Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 31, 2023

2,716 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $231.24/cwt ≈ $1,671/hd at 723 lb · 480 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $247.14/cwt +30.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,649/hd at 667 lb · 312 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $237.34/cwt ≈ $2,181/hd at 919 lb · 236 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,716 173 1,695
Feeder cattle 2,566 136 1,557
Slaughter cattle 148 36 134
Replacement cattle 2 1 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparison due to extreme heat and limited supply last week. However the fancy end of the calf offering was met with very good demand, plainer calves were met with moderate demand, Yearlings were met with good to moderate demand. Slaughter cows and bulls sold with good demand.

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
265 fancy 265 1 302.50 $302.50 $802 —
255–295 275 2 232.00–253.00 $241.74 $665 -7.26
320–345 fancy 333 2 267.00–280.00 $273.74 $912 —
340 340 1 259.00 $259.00 $881 —
381–395 fancy 389 8 260.00–280.00 $269.37 $1,048 —
395 395 1 249.00 $249.00 $984 —
406–440 fancy 416 7 252.00–270.00 $264.56 $1,101 —
440 440 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,056 —
452 452 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,089 —
451–495 fancy 475 24 251.00–292.00 $279.26 $1,326 —
500–548 value added 526 19 250.00–272.50 $254.35 $1,338 -7.54
520–545 533 2 233.00–237.00 $234.95 $1,252 —
550–590 value added 560 15 251.00–260.00 $254.97 $1,428 -15.03
560–580 fancy 560 55 282.50–288.00 $287.90 $1,612 —
550–585 568 4 235.00–245.00 $240.52 $1,366 -9.48
615–643 value added 629 29 243.00–264.00 $255.45 $1,607 +4.45
640 640 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,478 -9.00
660–695 value added 677 9 247.50–252.00 $249.48 $1,689 —
700–728 value added 721 4 233.00–234.00 $233.24 $1,682 —
710–730 726 5 226.00–228.00 $226.39 $1,644 +16.39
765–795 value added 776 65 231.00–244.00 $243.27 $1,888 —
777 777 5 228.00 $228.00 $1,772 —
826 value added 826 62 231.75 $231.75 $1,914 —
842–847 845 4 210.00–215.00 $212.49 $1,796 —
888–897 value added 892 116 243.20–243.90 $243.56 $2,173 —
902–940 910 7 199.00–212.00 $205.55 $1,871 —
902–938 value added 919 229 233.25–251.00 $238.31 $2,190 —
974–975 974 8 203.00–215.00 $206.00 $2,006 —
975 value added 975 55 220.50 $220.50 $2,150 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 232.00 $232.00 $696 —
450–480 465 2 200.00–219.00 $209.19 $973 —
590 590 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,121 -1.00
750 750 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,575 —
850–875 863 2 165.00–200.00 $182.25 $1,573 —
940 940 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,316 —
955 955 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,719 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110 1110 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,665 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225–230 227 3 200.00–210.00 $203.31 $462 -16.69
278 278 3 202.50 $202.50 $563 -13.68
340 fancy 340 2 245.00 $245.00 $833 —
355–380 374 4 210.00–235.00 $227.79 $852 +4.54
362–392 fancy 384 9 240.00–265.00 $247.58 $951 —
400–445 428 3 210.00–233.00 $225.84 $967 +9.01
400–448 fancy 430 29 240.00–261.00 $245.26 $1,055 —
464 value added 464 68 268.50 $268.50 $1,246 —
465–470 fancy 469 7 246.00–253.00 $251.02 $1,177 —
453–498 476 23 220.00–236.00 $223.06 $1,062 +3.82
500–548 value added 520 54 231.00–255.00 $244.86 $1,273 —
505–540 520 10 214.00–225.00 $219.81 $1,143 +3.25
551–592 value added 563 155 232.00–264.00 $256.05 $1,442 —
550–597 571 14 210.00–228.00 $222.44 $1,270 —
608–647 624 11 219.00–223.00 $221.07 $1,379 —
616–646 value added 636 9 229.00–232.00 $229.97 $1,463 —
650–675 661 8 211.00–223.00 $215.68 $1,426 -1.32
656–672 value added 664 93 230.00–239.75 $237.90 $1,580 —
669 fancy 669 211 252.40 $252.40 $1,689 —
700–738 value added 722 463 226.00–240.00 $232.71 $1,680 —
700–744 739 17 184.00–192.00 $191.27 $1,413 —
785 785 4 206.00 $206.00 $1,617 —
885 885 19 207.50 $207.50 $1,836 —
902 902 17 197.00 $197.00 $1,777 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 191.00 $191.00 $516 —
315–335 326 4 180.00–200.00 $185.13 $604 —
425 425 1 195.00 $195.00 $829 +2.41
450–495 485 7 170.00–197.00 $186.42 $904 -13.58
510–545 528 2 170.00–190.00 $180.33 $952 -6.43
620 620 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,172 -0.80
685–695 690 2 192.00–199.00 $195.47 $1,349 +35.47
770 770 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,309 —
855–860 858 2 157.00–167.00 $162.01 $1,390 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1185 1140 2 127.00–132.50 $129.86 $1,480 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–245 235 3 220.00–222.50 $221.74 $521 -23.20
316–345 323 5 232.50–254.00 $236.77 $765 +5.61
366–375 fancy 370 5 263.00–285.00 $276.07 $1,021 —
390–392 391 4 230.00–242.50 $236.23 $924 -2.14
401 fancy 401 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,083 —
410–428 422 6 240.00–253.00 $246.08 $1,038 +8.76
455–491 469 8 235.00–245.00 $243.39 $1,141 +12.81
505–510 fancy 508 20 241.00–255.00 $246.38 $1,252 —
505–540 523 2 222.00–230.00 $226.13 $1,183 -6.37
555–561 fancy 560 7 244.00–247.50 $246.00 $1,378 —
615–640 629 9 203.00–219.00 $211.61 $1,331 -6.35
650 650 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,300 —
710–745 731 5 181.00–190.00 $184.50 $1,349 -20.50
750–785 765 7 197.00–201.00 $199.24 $1,524 —
822–830 825 3 173.00–182.00 $178.98 $1,477 —
865–895 884 5 150.00–161.00 $154.18 $1,363 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 220.00 $220.00 $693 —
445 445 1 221.00 $221.00 $983 —
530 530 1 187.00 $187.00 $991 —
585 585 2 183.00–191.00 $187.00 $1,094 +5.82
695 695 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,258 -9.00
702 702 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,228 -6.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 142.00 $142.00 $589 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215 1215 80-85% 1 82.00 $82.00 $996 —
1045–1445 1224 80-85% 11 93.00–105.00 $100.58 $1,231 —
1255 1255 80-85% 1 85.00 $85.00 $1,067 —
1045–1480 1292 80-85% 19 106.00–124.00 $111.02 $1,434 +25.41
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 85-90% 1 82.00 $82.00 $742 -19.00
995–1010 1003 85-90% 2 106.00 $106.00 $1,063 —
830–1185 1004 85-90% 8 96.00–105.00 $100.54 $1,009 —
1015–1075 1043 85-90% 4 84.00–95.00 $90.33 $942 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1520–1915 1619 75-80% 7 107.00–117.00 $113.44 $1,837 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1425 1278 3 115.00–120.00 $117.27 $1,499 —
1260–2000 1649 7 123.00–128.00 $125.34 $2,067 —
1590–2225 1866 7 130.00–144.00 $135.11 $2,521 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
940 940 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,175

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1200 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1324 value added 1324 78 156.25 $156.25 $2,069 —

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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.