Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 12, 2022

1,849 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $144.95/cwt -9.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,326/hd at 915 lb · 214 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $144.01/cwt -10.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,235/hd at 857 lb · 205 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $150.67/cwt -1.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,025/hd at 680 lb · 204 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,849 1,753 1,641
Feeder cattle 1,765 1,640 1,551
Slaughter cattle 79 107 84
Replacement cattle 5 6 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 800 lbs 1.00-3.00 higher, over 800 lbs 1.00-2.00 lower, Feeder heifers under 700 lbs 1.00-3.00 higher, over 700 lbs steady, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls fully steady, 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
230–245 238 2 201.00–203.00 $201.97 $481 —
290–292 291 3 200.00–203.00 $201.00 $585 —
310–320 315 2 190.00–201.00 $195.59 $616 -5.27
375–393 389 4 190.00–200.00 $197.59 $769 +0.55
395 fancy 395 6 207.00 $207.00 $818 —
400–440 412 21 179.00–201.00 $189.15 $779 +1.84
448 value added 448 20 208.00 $208.00 $932 —
460–497 491 54 179.00–192.00 $181.59 $892 -3.12
501–541 value added 516 34 189.00–193.00 $190.65 $984 -2.53
505–530 524 19 175.00–191.00 $189.88 $995 +11.46
550–596 580 56 170.00–183.00 $179.04 $1,038 +1.02
601–622 611 50 164.00–177.00 $169.90 $1,038 +6.37
607–640 value added 619 4 171.00–180.00 $177.42 $1,098 +3.70
665–695 value added 676 14 165.00–172.00 $169.01 $1,143 -0.99
665–696 689 97 157.50–161.00 $159.08 $1,096 +4.55
702–705 value added 702 75 160.00–162.50 $162.47 $1,141 +0.86
705–723 714 19 154.50–159.00 $155.26 $1,109 +12.52
750–775 value added 769 130 155.75–162.00 $158.98 $1,223 —
770–799 791 38 141.00–151.00 $142.42 $1,127 +5.57
809–820 value added 814 127 154.00–155.10 $154.57 $1,258 —
850–893 value added 857 198 143.00–150.00 $144.26 $1,236 -8.00
865 865 7 137.00 $137.00 $1,185 —
913 913 35 138.75 $138.75 $1,267 +8.75
906–926 value added 915 179 144.75–148.75 $146.16 $1,337 —
953–957 value added 955 122 137.50–141.20 $139.26 $1,330 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–285 280 3 152.00–167.00 $158.02 $442 —
365–375 370 2 160.00–177.50 $168.63 $624 -1.37
410–415 413 2 170.00–176.00 $172.98 $714 +20.12
455–485 469 4 150.00–171.00 $161.52 $758 —
512 512 3 133.00 $133.00 $681 -17.00
585–590 589 5 138.00–161.00 $153.83 $906 +10.91
635 635 1 135.00 $135.00 $857 -5.52
668 668 6 140.00 $140.00 $935 -3.00
708 708 2 127.00 $127.00 $899 —
795 795 2 121.00 $121.00 $962 —
802 802 2 125.00 $125.00 $1,002 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680 680 2 93.00 $93.00 $632 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–265 263 2 161.00–180.00 $170.41 $448 +6.92
335 335 1 175.00 $175.00 $586 +6.03
352 fancy 352 4 197.00 $197.00 $693 —
350–399 378 11 147.00–182.00 $172.77 $653 -0.84
420–440 426 19 140.00–176.00 $161.12 $686 -7.86
460 fancy 460 1 182.50 $182.50 $840 —
455–496 477 49 139.00–175.00 $156.37 $746 -8.64
503–545 511 46 156.00–168.00 $161.27 $824 -1.00
550–597 583 49 150.00–165.50 $160.59 $936 +1.13
600–607 value added 606 13 156.50–157.00 $156.58 $949 —
600–648 614 42 139.00–153.00 $143.56 $881 -5.73
660–696 value added 678 162 149.00–157.25 $152.84 $1,036 -1.16
650–698 689 42 137.00–151.00 $142.32 $981 +1.56
750–789 780 15 134.00–141.00 $138.51 $1,080 +8.02
811 811 3 124.00 $124.00 $1,006 -1.71
850 850 2 135.00 $135.00 $1,148 —
933–936 935 9 121.00–123.00 $122.11 $1,142 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–395 383 3 132.00–141.00 $134.82 $516 -14.66
405–420 415 3 130.00–150.00 $136.51 $567 —
465–495 480 6 153.00–159.00 $155.02 $744 +9.08
508–530 512 5 127.00–130.00 $127.62 $653 +0.28
641 641 3 132.00 $132.00 $846 +9.94
660–695 688 7 124.00–131.00 $128.89 $887 +3.89
710 710 1 115.00 $115.00 $816 —
780 780 1 125.00 $125.00 $975 +11.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 105.00 $105.00 $551 —
715 715 4 115.00 $115.00 $822 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–387 386 3 182.50–188.00 $184.33 $712 -2.15
400–435 420 6 183.00–190.00 $185.35 $778 -3.65
457–495 472 7 165.00–186.00 $178.56 $843 +2.14
500–545 536 5 173.00–180.00 $176.25 $945 -0.01
550–595 572 8 150.00–165.00 $161.93 $926 -2.60
615–645 627 9 140.00–155.00 $146.09 $916 -6.55
657–685 667 7 148.00–157.00 $153.07 $1,021 +4.96
720 720 1 134.00 $134.00 $965 +3.49
750–760 756 4 133.00–137.00 $135.00 $1,021 +1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 160.00 $160.00 $592 —
430 430 1 150.00 $150.00 $645 +7.50
480 480 1 150.00 $150.00 $720 +5.93
500 500 2 150.00–155.00 $152.50 $762 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1005 933 85-90% 2 65.00–67.00 $65.92 $615 +5.95
930–1185 1037 85-90% 7 69.00–80.00 $75.40 $782 —
1045–1180 1106 85-90% 4 84.00–89.00 $85.44 $945 +0.09
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445–1870 1576 75-80% 12 85.00–95.00 $87.96 $1,386 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 80-85% 1 78.00 $78.00 $881 —
1035–1395 1251 80-85% 10 81.00–97.00 $89.04 $1,114 -1.75

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1660 1540 2 95.00 $95.00 $1,463 —
1240–2545 1709 6 107.00–119.00 $112.85 $1,929 —
1200–2375 1795 4 120.00–132.00 $125.26 $2,248 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
945 945 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 725.00 $725.00
960 960 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1045 1045 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00
1175 1175 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00
1185 1185 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1061 1061 52 119.25 $119.25 $1,265 —

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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.