Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 9, 2023

2,275 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $218.19/cwt -23.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,787/hd at 819 lb · 209 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $221.65/cwt -19.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,683/hd at 759 lb · 163 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $239.05/cwt +7.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,615/hd at 676 lb · 149 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,275 1,255 1,869
Feeder cattle 2,135 1,177 1,749
Slaughter cattle 134 78 113
Replacement cattle 6 — 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday feeder steers under 600 lbs sold mostly steady. Feeder steers over 600 lbs sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower. Yearling packages sold sharply lower. Feeder heifers sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower. There was moderate demand for feeder and yearling classes. A steady downward trend of the CME futures caused moderate demand and unsteady market conditions for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower and slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. There was 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
262–295 279 4 240.00–247.50 $244.19 $681 +19.19
310–333 327 4 232.50–240.00 $234.28 $766 +6.78
355–395 378 9 222.50–245.00 $232.52 $879 -10.34
402–415 fancy 405 5 257.50–260.00 $258.01 $1,045 +0.12
400–440 418 9 235.00–252.50 $242.66 $1,014 -0.83
452–495 fancy 474 6 259.00–264.00 $260.75 $1,236 +4.18
452–488 478 22 241.00–255.00 $247.74 $1,184 +3.50
507–545 525 45 230.00–248.00 $241.87 $1,270 +8.31
525–541 value added 538 11 255.00–258.00 $257.47 $1,385 +10.69
552–569 value added 559 35 258.00–264.00 $260.95 $1,459 +13.10
570–595 581 35 235.00–247.00 $242.85 $1,411 +2.85
609 value added 609 86 255.50 $255.50 $1,556 +0.97
600–645 623 47 223.00–240.00 $232.48 $1,448 -0.45
650–689 667 42 219.00–232.00 $226.92 $1,514 -4.51
662–685 value added 679 107 238.00–246.00 $243.81 $1,655 —
712–748 726 20 216.00–223.00 $220.47 $1,601 -4.03
705–749 value added 743 82 227.00–230.00 $229.58 $1,706 -8.87
750–766 value added 758 143 219.50–225.50 $222.53 $1,687 -18.19
752–771 768 20 205.00–218.00 $215.37 $1,654 —
802–845 817 22 205.00–213.00 $210.58 $1,720 -9.31
802–831 value added 819 187 214.75–225.00 $219.09 $1,794 -23.98
893 value added 893 113 216.00 $216.00 $1,929 -20.27
930 930 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,739 —
946 value added 946 58 209.50 $209.50 $1,982 —
975 975 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,804 —
1001–1010 1002 9 183.00–187.00 $183.45 $1,838 —
1053 value added 1053 51 197.50 $197.50 $2,080 —
1054 1054 5 185.00 $185.00 $1,950 —
1201 1201 12 170.00 $170.00 $2,042 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 220.00 $220.00 $748 —
351 351 3 221.00 $221.00 $776 +21.00
407–440 422 6 220.00–227.00 $222.25 $938 —
455–485 470 4 227.50–235.00 $232.10 $1,091 —
505–515 512 3 212.50–217.50 $214.14 $1,096 +28.77
560–595 588 6 220.00–225.00 $222.19 $1,306 +40.71
601–641 627 11 215.00–217.50 $215.22 $1,349 —
666–695 687 13 208.00–210.00 $209.55 $1,440 —
705 705 4 191.00 $191.00 $1,347 —
760–765 763 2 190.00–200.00 $194.98 $1,488 —
800 800 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,448 —
900–925 913 2 170.00–173.00 $171.48 $1,566 —
965 965 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,669 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 220.00 $220.00 $572 -5.00
325 325 1 227.50 $227.50 $739 —
373–395 382 11 210.00–230.00 $221.91 $848 -0.13
410–430 425 7 200.00–217.50 $212.05 $901 -12.54
464 fancy 464 6 232.00 $232.00 $1,076 —
466–496 481 27 201.00–226.00 $217.85 $1,048 -4.00
500–548 529 20 200.00–216.00 $208.63 $1,104 -8.37
523–544 value added 534 20 219.00–220.00 $219.49 $1,172 —
552–598 value added 568 39 213.00–223.00 $215.24 $1,223 —
552–599 574 58 192.00–211.00 $198.17 $1,137 -8.31
600–645 619 31 189.00–205.00 $198.80 $1,231 +1.06
635 value added 635 6 208.00 $208.00 $1,321 —
651 value added 651 8 206.00 $206.00 $1,341 —
657–670 662 14 182.00–195.00 $189.35 $1,253 -11.03
710–745 731 6 172.50–187.00 $181.48 $1,327 -8.52
745 value added 745 25 220.00 $220.00 $1,639 —
750–785 768 2 170.00–178.00 $174.09 $1,337 -7.91
774 value added 774 74 211.75 $211.75 $1,639 -12.00
880 880 6 186.00 $186.00 $1,637 —
973 973 8 145.00 $145.00 $1,411 —
1147 1147 4 144.00 $144.00 $1,652 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 182.50 $182.50 $557 -6.31
364–380 369 9 192.50–200.00 $197.47 $729 -0.82
400–405 401 5 190.00 $190.00 $762 -7.28
465–467 466 3 192.50–195.00 $194.17 $905 -4.32
510–527 523 7 186.00–192.00 $189.71 $992 —
550–595 569 16 180.00–190.00 $185.63 $1,056 +9.31
615 615 2 184.00 $184.00 $1,132 +8.14
667–694 682 16 170.00–179.00 $172.39 $1,176 +1.33
712–725 716 3 164.00–170.00 $167.98 $1,203 +6.07
762–772 769 6 152.00–153.00 $152.67 $1,174 -7.69
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250 1250 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,388 —
1910 1910 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,948 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 137.50 $137.50 $736 —

