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
315–329 327 7 200.00–201.00 $200.86 $657 +0.86
351–380 360 5 186.00–200.00 $197.04 $709 +25.04
401–440 fancy 418 11 200.00–208.00 $206.60 $864 —
405–442 430 10 175.00–193.00 $187.31 $805 +26.75
462–498 480 7 181.00–190.00 $184.71 $887 -3.25
508–537 value added 518 17 191.00–197.00 $193.18 $1,001 +1.18
520–543 534 10 170.00–188.00 $178.42 $953 +15.78
559–570 value added 563 12 184.00–186.00 $185.34 $1,043 -4.66
567–585 569 22 161.00–180.00 $178.02 $1,013 +5.86
612–622 value added 619 22 172.00–177.00 $173.72 $1,075 -4.07
612–646 632 8 154.00–166.00 $163.53 $1,034 +6.98
652 value added 652 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,108 -9.50
652–665 655 7 145.00–158.00 $154.53 $1,012 —
705–735 721 6 133.00–147.00 $142.74 $1,029 +9.05
732–740 value added 735 110 161.00–162.00 $161.61 $1,188 —
760–795 777 6 135.00–138.00 $136.85 $1,063 -15.15
847 thin fleshed 847 63 160.30 $160.30 $1,358 —
862–867 thin fleshed 865 122 157.75–159.25 $158.51 $1,371 —
853–891 value added 879 232 149.75–156.50 $152.26 $1,338 +6.82
915 915 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,190 —
917 thin fleshed 917 60 154.75 $154.75 $1,419 —
967 967 4 141.00 $141.00 $1,363 —
1023 value added 1023 104 129.95 $129.95 $1,329 -4.55
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 170.00 $170.00 $646 +9.00
405–442 430 5 149.00–166.00 $152.86 $657 —
505 505 1 150.00 $150.00 $758 —
575–595 587 3 130.00–151.00 $142.92 $839 -0.83
625–640 633 2 139.00–142.00 $140.52 $889 +0.52
655 655 3 143.00 $143.00 $937 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,401 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 270 3 160.00–167.50 $163.49 $441 +3.16
305–345 324 6 162.50–179.00 $168.97 $547 +1.70
353–397 377 15 156.00–177.00 $173.61 $655 +7.01
400–445 423 16 160.00–175.00 $168.98 $715 +11.26
440 fancy 440 4 181.00 $181.00 $796 +4.25
455–497 477 59 160.00–172.00 $165.01 $787 +7.01
500–542 521 39 150.00–166.00 $162.27 $845 +19.23
555–587 568 51 148.00–164.00 $159.46 $906 +14.82
610–640 620 18 136.00–153.00 $149.29 $926 +14.59
630–647 value added 645 91 158.90–160.00 $159.01 $1,026 +10.01
657 value added 657 60 154.00 $154.00 $1,012 +1.40
652–687 672 10 133.00–145.00 $140.76 $946 +4.44
700–745 708 35 129.00–141.00 $138.96 $984 +6.91
722 value added 722 72 146.80 $146.80 $1,060 —
750–755 753 2 126.00–135.00 $130.49 $983 +1.61
800–845 822 3 121.00–130.00 $125.71 $1,033 -9.48
853 value added 853 67 134.30 $134.30 $1,146 —
897 897 2 116.00 $116.00 $1,041 —
1032 1032 2 120.00 $120.00 $1,238 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–385 368 2 149.00–150.00 $149.48 $550 —
455–495 478 5 140.00–150.00 $145.94 $698 +12.92
540–545 542 3 126.00–130.00 $127.34 $690 +1.35
565–595 580 2 125.00–140.00 $132.31 $767 +16.64
630–645 638 5 112.50–131.00 $122.06 $779 +1.06
685 685 1 125.00 $125.00 $856 +5.00
750 750 1 114.00 $114.00 $855 -2.00
805–831 829 11 117.00 $117.00 $970 —
870 870 1 110.00 $110.00 $957 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 201.00 $201.00 $573 +4.00
360–390 379 5 181.00–195.00 $186.48 $707 +15.28
405–447 430 14 185.00–192.00 $189.00 $813 +20.09
475–496 489 10 164.00–183.00 $176.42 $863 +6.92
505–543 526 14 162.00–180.00 $176.26 $927 +14.95
518–537 fancy 526 9 185.00–189.00 $187.19 $985 —
560–585 574 15 152.00–170.00 $164.53 $944 +7.64
600–635 616 8 150.00–160.00 $152.64 $940 +12.20
650–660 659 10 140.00–149.00 $148.11 $976 +7.90
725–740 733 2 130.00–131.00 $130.51 $957 —
750 750 2 130.00–138.00 $134.00 $1,005 +10.00
815 815 1 118.00 $118.00 $962 —
895 895 1 102.00 $102.00 $913 —
940 940 1 105.00 $105.00 $987 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 140.00 $140.00 $413 -20.00
420 420 1 142.50 $142.50 $598 —
480–495 484 5 136.00–158.00 $144.07 $697 -6.93
545 545 2 135.00 $135.00 $736 -7.17
585 585 2 144.00–154.00 $149.00 $872 +11.05
620–640 630 2 110.00–129.00 $119.35 $752 —
682 682 2 120.00 $120.00 $818 —
737 737 2 121.00 $121.00 $892 —
810 810 1 105.00 $105.00 $850 —
930 930 1 91.00 $91.00 $846 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 145.00 $145.00 $776 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1530 1251 80-85% 12 85.00–100.00 $90.79 $1,136 —
1135–1515 1320 80-85% 14 79.00–84.00 $81.19 $1,072 —
1445 1445 80-85% 1 67.00 $67.00 $968 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–1035 941 85-90% 6 56.00–64.00 $59.97 $564 —
905–1070 988 85-90% 2 46.00–52.00 $49.25 $487 -13.72
925–1185 1072 85-90% 9 65.00–74.00 $68.76 $737 -8.24
1075–1145 1101 85-90% 4 79.00–91.00 $85.35 $940 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125 1125 75-80% 1 73.00 $73.00 $821 —
1200–1840 1503 75-80% 13 81.00–91.00 $85.40 $1,284 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110 1110 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,054 —
1290–1320 1305 2 110.00–115.00 $112.53 $1,469 —
1340–1995 1694 11 118.00–135.00 $125.52 $2,126 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
890–1030 960 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 97.00–100.00 $98.61 $947

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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
1120–1480 1257 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 900.00–1,275.00 $1,101.53 —
1270 1270 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 110.00 $110.00 $682 —

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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.