Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 12, 2023

2,714 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $162.90/cwt -11.27 vs last sale · ≈ $1,087/hd at 667 lb · 332 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $163.39/cwt -8.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,032/hd at 632 lb · 256 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $175.98/cwt -2.28 vs last sale · ≈ $1,449/hd at 823 lb · 205 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,714 2,047 2,056
Feeder cattle 2,606 1,897 1,952
Slaughter cattle 104 150 104
Replacement cattle 4 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers mostly steady, Feeder heifers 2.00-4.00 lower, Yearling steers and heifers steady, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls 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
230 230 1 159.00 $159.00 $366 —
325–342 335 4 185.00–192.50 $188.83 $633 +13.83
350–378 368 14 177.50–199.00 $190.68 $702 +5.68
391–399 fancy 396 9 200.00–225.00 $216.78 $858 +14.28
420–441 fancy 428 27 209.00–219.00 $217.15 $929 +0.40
410–440 431 26 174.00–196.00 $187.31 $807 -10.19
450–495 467 7 170.00–188.00 $182.93 $854 -13.57
450–496 fancy 483 23 200.00–215.00 $203.72 $984 -0.33
501–540 value added 524 59 184.00–213.00 $190.22 $997 +2.36
515–545 529 13 158.00–180.00 $176.96 $936 +5.82
555–595 574 46 161.00–180.00 $173.97 $999 +4.03
560–587 value added 577 16 181.00–190.00 $188.19 $1,086 +2.19
600–638 value added 625 59 165.00–180.00 $175.74 $1,098 -0.29
631 thin fleshed 631 84 193.20 $193.20 $1,219 —
630–648 644 4 141.00–145.00 $144.02 $927 -9.70
650–687 671 7 147.00–162.00 $155.63 $1,044 -1.97
656–692 value added 680 99 165.00–179.00 $171.25 $1,164 +3.05
710–745 725 3 146.00–163.00 $153.87 $1,116 -2.13
701–749 value added 728 168 164.00–178.00 $173.64 $1,264 +0.15
760–766 762 10 155.00–161.00 $157.71 $1,202 -1.65
775–785 value added 783 22 164.00–175.00 $165.53 $1,296 -14.16
801–845 813 15 162.00–169.00 $167.92 $1,365 +8.16
803–841 value added 824 190 171.00–181.00 $176.62 $1,455 -2.86
858–878 value added 868 118 172.00–174.75 $173.36 $1,505 -0.67
895 895 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,325 —
902–906 value added 904 124 174.00–175.00 $174.52 $1,578 +2.19
930 930 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,348 —
1087 value added 1087 54 159.75 $159.75 $1,736 —
1209 value added 1209 77 153.75 $153.75 $1,859 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480–489 488 6 158.00–168.00 $166.36 $812 -3.64
605 605 1 120.00 $120.00 $726 —
750 750 1 129.00 $129.00 $968 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 2 155.00 $155.00 $310 -6.26
266–270 267 4 152.50–162.50 $155.03 $414 -9.97
320–345 334 6 145.00–166.00 $155.50 $519 +7.86
346 fancy 346 5 173.00 $173.00 $599 —
350–375 fancy 366 6 168.00–180.00 $173.23 $634 —
360–398 386 8 149.00–160.00 $155.90 $602 +3.03
412–440 fancy 423 8 162.00–170.00 $167.93 $710 -14.95
400–447 433 20 140.00–158.00 $149.69 $648 -0.69
455–485 fancy 465 17 162.00–171.00 $164.19 $763 —
455–495 476 55 142.00–161.00 $156.26 $744 +7.66
515–536 value added 521 20 160.00–165.00 $162.05 $844 -0.98
510–545 528 51 137.00–159.00 $151.88 $802 +2.69
552–580 value added 563 22 160.00–164.00 $162.24 $913 -4.29
551–597 577 39 140.00–158.00 $149.33 $862 -1.89
603–645 value added 614 47 150.00–154.00 $151.09 $928 -17.52
629–640 thin fleshed 634 158 172.00–178.00 $175.09 $1,110 —
620–649 641 51 124.00–143.00 $138.47 $888 -1.53