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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 1 217.50 $217.50 $631 —
310–335 323 2 227.50–231.00 $229.32 $741 —
350–395 384 5 220.00–237.50 $226.64 $870 +16.64
420 fancy 420 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,082 +5.16
400–443 425 12 232.50–250.00 $240.48 $1,022 +24.77
465–485 474 6 228.00–242.50 $235.02 $1,114 +3.36
500 fancy 500 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,200 -3.14
500–545 514 7 222.00–235.00 $228.89 $1,176 -1.03
570 fancy 570 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,396 +2.82
575–590 582 3 215.00–232.50 $222.76 $1,296 -5.16
603–642 619 5 200.00–205.00 $202.92 $1,256 -8.86
655 655 3 184.00 $184.00 $1,205 -25.51
705–730 722 3 173.00–189.00 $183.79 $1,327 -0.51
755 755 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,284 -12.38
805–848 843 8 158.00–170.00 $168.57 $1,421 +0.57
870 870 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,131 -40.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 210.00 $210.00 $567 —
322 322 4 207.50 $207.50 $668 —
375 375 1 200.00 $200.00 $750 —
410–432 421 4 200.00–202.50 $201.22 $847 —
480 480 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,056 +34.00
535 535 5 211.00–214.00 $211.60 $1,132 —
550–590 567 3 200.00–210.00 $204.10 $1,157 —
647 647 2 187.00 $187.00 $1,210 —
670 670 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,112 -19.00
705–724 719 7 165.00 $165.00 $1,186 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1295 1198 80-85% 8 76.00–84.00 $78.95 $946 —
1085–1395 1246 80-85% 17 86.00–95.00 $89.98 $1,121 —
1070–1435 1272 80-85% 7 97.00–105.00 $100.73 $1,281 +12.54
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1105 1003 85-90% 4 69.00–72.00 $70.59 $708 —
890–1125 1008 85-90% 2 89.00–94.00 $91.79 $925 —
825–1150 1026 85-90% 8 73.00–81.00 $76.60 $786 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515–1535 1525 75-80% 2 73.00–76.00 $74.49 $1,136 —
1455–1800 1626 75-80% 4 92.00–96.00 $93.35 $1,518 -6.88
1550–1915 1695 75-80% 4 84.00–91.00 $88.89 $1,507 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–2015 1655 4 108.00–114.00 $112.44 $1,861 —
1520–2100 1773 4 115.00–122.00 $118.71 $2,105 -12.23
1450–2105 1778 2 124.00–129.00 $126.96 $2,257 -3.98

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00
1000 1000 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
1075 1075 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 135.00 $135.00 $641 —
590 590 1 144.00 $144.00 $850 —
926 value added 926 54 158.00 $158.00 $1,463 —
991 value added 991 22 151.00 $151.00 $1,496 -21.00

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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.