Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 23, 2023

1,798 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $181.67/cwt +25.11 vs last sale · ≈ $1,150/hd at 633 lb · 362 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $184.95/cwt +14.11 vs last sale · ≈ $1,339/hd at 724 lb · 153 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $178.38/cwt +24.38 vs last sale · ≈ $1,545/hd at 866 lb · 131 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,798 1,364 829
Feeder cattle 1,694 1,277 793
Slaughter cattle 102 79 32
Replacement cattle 2 8 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers 6.00-10.00 higher, Feeder and yearling heifers 8.00-12.00 higher, Very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 1.00-3.00 higher, Slaughter 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
120 fancy 120 1 282.50 $282.50 $339 —
225 fancy 225 1 220.00 $220.00 $495 +6.52
310–335 fancy 318 5 223.00–239.00 $230.44 $733 +11.54
305–325 320 4 215.00–217.50 $215.60 $690 —
350–385 368 2 212.50–217.00 $214.86 $791 —
355–395 fancy 383 10 220.00–240.00 $232.81 $892 +8.03
400–445 416 5 201.00–212.50 $207.87 $865 —
420–431 fancy 427 9 216.00–232.00 $221.16 $944 -5.29
455–495 fancy 471 29 214.00–229.00 $221.13 $1,042 +2.23
460–495 478 3 190.00–211.00 $197.91 $946 +35.91
500–545 value added 509 13 210.00–231.00 $216.03 $1,100 +9.70
507–522 515 5 193.00–203.00 $195.79 $1,008 +12.38
553–577 value added 561 39 208.00–226.00 $215.17 $1,207 +20.59
555–590 582 21 183.00–203.00 $196.65 $1,145 +31.65
602–637 value added 632 89 185.00–200.00 $192.04 $1,214 +0.98
655–680 668 2 161.00–162.00 $161.51 $1,079 -3.49
654–696 value added 676 38 178.00–190.00 $182.35 $1,233 -3.08
700–733 723 8 145.00–165.00 $152.56 $1,103 -2.05
705–747 value added 724 145 174.00–187.70 $186.74 $1,352 +14.92
775–799 value added 789 15 171.00–178.00 $175.13 $1,382 +2.56
803–830 value added 817 13 170.00–176.00 $174.46 $1,425 +2.46
830 830 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,253 +1.00
854–888 value added 866 131 174.00–180.70 $178.38 $1,545 —
912 value added 912 53 169.50 $169.50 $1,546 —
915 915 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,455 ±0.00
985 985 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,478 —
995 value added 995 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,692 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 170.00 $170.00 $774 +5.00
562 562 2 164.00 $164.00 $922 —
825 825 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,006 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
115 fancy 115 1 285.00 $285.00 $328 —
170 fancy 170 1 275.00 $275.00 $468 —
210–220 215 2 167.00–183.00 $175.19 $377 +1.37
215–237 fancy 230 3 193.00–215.00 $199.87 $460 —
270 fancy 270 1 197.00 $197.00 $532 +1.69
275 275 1 190.00 $190.00 $522 +16.57
325 fancy 325 1 199.00 $199.00 $647 -6.33
305–345 334 5 167.50–185.00 $181.54 $606 +11.54
355–362 358 6 172.50–192.00 $183.16 $656 +10.98
355–368 fancy 365 4 198.00–211.00 $207.84 $759 +13.94
415–440 fancy 427 13 184.00–199.00 $192.83 $823 -3.68
420–442 439 9 160.00–183.00 $179.88 $790 +11.88
462–490 fancy 470 18 185.00–199.00 $192.95 $907 +4.01
475–495 487 5 174.00–181.00 $178.40 $869 +8.29
510–535 523 11 168.00–174.00 $170.34 $891 -0.25
500–543 value added 528 80 176.00–199.00 $191.68 $1,012 +13.89
550–596 value added 566 39 178.00–190.00 $182.22 $1,031 +4.39
555–585 569 7 165.00–173.00 $170.16 $968 +4.54
615–622 620 3 150.00–154.00 $152.68 $947 +13.84
600–645 value added 633 359 169.00–192.00 $181.91 $1,151 +23.19
661–671 value added 663 87 174.00–182.75 $181.37 $1,202 +23.91
680 680 2 148.00 $148.00 $1,006 +1.09
710–717 715 3 134.00–149.00 $144.03 $1,030 +14.03
779–795 value added 786 20 159.00–165.00 $161.73 $1,271 —
775–792 789 5 130.00–134.00 $133.21 $1,051 -0.50
805 805 1 144.00 $144.00 $1,159 +7.38
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–320 315 2 127.50–157.50 $142.26 $448 +2.26
440–445 443 2 154.00 $154.00 $682 +16.50
461–485 465 6 150.00–157.00 $151.22 $703 +3.22
730–745 738 2 119.00–120.00 $119.51 $882 —
750 750 1 112.00 $112.00 $840 -12.00
825 825 2 117.00 $117.00 $965 —
855 855 1 90.00 $90.00 $770 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 fancy 230 2 240.00 $240.00 $552 +40.00
270 fancy 270 1 215.00 $215.00 $580 +2.50
300 300 2 207.50 $207.50 $622 —
301–340 fancy 310 5 217.50–233.00 $227.23 $704 +21.64
380 380 1 200.00 $200.00 $760 —
413 fancy 413 3 201.00 $201.00 $830 -11.98
475 fancy 475 2 217.00 $217.00 $1,031 +9.19
470–490 480 2 180.00–185.00 $182.55 $876 +0.09
505–545 fancy 529 9 196.00–227.00 $209.41 $1,108 +16.18
567–595 577 8 175.00–190.00 $181.44 $1,047 +1.16
605–645 625 10 161.00–174.00 $168.87 $1,055 +5.87
625 fancy 625 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,212 +12.39
715–730 720 7 150.00–161.00 $159.15 $1,146 +4.15
767–790 775 3 154.00–164.00 $160.60 $1,245 —
802 802 2 145.00 $145.00 $1,163 +17.54
905–930 920 4 125.00–140.00 $129.93 $1,195 -7.07
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 150.00 $150.00 $772 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 80-85% 1 60.00 $60.00 $726 —
1150–1355 1233 80-85% 10 72.00–82.00 $79.03 $974 —
1120–1475 1309 80-85% 38 83.00–103.00 $93.88 $1,229 +7.89
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885–1150 1022 85-90% 16 72.00–82.00 $77.02 $787 —
910–1135 1039 85-90% 6 53.00–58.00 $56.16 $584 —
880–1250 1045 85-90% 6 61.00–70.00 $64.38 $673 —
1060–1150 1116 85-90% 6 84.00–88.00 $86.18 $962 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365 1365 75-80% 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,024 —
1595–1800 1697 75-80% 3 83.00–101.00 $92.13 $1,563 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200 1200 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,284 —
1395–1490 1443 2 91.00–94.00 $92.55 $1,335 —
1250–1970 1537 3 110.00–119.00 $113.85 $1,750 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1065 1065 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,022

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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
1575 1575 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,725.00 $1,725.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855 855 1 90.00 $90.00 $770 —
886 value added 886 60 143.50 $143.50 $1,271 —
1021 value added 1021 51 141.75 $141.75 $1,447 —

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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.