Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 1, 2024

1,685 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $220.18/cwt +13.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,381/hd at 627 lb · 140 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $219.26/cwt +5.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,908/hd at 870 lb · 131 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $219.79/cwt +8.11 vs last sale · ≈ $2,023/hd at 921 lb · 121 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,685 1,827 1,107
Feeder cattle 1,599 1,722 1,069
Slaughter cattle 78 85 38
Replacement cattle 8 20 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers 3.00-5.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 700 lbs 10.00-15.00 higher, over 700 steady to 3.00 higher, Very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 3.00-5.00 higher, Slaughter bulls steady, Very 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
250 250 1 257.50 $257.50 $644 —
380–385 fancy 383 4 284.00–295.00 $289.78 $1,110 -7.72
400–445 417 3 242.50–260.00 $250.53 $1,045 +13.03
410–446 fancy 429 10 272.50–320.00 $304.39 $1,306 +38.40
450–495 fancy 470 22 271.00–303.00 $295.13 $1,387 +8.57
470–490 480 2 248.00–265.00 $256.68 $1,232 +20.33
505–531 value added 523 8 254.00–280.00 $271.88 $1,422 -2.28
531–545 534 34 234.00–275.00 $262.05 $1,399 +37.10
570–595 586 5 231.00–249.00 $236.10 $1,384 +7.03
555–598 value added 594 60 250.00–270.00 $267.94 $1,592 -6.63
620–640 628 15 215.00–231.00 $225.00 $1,413 -3.06
607–645 value added 632 36 235.00–257.50 $245.44 $1,551 -6.56
650–676 value added 665 7 236.00–248.00 $242.08 $1,610 -9.74
652–695 679 24 215.00–226.00 $222.89 $1,513 -6.99
724 value added 724 49 244.50 $244.50 $1,770 +11.02
720–730 725 4 207.50–224.00 $216.43 $1,569 -1.31
755–799 787 28 210.00–225.50 $219.68 $1,729 +5.90
789 value added 789 50 231.00 $231.00 $1,823 +7.60
802 802 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,524 -11.03
810 810 3 160.00 $160.00 $1,296 -41.03
835 value added 835 63 228.75 $228.75 $1,910 +12.00
870 value added 870 128 220.00 $220.00 $1,914 +4.50
850–895 880 3 185.00–194.00 $187.90 $1,654 -0.79
915 915 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,647 —
901–939 value added 920 117 219.50–221.90 $220.64 $2,030 +8.96
946 946 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,892 —
957 957 7 196.00 $196.00 $1,876 —
983 value added 983 52 212.00 $212.00 $2,084 +4.66
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 202.50 $202.50 $446 —
525–540 533 2 197.50–210.00 $203.84 $1,086 +11.84
557–595 578 5 197.00–220.00 $213.22 $1,232 —
600–620 607 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,275 +25.01
675–695 681 7 200.00–206.00 $201.14 $1,370 —
770 770 1 184.00 $184.00 $1,417 —
820 820 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,492 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 212.50 $212.50 $627 —
317–335 fancy 327 5 230.00–237.50 $234.99 $768 —
320–345 330 3 207.50–220.00 $212.41 $701 +1.10
350–392 376 6 217.50–227.50 $222.56 $837 +5.31
375–390 fancy 380 4 230.00 $230.00 $874 —
405–445 424 6 210.00–228.00 $222.56 $944 +5.12
405–447 fancy 430 15 230.00–255.00 $241.20 $1,037 +6.20
453–481 471 12 222.50–227.00 $224.68 $1,058 +6.95
450–492 fancy 479 42 230.00–245.00 $239.90 $1,149 —
500–545 value added 513 26 227.50–237.00 $234.45 $1,203 +9.06
500–525 516 7 210.00–220.00 $213.42 $1,101 -6.22
547 547 2 157.00 $157.00 $859 -62.64
570–590 575 15 210.00–225.00 $221.49 $1,274 +1.02
550–582 value added 580 71 227.50–236.00 $230.88 $1,339 —
600–638 627 57 200.00–222.00 $206.05 $1,292 +2.65
608–644 value added 627 83 225.00–240.00 $229.88 $1,441 +20.49
655–693 679 30 200.00–220.00 $210.64 $1,430 +16.02
717 717 5 176.00 $176.00 $1,262 -15.92
710–735 724 7 200.00–208.00 $201.43 $1,458 +9.51
755–794 778 20 185.00–199.00 $191.12 $1,487 +2.54
805–823 823 41 195.00–207.00 $204.57 $1,684 +20.60
850 850 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,615 —
906–937 912 13 169.00–179.00 $177.43 $1,618 —
988 988 5 180.00 $180.00 $1,778 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 200.00 $200.00 $780 -0.12
410 410 1 175.00 $175.00 $718 -22.92
520 520 1 180.00 $180.00 $936 -9.27
585–590 587 3 180.00–207.00 $197.95 $1,162 +7.88
605–645 625 3 170.00–196.00 $185.61 $1,160 +4.49
665–680 673 2 185.00–195.00 $189.94 $1,278 +6.60
760–785 771 6 131.00–165.00 $142.68 $1,100 -25.57
850–855 853 2 147.50–169.00 $158.22 $1,350 —
915 915 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,098 -10.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030 1030 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,236 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 fancy 345 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,000 —
380 fancy 380 1 273.00 $273.00 $1,037 +9.58
425 425 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,020 +3.00
400–445 fancy 434 12 270.00–325.00 $303.28 $1,316 +21.33
465–477 473 3 253.00–255.00 $253.66 $1,200 +19.56
465–485 fancy 480 16 260.00–297.00 $278.15 $1,335 +12.52
515–538 fancy 529 5 251.00–257.00 $253.34 $1,340 —
532–540 535 3 227.50–230.00 $229.16 $1,226 -0.51
550–597 559 15 222.50–240.00 $234.85 $1,313 +2.65
600–648 624 19 198.00–225.00 $215.99 $1,348 -5.15
656 656 6 212.00 $212.00 $1,391 +18.32
715–745 730 2 184.00–203.00 $193.30 $1,411 -0.04
751–755 752 4 181.00–185.00 $182.00 $1,369 -8.92
822 822 2 179.00 $179.00 $1,471 +3.61
861 861 4 176.00 $176.00 $1,515 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 2 192.50 $192.50 $828 —
530 530 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,060 +11.66
572–590 580 4 180.00–210.00 $196.06 $1,137 —
615–640 632 3 170.00–190.00 $181.82 $1,149 —
680 680 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,258 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1340 1297 80-85% 3 83.00–85.00 $84.31 $1,094 —
1150–1550 1330 80-85% 11 86.00–97.00 $89.83 $1,195 +11.77
1165–1480 1351 80-85% 16 101.00–125.00 $111.22 $1,503 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1115 1066 85-90% 5 100.00–113.00 $107.06 $1,141 +21.13
1065–1180 1108 85-90% 4 75.00–85.00 $80.48 $892 —
1115 1115 85-90% 2 97.00–99.00 $98.00 $1,093 +3.83
1120 1120 85-90% 1 65.00 $65.00 $728 -29.17
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515 1515 75-80% 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,394 -23.00
1545–1855 1697 75-80% 5 107.00–118.00 $113.36 $1,924 +16.01

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1695 1695 1 113.00 $113.00 $1,915 -4.00
1550–1940 1745 2 123.00 $123.00 $2,146 —
1775–2350 2066 6 128.00–137.00 $131.77 $2,722 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1070 1070 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,252

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1380–1610 1481 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,400.00–1,650.00 $1,583.51
1235–1810 1523 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,425.00–2,075.00 $1,811.37

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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.