Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 30, 2023

1,777 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $213.36/cwt +32.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,447/hd at 678 lb · 180 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $220.68/cwt +26.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,164/hd at 527 lb · 127 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $221.97/cwt ≈ $1,929/hd at 869 lb · 117 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,777 1,316 2,139
Feeder cattle 1,571 1,159 2,064
Slaughter cattle 195 153 73
Replacement cattle 11 4 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparison due to no sale last week for Thanksgiving Holiday. However the high quality feeders and yearlings 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
320 320 2 230.00 $230.00 $736 —
375–390 382 6 232.50–255.00 $242.91 $928 -12.73
435 fancy 435 2 277.50 $277.50 $1,207 +14.06
455–490 467 25 219.00–241.00 $235.44 $1,100 -5.12
500–545 value added 511 7 245.00–252.00 $248.25 $1,269 -3.37
505–545 519 12 222.00–240.00 $235.21 $1,221 -2.22
550–592 570 17 225.00–244.00 $235.31 $1,341 +2.58
600–635 value added 607 98 230.00–244.50 $240.19 $1,458 —
607–645 627 6 220.00–229.00 $223.94 $1,404 -2.28
667–690 684 27 211.00–226.00 $214.54 $1,467 -8.46
700–736 727 9 206.00–210.00 $208.20 $1,514 -3.41
750–765 752 10 209.00–210.00 $209.40 $1,575 -7.94
821 value added 821 33 210.50 $210.50 $1,728 -14.64
800–845 825 6 184.00–195.00 $187.68 $1,548 -26.32
861–877 value added 869 117 220.95–223.00 $221.97 $1,929 —
936 value added 936 57 210.00 $210.00 $1,966 -12.55
1003–1006 value added 1005 104 195.50–202.00 $198.75 $1,997 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 150.00 $150.00 $502 —
355–395 375 4 172.50–217.50 $198.25 $743 -4.65
435 435 2 180.00–192.50 $186.25 $810 -22.75
475 475 1 200.00 $200.00 $950 -12.20
500–525 509 7 178.00–208.00 $195.91 $997 -10.98
570 570 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,032 -29.07
605 605 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,225 -7.50
650–685 673 6 180.00–205.00 $196.96 $1,326 —
732 732 2 195.00 $195.00 $1,427 —
755–795 768 3 165.00–188.00 $175.39 $1,347 -9.85
960 960 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,728 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
750 750 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,058 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 200.00 $200.00 $560 —
305–330 318 2 215.00–218.00 $216.44 $688 +16.44
368–397 383 14 200.00–218.00 $213.59 $818 +3.11
407–448 430 24 190.00–201.00 $195.15 $839 -3.58
456 fancy 456 4 230.00 $230.00 $1,049 —
452–490 477 22 198.00–210.00 $206.43 $985 +7.05
525 value added 525 91 226.75 $226.75 $1,190 —
505–547 533 36 190.00–211.00 $205.32 $1,094 +11.51
550–586 562 63 191.00–218.00 $202.01 $1,135 +7.79
611–628 value added 617 33 214.00–220.00 $215.22 $1,328 —
603–648 624 61 186.00–201.00 $195.79 $1,222 -0.52
650–685 663 21 174.00–195.00 $183.34 $1,216 +50.84
666–696 value added 680 159 214.25–220.60 $217.32 $1,478 —
700–740 724 9 163.00–180.00 $176.25 $1,276 -11.50
751 value added 751 80 210.50 $210.50 $1,581 —
840 840 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,327 -4.00
883–897 888 6 168.00–173.00 $171.32 $1,521 -4.68
1106 value added 1106 50 174.50 $174.50 $1,930 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240–245 243 2 170.00 $170.00 $413 —
365–370 368 3 150.00–187.50 $174.45 $642 +9.40
400–440 423 8 151.00–184.00 $174.26 $737 -1.26
450–456 454 5 183.00–185.00 $184.21 $836 +8.11
501–545 520 9 162.00–187.00 $179.94 $936 -1.56
580–590 583 3 163.00–186.00 $178.04 $1,038 -0.30
605–615 610 2 161.00–177.00 $168.93 $1,030 +2.72
660–685 673 3 164.00–166.00 $165.01 $1,111 +9.87
722 722 2 150.00 $150.00 $1,083 -9.88
835 835 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,161 +9.00
895 895 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,325 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 155.00 $155.00 $682 —
525 525 1 160.00 $160.00 $840 —
550 550 1 140.00 $140.00 $770 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–330 310 3 222.50–236.00 $228.90 $710 +14.02
350–397 373 8 220.00–240.00 $226.84 $846 +4.27
400–425 fancy 412 5 251.00–287.50 $274.41 $1,131 +1.91
420–440 435 7 227.50–233.00 $230.95 $1,005 -0.14
450–495 474 14 220.00–246.00 $230.22 $1,091 -0.09
501 fancy 501 4 251.00 $251.00 $1,258 +16.00
500–535 514 14 233.00–240.00 $238.56 $1,226 +27.61
560–593 589 18 221.00–232.00 $224.38 $1,322 +16.15
602–647 627 20 212.00–225.00 $218.12 $1,368 +25.56
670–695 678 3 191.00–198.00 $195.61 $1,326 +13.97
705–741 733 8 170.00–182.00 $177.64 $1,302 +3.60
750–785 758 5 171.00–179.00 $173.99 $1,319 -0.90
845 845 1 138.00 $138.00 $1,166 -5.98
850–890 870 2 141.00–142.00 $141.51 $1,231 —
955 955 1 129.00 $129.00 $1,232 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,092 +32.11
550–585 567 12 180.00–213.00 $198.72 $1,127 +27.37
600–642 631 4 166.00–194.00 $178.49 $1,126 +2.05
677–680 678 3 156.00–171.00 $165.99 $1,125 —
715 715 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,165 —
795 795 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,264 —
925 925 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,138 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 150.00 $150.00 $720 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1465 1258 80-85% 30 80.00–90.00 $85.56 $1,076 -8.10
1030–1480 1285 80-85% 24 91.00–110.00 $96.08 $1,235 +2.42
1210–1540 1355 80-85% 3 73.00–78.00 $75.14 $1,018 +1.03
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1015 964 85-90% 6 61.00–67.00 $64.49 $622 +0.31
985–1110 1045 85-90% 7 70.00–78.00 $74.21 $775 -21.78
970–1150 1059 85-90% 7 80.00–89.00 $84.82 $898 +10.55
1050–1095 1073 85-90% 2 90.00 $90.00 $966 +15.73
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1585–1685 1635 75-80% 2 84.00–90.00 $86.91 $1,421 —
1510–1990 1664 75-80% 16 94.00–115.00 $102.15 $1,700 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1545 1415 5 104.00–109.00 $106.18 $1,502 —
1535–2035 1749 8 114.00–121.00 $118.18 $2,067 —
2020–2030 2025 2 123.00–126.00 $124.50 $2,521 +5.50

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
830 830 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 101.00 $101.00 $838

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1105 1105 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1115 1115 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
1120 1120 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780–820 811 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 800.00–1,000.00 $967.95

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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
1125 1125 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00 —

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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.