Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 17, 2023

2,077 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 $250.09/cwt -1.99 vs last sale · ≈ $1,940/hd at 776 lb · 350 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $240.92/cwt +6.69 vs last sale · ≈ $2,212/hd at 918 lb · 179 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $252.64/cwt -0.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,874/hd at 742 lb · 155 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,077 2,013 1,955
Feeder cattle 1,964 1,882 1,791
Slaughter cattle 111 125 164
Replacement cattle 2 6 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs 5.00-8.00 higher, 500-800lbs steady to 5.00 lower, over 800 lbs 2.00-4.00 higher, Feeder heifers steady except 600-700 lbs they were 4.00-6.00 higher, 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
220 220 1 255.00 $255.00 $561 —
245 fancy 245 1 300.00 $300.00 $735 —
335 fancy 335 2 267.00–277.50 $272.25 $912 —
380 380 1 235.00 $235.00 $893 —
390–395 fancy 393 2 250.00–273.00 $261.57 $1,028 +7.92
405–435 fancy 420 7 267.50–280.00 $273.31 $1,148 +2.26
450–490 474 16 229.00–242.00 $238.44 $1,130 —
460–495 fancy 480 6 251.00–270.00 $266.06 $1,277 +1.88
500–542 value added 518 44 240.00–265.00 $257.76 $1,335 -9.55
555–590 value added 562 9 241.00–265.00 $251.09 $1,411 -24.25
595 595 2 211.00 $211.00 $1,255 -24.00
620–635 626 4 212.00–220.00 $216.98 $1,358 -12.15
604–643 value added 628 53 235.00–267.00 $254.14 $1,596 -6.62
652–697 value added 677 113 239.00–265.50 $262.10 $1,774 -11.97
665–695 680 2 215.00–230.00 $222.67 $1,514 +1.81
700–745 712 6 212.50–221.00 $219.08 $1,560 —
711–745 value added 743 149 240.00–257.50 $253.99 $1,887 +0.76
756–770 759 7 220.00–230.00 $228.57 $1,735 -0.43
761–783 value added 776 343 233.85–256.40 $250.53 $1,944 -1.66
810–840 825 2 207.00–210.00 $208.53 $1,720 -15.47
848–849 value added 849 67 233.00–248.25 $247.11 $2,098 +10.11
887 value added 887 61 233.50 $233.50 $2,071 -16.10
918 value added 918 179 239.70–241.50 $240.92 $2,212 +6.58
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 215.00 $215.00 $849 —
502 502 2 185.00 $185.00 $929 -24.00
570 570 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,140 —
815–840 819 10 172.00–192.00 $176.90 $1,449 —
885 885 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,593 —
995 995 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,791 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950 950 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,340 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 140.00 $140.00 $756 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–235 218 4 222.50–247.50 $235.93 $514 +15.93
310 310 1 222.50 $222.50 $690 -3.83
335 fancy 335 1 240.00 $240.00 $804 —
350–377 368 12 222.00–235.00 $227.59 $838 -5.57
370–387 fancy 379 4 240.00–244.00 $242.04 $917 -5.54
400–445 fancy 423 9 237.50–253.00 $239.98 $1,015 -3.95
415–445 427 6 225.00–231.00 $228.71 $977 +8.71
450–485 fancy 468 13 236.00–255.00 $241.43 $1,130 -6.87
465–495 488 6 225.00–234.00 $229.87 $1,122 -0.22
505 fancy 505 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,338 —
500–545 506 25 210.00–229.00 $221.39 $1,120 -0.97
500–534 value added 517 42 235.00–253.00 $245.76 $1,271 +0.30
553–595 567 24 215.00–229.00 $221.85 $1,258 -1.65
550–588 value added 582 14 232.00–248.00 $240.28 $1,398 -6.73
603–640 623 15 212.00–229.00 $222.09 $1,384 +1.07
631 value added 631 83 259.75 $259.75 $1,639 +30.45
661–663 value added 661 80 235.00–247.00 $246.25 $1,628 +10.78
671–680 677 8 218.00 $218.00 $1,476 +10.58
700–740 727 25 198.50–216.00 $203.90 $1,482 -3.98
708–738 value added 735 81 228.75–230.00 $228.88 $1,682 -6.91
768 768 10 212.00 $212.00 $1,628 +5.45
771 value added 771 68 224.75 $224.75 $1,733 -5.09
800–805 802 3 170.00–189.00 $176.36 $1,414 —
925 value added 925 6 194.50 $194.50 $1,799 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–295 277 3 190.00–200.00 $196.87 $545 +6.87
343 343 3 200.00 $200.00 $686 +3.65
385–395 392 3 192.50–200.00 $194.96 $764 —
414–446 424 13 197.00–207.50 $200.06 $848 —
490 490 1 190.00 $190.00 $931 —
520–545 528 3 186.00–205.00 $197.48 $1,043 —
560–595 578 2 180.00–200.00 $189.70 $1,096 —
645 645 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,129 —
670–697 677 12 171.00–201.00 $177.86 $1,204 -12.14
732–735 733 3 171.00–179.00 $173.67 $1,273 -7.60
794 794 5 187.00 $187.00 $1,485 +12.98
840 840 2 161.00 $161.00 $1,352 —
850 850 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,275 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020 1020 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,367 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 242.50 $242.50 $715 —
325–330 fancy 327 3 257.50–270.00 $261.71 $856 +5.23
345 345 1 217.50 $217.50 $750 —
385 385 1 230.00 $230.00 $886 -12.50
405–420 fancy 413 3 250.00–262.50 $257.57 $1,064 -12.55
435 435 2 222.50–230.00 $226.25 $984 -6.25
465 fancy 465 2 250.00–260.00 $255.00 $1,186 -7.05
490–492 492 5 223.00–230.00 $228.60 $1,125 +18.60
510–547 fancy 535 10 235.00–256.00 $242.55 $1,298 -17.93
540 540 3 220.00–231.00 $227.33 $1,228 +0.33
558–570 fancy 560 5 237.50–254.00 $250.64 $1,404 -2.53
595 595 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,279 -10.93
610–620 fancy 613 3 233.00–234.00 $233.66 $1,432 —
620–630 625 2 200.00–205.00 $202.48 $1,266 -14.71
675–680 678 2 200.00–203.00 $201.49 $1,366 -7.92
725 725 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,450 +3.88
750–770 760 2 190.00–206.00 $197.89 $1,504 +1.89
805 805 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,505 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 210.00 $210.00 $998 —
510–515 513 2 207.50–210.00 $208.74 $1,071 +48.74
565–590 578 2 192.50–200.00 $196.33 $1,135 —
680 680 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,095 —
762–780 768 3 176.00–182.00 $178.03 $1,367 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 170.00 $170.00 $714 —
640 640 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,024 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1390 1277 80-85% 11 96.00–105.00 $101.77 $1,300 -11.87
1130–1530 1319 80-85% 16 107.00–116.00 $112.01 $1,477 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1175 1038 85-90% 8 85.00–92.00 $88.23 $916 -10.36
915–1185 1070 85-90% 5 108.00–116.00 $110.04 $1,177 +24.46
1020–1180 1106 85-90% 11 90.00–106.00 $99.65 $1,102 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455–1625 1543 75-80% 5 112.00–124.00 $115.48 $1,782 -1.92
1675 1675 75-80% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,826 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1480 1291 5 111.00–118.00 $114.96 $1,484 —
1600–1705 1653 2 126.00–128.00 $127.03 $2,100 —
1755–2220 1993 3 133.00–136.00 $134.01 $2,671 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
955–1010 983 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 120.00–128.00 $124.11 $1,220

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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.