Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 26, 2023

1,595 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 steers $245.32/cwt -18.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,795/hd at 732 lb · 257 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $234.26/cwt +1.59 vs last sale · ≈ $2,026/hd at 865 lb · 171 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $255.02/cwt +18.51 vs last sale · ≈ $1,714/hd at 672 lb · 85 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,595 1,706 1,407
Feeder cattle 1,467 1,527 1,330
Slaughter cattle 122 177 67
Replacement cattle 6 2 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers 8.00-12.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers 4.00-6.00 lower, Moderate demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 4.00-6.00 lower, Slaughter bulls steady, Moderate demand for slaughter cows and good demand for slaughter bulls.

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
320 320 1 245.00 $245.00 $784 -8.00
375–385 380 2 250.00–255.00 $252.53 $960 -4.97
410–445 427 5 232.50–240.00 $235.63 $1,006 -21.81
463 fancy 463 5 261.00 $261.00 $1,208 -4.38
450–495 483 6 220.00–234.00 $231.66 $1,119 -20.01
510–547 535 9 220.00–234.00 $229.35 $1,227 -29.60
558–597 578 17 217.00–237.00 $228.89 $1,323 -6.14
586 value added 586 9 242.50 $242.50 $1,421 -32.22
623 value added 623 7 253.00 $253.00 $1,576 +5.87
600–638 624 16 215.00–236.00 $224.95 $1,404 -10.74
671 value added 671 75 259.75 $259.75 $1,743 +18.23
650–695 680 10 211.00–229.00 $219.55 $1,493 -13.96
705–725 721 5 207.00–214.00 $212.63 $1,533 -19.37
712–741 value added 732 252 244.00–249.75 $245.97 $1,801 -14.03
765–795 782 7 204.00–218.00 $212.44 $1,661 -27.05
817–835 830 12 206.00–217.50 $214.74 $1,782 -14.38
833 value added 833 56 236.00 $236.00 $1,966 -11.90
860 860 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,823 —
855–885 value added 865 170 230.00–236.80 $234.39 $2,027 +1.72
982 982 2 191.00 $191.00 $1,876 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 180.00 $180.00 $576 —
395 395 1 225.00 $225.00 $889 —
420 420 1 208.00 $208.00 $874 -31.14
498 498 4 213.00 $213.00 $1,061 -22.43
510–535 526 6 190.00–210.00 $204.06 $1,073 -30.08
550–590 574 7 186.00–212.00 $200.78 $1,152 -18.96
600 600 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,200 -13.56
651–680 660 7 174.00–191.00 $182.52 $1,205 -33.52
742 742 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,298 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 fancy 250 1 265.00 $265.00 $662 —
255–290 277 5 192.50–202.50 $198.09 $549 -16.91
300–335 316 5 190.00–211.00 $202.19 $639 -3.16
373–395 381 5 210.00–225.00 $220.37 $840 -2.76
395–397 fancy 396 3 230.00–233.00 $231.00 $915 -8.00
405–440 424 25 204.00–227.00 $216.44 $918 -11.76
457–495 470 24 205.00–225.00 $220.22 $1,035 +14.77
502–508 value added 506 21 212.00–230.00 $219.31 $1,110 +4.31
507–540 524 15 180.00–207.00 $189.19 $991 -15.22
550–590 569 37 181.00–204.00 $196.83 $1,120 -1.33
594 value added 594 5 216.00 $216.00 $1,283 —
600–649 631 23 184.00–209.00 $205.28 $1,295 +12.84
660–695 672 5 174.00–190.00 $184.44 $1,239 -16.71
731 value added 731 75 220.75 $220.75 $1,614 +7.75
879 value added 879 62 219.80 $219.80 $1,932 —
940 940 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,335 -19.00
965 965 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,448 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 167.50 $167.50 $402 -12.50
300 300 2 167.50–180.00 $173.75 $521 —
355–380 370 4 160.00–185.00 $171.35 $634 -33.65
405–445 424 12 170.00–200.00 $188.11 $798 -11.89
450–490 473 6 161.00–185.00 $180.46 $854 -12.54
510 510 1 175.00 $175.00 $892 -7.98
568–585 574 5 172.00–175.00 $173.80 $998 -7.87
605–645 625 2 155.00–169.00 $161.78 $1,011 -11.22
655–661 659 5 151.00–159.00 $154.18 $1,016 -24.31
715 715 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,165 -5.01
750–755 753 2 150.00–162.00 $155.98 $1,175 —
845 845 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,022 -27.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–420 407 3 100.00–120.00 $113.11 $460 —
535 535 1 117.50 $117.50 $629 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1380 1305 2 117.50–130.00 $124.11 $1,620 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 242.50 $242.50 $703 -10.00
335 335 2 222.50 $222.50 $745 +2.50
355–390 369 7 210.00–230.00 $224.61 $829 -8.67
415–435 429 4 212.00–221.00 $218.57 $938 -17.64
450–490 477 9 220.00–230.00 $224.66 $1,072 -3.27
488 fancy 488 11 241.00 $241.00 $1,176 —
513–530 521 7 225.00–232.00 $228.20 $1,189 -2.05
557–597 580 9 220.00–230.00 $224.22 $1,300 -8.24
600–645 623 34 191.00–215.00 $203.72 $1,269 -7.27
672–681 677 5 193.00–205.00 $197.76 $1,339 -5.71
710–740 725 2 181.00–189.00 $185.08 $1,342 +5.08
890 890 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,566 -6.05
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 207.50 $207.50 $706 +2.50
380 380 2 187.00 $187.00 $711 —
410–446 430 12 180.00–203.00 $191.91 $825 -30.59
455–472 465 7 190.00–201.00 $195.40 $909 -2.60
505–535 525 19 180.00–214.00 $199.84 $1,049 +3.50
595 595 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,089 -21.74
697 697 2 155.00 $155.00 $1,080 -32.56
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 2 140.00 $140.00 $549 —
520–522 521 3 155.00–174.00 $167.68 $874 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1455 1336 80-85% 13 79.00–89.00 $84.60 $1,130 -15.42
1230–1455 1343 80-85% 4 90.00–94.00 $92.06 $1,236 -7.96
1230–1490 1399 80-85% 4 72.00–78.00 $74.63 $1,044 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1190 1018 85-90% 4 60.00–67.00 $64.21 $654 -19.77
890–1155 1021 85-90% 10 70.00–79.00 $73.74 $753 -10.24
1020–1125 1073 85-90% 2 86.00–89.00 $87.57 $940 —
1055–1185 1120 85-90% 2 91.00–93.00 $92.06 $1,031 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1645 1534 75-80% 4 85.00–88.00 $87.02 $1,335 -10.48
1475–1610 1548 75-80% 3 91.00–94.00 $92.99 $1,439 -4.51
1600 1600 75-80% 1 76.00 $76.00 $1,216 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1865 1500 7 103.00–111.00 $107.94 $1,619 —
1505–1775 1661 5 114.00–124.00 $119.14 $1,979 —
1875–2060 1990 4 127.00–133.00 $129.54 $2,578 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
880–1040 971 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 81.00–102.00 $92.26 $896

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
980 980 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00

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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
1340 1340 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00 —

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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.