Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 7, 2023

2,185 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 $208.56/cwt -0.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,626/hd at 780 lb · 355 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $198.51/cwt -11.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,814/hd at 914 lb · 190 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $228.59/cwt +14.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,540/hd at 674 lb · 179 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,185 1,777 2,246
Feeder cattle 2,111 1,571 2,100
Slaughter cattle 72 195 144
Replacement cattle 2 11 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs steady to 2.00 higher, over 500 lbs 6.00-10.00 lower, Feeder heifers 8.00 12.00 lower, Moderate to lite demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 4.00-6.00 lower, Slaughter bulls steady, Moderate 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
325–345 338 4 210.00–237.50 $228.96 $774 -1.04
350 350 3 222.50–240.00 $230.83 $808 -12.08
375 fancy 375 2 255.00–270.00 $262.50 $984 —
402–427 fancy 417 10 275.00–287.50 $280.18 $1,168 +2.68
400–445 421 14 232.50–250.00 $242.35 $1,020 —
450–495 477 3 220.00–232.50 $226.32 $1,080 -9.12
465–492 fancy 484 17 253.00–260.00 $254.08 $1,230 —
500–538 523 23 231.00–239.00 $234.43 $1,226 -0.78
515–539 value added 531 9 240.00–251.00 $243.56 $1,293 -4.69
550–587 575 24 220.00–237.00 $229.56 $1,320 -5.75
600 value added 600 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,338 -17.19
605–649 638 30 194.00–221.00 $210.99 $1,346 -12.95
655–685 671 16 191.00–210.00 $199.97 $1,342 -14.57
658–690 value added 674 163 228.00–235.00 $231.40 $1,560 —
700–730 721 41 184.00–201.00 $193.95 $1,398 -14.25
730–736 value added 736 28 204.50–206.00 $204.61 $1,506 —
750–791 768 98 181.00–200.00 $192.11 $1,475 -17.29
776–798 value added 784 257 212.00–216.60 $214.83 $1,684 —
840 840 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,445 -15.68
855–877 874 9 164.00–175.00 $173.00 $1,512 —
901–937 value added 913 186 195.80–201.90 $199.11 $1,818 -10.89
935–942 940 4 161.00–178.00 $170.52 $1,603 —
981–983 value added 982 113 181.00–186.00 $183.44 $1,801 —
975–995 985 2 165.00–175.00 $170.05 $1,675 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 200.00 $200.00 $680 +50.00
470–485 478 2 197.00–201.00 $199.03 $951 -0.97
515–537 530 3 201.00–210.00 $207.08 $1,098 +11.17
552–560 555 3 200.00–207.00 $202.36 $1,123 +21.36
605–615 610 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,159 -12.50
730 730 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,241 -25.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1265 1238 2 162.00–166.00 $164.04 $2,031 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–290 277 3 207.50–217.50 $211.82 $587 +11.82
300–340 332 7 185.00–205.00 $197.26 $655 -19.18
367–385 376 6 170.00–186.00 $177.73 $668 -35.86
422–440 fancy 437 34 204.00–209.00 $206.73 $903 —
415–445 438 14 180.00–197.00 $194.31 $851 -0.84
465–497 481 18 183.00–201.00 $188.95 $909 -17.48
507–548 529 63 175.00–198.00 $190.60 $1,008 -14.72
555–590 574 21 175.00–191.00 $184.97 $1,062 -17.04
615–635 627 13 170.00–182.00 $173.92 $1,090 -21.87
643 value added 643 70 198.75 $198.75 $1,278 -16.47
652–680 665 11 163.00–176.00 $167.86 $1,116 -15.48
716 716 5 141.00 $141.00 $1,010 -35.25
741–744 value added 743 149 182.50–200.00 $190.82 $1,418 —
792 792 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,109 —
816 816 10 166.00 $166.00 $1,355 +8.00
1010 1010 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,515 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 191.00 $191.00 $563 —
362 362 2 170.00 $170.00 $615 -4.45
425–440 436 4 162.00–175.00 $165.17 $720 -9.09
450–485 470 5 150.00–177.00 $167.61 $788 -16.60
500–505 503 2 161.00–170.00 $165.52 $833 -14.42
555–595 564 5 150.00–174.00 $155.07 $875 -22.97
617–640 621 6 162.00–165.00 $162.52 $1,009 -6.41
660–672 665 5 151.00–155.00 $152.62 $1,015 -12.39
770–795 783 2 117.00–130.00 $123.40 $966 —
810 810 1 100.00 $100.00 $810 -39.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–295 265 3 220.00–232.50 $224.64 $595 —
340 340 1 225.00 $225.00 $765 -3.90
350–396 385 4 200.00–210.00 $202.28 $779 -24.56
405–430 fancy 418 2 255.00–287.50 $270.76 $1,132 -3.65
405–440 428 3 210.00–237.50 $222.09 $951 -8.86
465–470 468 2 227.50–241.00 $234.21 $1,096 +3.99
515 fancy 515 2 237.00 $237.00 $1,221 -14.00
507–540 521 4 210.00–231.00 $215.60 $1,123 -22.96
550–570 557 8 200.00–225.00 $216.40 $1,205 -7.98
615 fancy 615 2 217.00 $217.00 $1,335 —
626 626 3 185.00 $185.00 $1,158 -33.12
748 748 3 177.50 $177.50 $1,328 -0.14
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,007 —
510–535 525 3 172.50–201.00 $184.70 $970 -25.30
560–597 580 11 174.00–198.00 $191.21 $1,109 -7.51
686 686 5 157.50 $157.50 $1,080 -8.49
725 725 1 130.00 $130.00 $942 -33.00
777–785 780 4 127.00–140.00 $133.60 $1,042 -25.40
805–815 810 2 100.00–110.00 $105.03 $851 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1415 1197 80-85% 11 70.00–79.00 $76.12 $911 —
1035–1480 1286 80-85% 14 80.00–89.00 $83.59 $1,075 -12.49
1190–1410 1288 80-85% 8 90.00–100.00 $93.68 $1,207 -2.40
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1065 965 85-90% 11 70.00–79.00 $74.38 $718 +9.89
920–1055 988 85-90% 2 85.00–86.00 $85.53 $845 +21.04
1070 1070 85-90% 1 93.00 $93.00 $995 +3.00
1033–1205 1090 85-90% 4 63.00–69.00 $66.32 $723 -23.68
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510 1510 75-80% 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,132 —
1515–1765 1611 75-80% 5 81.00–89.00 $85.81 $1,382 -1.10
1520–1745 1631 75-80% 4 91.00–93.00 $92.06 $1,501 +5.15

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500 1500 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,530 —
1700–2075 1888 4 115.00–117.00 $116.26 $2,195 —
1890–1985 1950 3 122.00–130.00 $125.04 $2,438 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1160 1160 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,334

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
820 820 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00

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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.