659 fancy 659 73 175.00 $175.00 $1,153 -2.95
650–688 667 57 124.00–147.00 $142.42 $950 -2.89
652–678 value added 670 128 154.50–162.00 $158.74 $1,064 -11.10
671 thin fleshed 671 74 173.95 $173.95 $1,167 —
700–740 720 2 132.00–133.00 $132.51 $954 -24.28
727 value added 727 15 143.00 $143.00 $1,040 -22.06
762–770 763 12 121.00–138.00 $134.73 $1,028 -14.64
816–830 819 8 118.00–120.00 $118.63 $972 —
922 922 2 124.00 $124.00 $1,143 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 132.50 $132.50 $378 -10.00
325–335 330 3 122.50–141.00 $133.07 $439 +3.07
367–395 381 5 120.00–135.00 $128.83 $491 -2.17
485 485 1 134.00 $134.00 $650 +2.81
522–540 528 3 115.00–134.00 $121.48 $641 -4.52
572–595 582 6 110.00–134.00 $121.54 $707 -13.46
665–672 669 4 103.00–124.00 $113.55 $760 —
700–727 715 5 103.00–119.00 $111.26 $796 —
750 750 2 110.00 $110.00 $825 —
801 801 3 103.00 $103.00 $825 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095 1095 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,018 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
201 201 3 157.50 $157.50 $317 —
260–290 269 4 167.50–170.00 $169.32 $455 +9.32
328–340 331 4 180.00–185.00 $183.72 $608 +10.72
350 fancy 350 1 203.00 $203.00 $710 —
370–395 377 4 170.00–195.00 $184.78 $697 +5.95
400–445 429 18 170.00–195.00 $185.81 $797 +14.84
432 fancy 432 2 210.00 $210.00 $907 +2.38
450–491 479 10 171.00–196.00 $190.00 $910 +7.13
505–545 523 8 161.00–180.00 $173.63 $908 +4.88
516–545 fancy 523 6 184.00–192.00 $189.38 $990 +10.38
560–595 583 28 163.00–177.00 $170.24 $992 -1.09
600–617 fancy 610 4 164.00–189.00 $170.69 $1,041 —
610–646 635 6 140.00–159.00 $151.89 $965 +6.89
653–680 660 4 140.00–158.00 $153.36 $1,012 +5.77
655–665 fancy 660 2 165.00–174.00 $169.47 $1,119 —
700 700 8 147.00 $147.00 $1,029 —
765–795 771 6 130.00–133.00 $131.84 $1,016 +3.89
902 902 2 114.00 $114.00 $1,028 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 157.50 $157.50 $449 +10.50
465–485 475 2 162.00–165.00 $163.53 $777 +2.53
500–510 505 2 130.00–144.00 $137.07 $692 +0.07
595 595 1 139.00 $139.00 $827 +0.58
607 607 2 127.00 $127.00 $771 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1440 1282 80-85% 8 63.00–72.00 $67.01 $859 -0.10
1195–1410 1322 80-85% 3 55.00–59.00 $56.67 $749 -22.29
1190–1465 1328 80-85% 14 75.00–86.00 $82.00 $1,089 +3.04
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–960 933 85-90% 2 35.00–51.00 $42.76 $399 —
925–1135 1027 85-90% 9 52.00–60.00 $56.06 $576 +9.36
925–1155 1038 85-90% 7 62.00–68.00 $65.29 $678 +18.59
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1520–1615 1568 75-80% 2 71.00 $71.00 $1,113 -12.34
1515–1820 1614 75-80% 5 75.00–87.00 $81.00 $1,307 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1495–2040 1680 3 97.00–100.00 $98.19 $1,650 —
1435–2305 1729 4 102.00–111.00 $107.30 $1,855 —
1875 1875 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,725 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1150 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 90.00 $90.00 $1,035

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1125–1340 1233 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 950.00–1,150.00 $1,058.72

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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
1400 1400 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —

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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.