Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 20, 2022

1,514 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 $169.46/cwt +0.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,305/hd at 770 lb · 207 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $169.33/cwt +4.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,479/hd at 874 lb · 181 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $168.08/cwt +6.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,102/hd at 656 lb · 175 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,514 1,977 1,346
Feeder cattle 1,418 1,855 1,227
Slaughter cattle 84 111 108
Replacement cattle 12 11 11

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder steers over 500lbs sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 500lbs sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers over 500lbs sold steady. Good demand on all feeder classes. Yearlings sold steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter 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
275 275 2 162.50–175.00 $168.75 $464 -6.25
338 338 3 181.00 $181.00 $612 —
355–392 380 10 175.00–187.50 $180.88 $687 +28.42
400–435 411 13 169.00–183.00 $176.37 $725 +13.34
453–497 481 25 170.00–179.00 $175.75 $845 -3.93
511 value added 511 20 186.00 $186.00 $950 +3.63
505–538 522 13 170.00–185.00 $177.45 $926 +16.99
553–570 556 17 166.00–178.00 $174.91 $972 +9.79
628–640 632 12 149.00–165.00 $154.76 $978 +7.34
655 value added 655 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,041 +4.00
665–695 683 5 142.00–150.00 $147.02 $1,004 +0.80
721–733 value added 723 17 162.00–166.50 $165.70 $1,198 -10.34
710–745 732 10 143.00–158.00 $152.31 $1,115 -10.33
754–796 value added 770 204 164.75–177.50 $169.72 $1,307 -1.28
755–782 773 3 149.00–157.00 $151.60 $1,172 +6.60
801–846 value added 805 81 151.70–165.00 $153.55 $1,236 —
850 850 3 152.00 $152.00 $1,292 -1.00
861–898 value added 874 178 168.80–170.10 $169.62 $1,482 +4.24
970–975 973 2 149.00–154.00 $151.51 $1,474 +13.01
1060–1070 1065 2 123.00–152.00 $137.43 $1,464 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–395 390 2 160.00 $160.00 $624 —
428 428 8 153.00 $153.00 $655 —
487 487 2 159.00 $159.00 $774 -1.00
520 520 1 162.00 $162.00 $842 +16.00
580–583 582 4 147.00–156.00 $149.24 $869 +2.24
630–645 640 3 134.00–140.00 $137.31 $879 +2.31
650–660 655 2 126.00–132.00 $129.02 $845 —
815 815 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,060 —
855 855 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,112 —
920 920 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,058 -5.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 141.00 $141.00 $705 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,428 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 140.00 $140.00 $406 —
346–347 346 10 142.00–148.00 $143.20 $495 +5.16
370–395 385 15 140.00–154.00 $143.84 $554 -7.60
405 fancy 405 1 157.00 $157.00 $636 —
401–449 430 26 139.00–155.00 $147.14 $633 +9.53
450–495 471 32 140.00–151.00 $143.50 $676 -4.43
502–545 524 33 134.00–149.00 $141.79 $743 +0.02
530–540 value added 537 9 152.00–155.00 $154.01 $827 —
550–595 570 25 133.00–149.00 $142.32 $811 +5.97
607–640 623 26 130.00–144.00 $138.68 $864 +0.84
652–659 value added 655 162 169.75–170.75 $170.25 $1,115 +5.24
650–685 666 13 131.00–146.00 $141.03 $939 +13.21
700–728 723 8 127.00–142.50 $138.62 $1,002 +3.62
729 value added 729 75 154.90 $154.90 $1,129 -9.01
760–790 775 2 124.00–133.00 $128.59 $997 -1.38
830–835 833 2 120.00 $120.00 $1,000 -13.50
870–880 875 2 120.00–124.00 $121.99 $1,067 +10.99
1030 1030 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,092 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
353 353 3 129.00 $129.00 $455 -5.29
410–435 423 2 115.00–120.00 $117.43 $497 —
465–491 482 8 121.00–135.00 $130.08 $627 +0.92
500–530 520 3 120.00–130.00 $125.78 $654 -4.43
585 585 1 117.50 $117.50 $687 +4.51
605–632 622 6 110.00–120.00 $115.00 $715 -2.99
675–690 679 8 123.00–127.00 $123.51 $839 +4.00
725–740 733 4 120.00–121.00 $120.51 $883 +3.50
801 801 3 100.00 $100.00 $801 —
875 875 1 111.00 $111.00 $971 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 2 175.00 $175.00 $534 +9.13
325 fancy 325 1 180.00 $180.00 $585 —
355–395 376 6 160.00–171.00 $167.72 $631 +2.02
385 fancy 385 1 187.50 $187.50 $722 —
407–435 fancy 415 4 178.00–183.00 $179.80 $746 —
405–447 433 14 155.00–170.00 $162.81 $705 +8.03
455–495 471 12 150.00–167.00 $161.94 $763 +14.33
475 fancy 475 1 173.00 $173.00 $822 —
505–545 526 20 157.00–172.00 $164.38 $865 +13.17
535 fancy 535 2 175.00 $175.00 $936 —
555–575 564 6 164.00–170.00 $167.01 $942 +22.73
600–635 611 13 123.00–139.00 $130.27 $796 -0.55
650–685 662 3 129.00–143.00 $134.27 $889 +16.90
705–747 728 7 122.00–139.00 $127.47 $928 +0.81
755–780 770 5 115.00–130.00 $125.19 $964 -0.70
805–845 821 5 114.00–126.00 $121.66 $999 -3.34
915 915 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,098 +2.00
1015 1015 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,137 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 328 2 142.50–150.00 $146.39 $480 —
360–385 375 5 147.50–150.00 $148.52 $557 —
430–440 437 3 147.00–150.00 $149.02 $651 —
474–495 476 9 130.00–137.00 $136.19 $648 +4.07
505–545 529 6 131.00–146.00 $140.99 $746 +6.99
550–597 567 8 132.00–143.00 $139.54 $791 —
655–670 663 2 111.00–123.00 $117.07 $776 —
700–745 717 3 109.00–118.00 $114.74 $823 +4.74
835 835 1 108.00 $108.00 $902 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 125.00 $125.00 $569 —
515 515 1 120.00 $120.00 $618 —
595 595 1 120.00 $120.00 $714 +1.99
Medium 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 134.00 $134.00 $570 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1365 1176 80-85% 6 68.00–79.00 $72.12 $848 —
1000–1380 1221 80-85% 14 62.00–66.00 $63.93 $781 +5.32
1030–1385 1240 80-85% 8 55.00–61.00 $57.24 $710 -1.37
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1000 965 85-90% 3 36.00–49.00 $43.54 $420 —
850–1140 975 85-90% 7 50.00–55.00 $52.70 $514 —
980–1065 1023 85-90% 2 66.00–72.00 $68.88 $705 +22.84
970–1490 1146 85-90% 9 56.00–65.00 $61.06 $700 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1715 1450 75-80% 6 65.00–67.00 $65.82 $954 +9.66
1405–1760 1561 75-80% 14 68.00–75.00 $71.62 $1,118 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1535 1350 3 76.00–81.00 $77.66 $1,048 —
1250–2035 1660 4 90.00–96.00 $92.64 $1,538 —
1575–1965 1815 3 102.00–104.00 $103.42 $1,877 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
915 915 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00
1050 1050 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 575.00 $575.00
1240–1445 1348 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 810.00–1,000.00 $924.94

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
943–1055 971 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 850.00–875.00 $856.79

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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
1200 1200 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 600.00 $600.00 —
1360 1360 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,140.00 $1,140.00 —
1525 1525 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 102.50 $102.50 $246 —

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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.