Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 14, 2023

1,662 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 steers $233.89/cwt +5.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,616/hd at 691 lb · 189 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $204.71/cwt +31.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,808/hd at 883 lb · 189 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $205.91/cwt +7.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,861/hd at 904 lb · 124 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,662 2,185 1,685
Feeder cattle 1,567 2,111 1,591
Slaughter cattle 93 72 94
Replacement cattle 2 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers 5.00-8.00 higher with instances of 12.00 15.00 higher on the lite weight steers and bulls, Feeder and yearling heifers 10.00 to 12.00 higher, Very good demand for all feeder classes. Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 lower, Slaughter bulls steady, 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
302–305 fancy 303 3 267.50–300.00 $278.40 $844 —
350–395 fancy 362 8 260.00–291.00 $281.83 $1,020 +19.33
390 390 1 249.00 $249.00 $971 —
405–430 fancy 417 14 265.00–290.00 $273.17 $1,139 -7.01
450–492 fancy 469 10 250.00–270.00 $259.21 $1,216 +5.13
466–480 473 6 230.00–247.00 $238.37 $1,127 +12.05
518–545 value added 523 24 250.00–259.00 $255.37 $1,336 +11.81
500–545 526 14 230.00–246.00 $239.43 $1,259 +5.00
555–598 584 14 232.00–237.50 $234.74 $1,371 +5.18
600–627 value added 610 86 232.50–245.00 $241.40 $1,473 +18.40
600–630 621 20 214.00–231.00 $226.85 $1,409 +15.86
657–685 668 16 210.00–220.00 $216.93 $1,449 +16.96
685–698 value added 693 173 232.50–243.00 $235.46 $1,632 +4.06
705–725 715 12 190.00–211.00 $202.73 $1,450 +8.78
721 value added 721 21 237.50 $237.50 $1,712 +32.89
767–785 771 20 191.00–208.00 $203.08 $1,566 +10.97
833 value added 833 21 203.00 $203.00 $1,691 —
810–844 836 8 180.00–195.00 $192.21 $1,607 +20.21
880 880 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,602 +9.00
876–899 value added 883 188 202.90–208.85 $204.83 $1,809 —
902–906 value added 904 124 204.00–207.70 $205.91 $1,861 +6.80
973 value added 973 55 199.40 $199.40 $1,940 +15.96
983 983 3 181.00 $181.00 $1,779 +10.95
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 220.00 $220.00 $484 —
380 380 1 222.50 $222.50 $846 —
480–485 483 2 210.00–220.00 $215.03 $1,039 +16.00
544 544 14 200.00 $200.00 $1,088 -7.08
605–615 613 4 205.00–210.00 $208.77 $1,280 +18.77
655–685 667 5 175.00–205.00 $190.57 $1,271 —
700–735 714 6 162.50–188.00 $167.73 $1,198 -2.27
765 765 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,300 —
880 880 3 163.00 $163.00 $1,434 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 222.50 $222.50 $545 —
270 270 1 215.00 $215.00 $580 +3.18
316–337 fancy 325 9 232.00–232.50 $232.27 $755 —
320–345 333 5 200.00–215.00 $204.81 $682 +7.55
365–375 fancy 371 5 230.00–242.50 $234.92 $872 —
378–395 385 11 210.00–225.00 $215.07 $828 +37.34
400–430 fancy 420 12 225.00–227.50 $225.41 $947 +18.68
405–446 425 20 205.00–223.00 $214.85 $913 +20.54
452–495 474 20 191.00–210.00 $201.94 $957 +12.99
500 value added 500 3 213.00 $213.00 $1,065 —
500–534 521 48 194.00–210.00 $201.38 $1,049 +10.78
550 value added 550 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,196 —
550–595 586 67 189.00–207.00 $193.01 $1,131 +8.04
602–645 612 18 181.00–197.00 $189.37 $1,159 +15.45
617–644 value added 623 28 198.00–200.00 $199.01 $1,240 +0.26
650–655 653 2 184.00–189.00 $186.51 $1,218 +18.65
678–690 value added 689 92 198.50–209.00 $208.10 $1,434 —
794 794 8 173.00 $173.00 $1,374 +33.00
895 895 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,504 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 180.00 $180.00 $585 —
355–390 373 4 170.00–195.00 $181.90 $678 +11.90
525–540 533 5 174.00–185.00 $181.78 $969 +16.26
560–595 578 8 167.50–187.00 $178.96 $1,034 +23.89
600–633 620 16 150.00–177.00 $170.51 $1,057 +7.99
655–695 667 8 147.50–175.00 $160.14 $1,068 +7.52
710–745 728 2 152.50–157.50 $155.06 $1,129 —
750–795 773 2 120.00–125.00 $122.57 $947 -0.83
810–835 823 2 100.00–115.00 $107.61 $886 +7.61

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
267–270 268 3 220.00–250.00 $239.93 $643 +15.29
301–305 fancy 302 4 267.50–277.50 $270.02 $815 —
320–340 331 4 252.50–255.00 $253.78 $840 +28.78
350 350 1 260.00 $260.00 $910 +57.72
375–390 fancy 381 10 265.00–297.50 $284.02 $1,082 —
410–429 fancy 423 11 265.00–297.50 $273.15 $1,155 +2.39
417–440 427 4 247.50–262.50 $258.00 $1,102 +35.91
460–490 472 6 230.00–247.50 $233.03 $1,100 -1.18
510–525 519 5 221.00–232.50 $226.78 $1,177 +11.18
519 fancy 519 11 249.00 $249.00 $1,292 +12.00
550–588 562 10 225.00–234.00 $231.84 $1,303 +15.44
600–640 620 7 180.00–206.00 $198.41 $1,230 +13.41
650–695 667 10 182.00–200.00 $191.69 $1,279 —
727–745 733 3 172.00–172.50 $172.17 $1,262 -5.33
810–840 825 2 150.00–160.00 $154.91 $1,278 —
855 855 2 172.50 $172.50 $1,475 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 210.00 $210.00 $620 —
470 470 2 190.00 $190.00 $893 -22.00
515–535 530 4 200.00–210.00 $207.57 $1,100 +22.87
550–595 573 11 176.00–219.00 $197.89 $1,134 +6.68
600–645 633 5 152.50–197.50 $168.61 $1,067 —
650–685 668 3 142.50–152.00 $148.48 $992 -9.02
700–710 705 2 140.00–142.00 $140.99 $994 +10.99
760–785 773 3 140.00–142.50 $141.49 $1,094 +7.89

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1390 1322 80-85% 3 64.00–68.00 $65.38 $864 —
1095–1495 1332 80-85% 18 81.00–89.00 $84.00 $1,119 —
1190–1610 1337 80-85% 11 70.00–79.00 $74.82 $1,000 —
1250–1530 1354 80-85% 4 91.00–101.00 $95.48 $1,293 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 85-90% 1 60.00 $60.00 $606 —
1060–1180 1116 85-90% 11 71.00–78.00 $74.44 $831 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1780 1563 75-80% 5 82.00–87.00 $84.71 $1,324 —
1460–1815 1623 75-80% 3 91.00–93.00 $92.34 $1,499 +0.28
1795 1795 75-80% 1 71.00 $71.00 $1,274 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1645–1765 1705 2 106.00–107.00 $106.48 $1,815 —
1805–1890 1848 2 115.00 $115.00 $2,125 —
1825–1970 1898 2 121.00–129.00 $124.85 $2,370 +8.59

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
740 740 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 98.00 $98.00 $725
1045 1045 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,202

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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.