Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 29, 2024

1,287 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $229.53/cwt -2.21 vs last sale · ≈ $2,027/hd at 883 lb · 121 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $234.01/cwt +4.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,647/hd at 704 lb · 98 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $260.21/cwt -4.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,793/hd at 689 lb · 91 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,287 1,751 1,395
Feeder cattle 1,233 1,566 1,281
Slaughter cattle 48 171 111
Replacement cattle 6 14 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 400 lbs steady, 400-600 lbs 6.00-10.00 higher, 600-700 lbs 4.00-6.00 higher, over 700 lbs steady to 2.00 lower, Feeder heifers under 700 lbs 10.00-15.00 higher, over 700 lbs steady, Good to Very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 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
205–240 fancy 223 2 297.50–301.00 $299.11 $667 -15.89
250 fancy 250 1 311.00 $311.00 $778 -20.63
300–320 fancy 311 9 310.00–330.00 $324.25 $1,008 +7.44
320–340 332 5 290.00–306.00 $296.69 $985 -0.81
351 fancy 351 3 330.00 $330.00 $1,158 +24.99
360–385 376 4 290.00–302.00 $298.62 $1,123 +16.12
405 405 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,185 +5.93
400–436 fancy 426 26 305.00–332.50 $319.05 $1,359 +13.56
452–487 fancy 462 18 300.00–330.00 $322.58 $1,490 +25.17
455–495 477 6 285.00–298.00 $290.96 $1,388 +10.02
525 fancy 525 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,680 —
500–546 value added 529 46 287.00–313.00 $300.96 $1,592 +8.82
515–545 533 6 257.50–277.50 $271.47 $1,447 +10.89
550–555 553 2 267.50–270.00 $268.74 $1,486 +11.78
560–597 value added 577 33 280.00–309.00 $294.35 $1,698 +4.83
610 fancy 610 1 302.00 $302.00 $1,842 +16.00
625–641 value added 634 20 265.00–273.00 $267.28 $1,695 +0.24
640 640 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,536 +2.68
655–682 673 5 250.00 $250.00 $1,682 +9.00
660–697 value added 690 86 255.00–279.00 $260.80 $1,800 -5.33
710 710 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,562 -5.82
700–745 value added 721 35 240.00–252.00 $246.17 $1,775 -8.66
750 750 2 227.00–239.00 $233.00 $1,748 +2.00
767–789 value added 785 21 241.50–246.00 $242.34 $1,902 -13.70
811–825 value added 818 44 224.00–238.25 $236.98 $1,938 -7.05
800–847 830 4 216.00–221.00 $218.80 $1,816 —
876–890 880 4 199.00–200.00 $199.75 $1,758 -22.10
877–889 value added 883 117 224.25–237.10 $230.55 $2,036 -2.27
910 910 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,902 —
928 value added 928 57 228.00 $228.00 $2,116 +2.83
972 972 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,944 —
1030–1047 1045 14 184.00–185.00 $184.93 $1,933 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–365 358 2 250.00–275.00 $262.24 $939 —
455 455 1 251.00 $251.00 $1,142 -4.49
785 785 1 214.00 $214.00 $1,680 +1.00
810 810 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,652 +43.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,008 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
286 286 3 230.00 $230.00 $658 -30.00
290–295 fancy 293 5 290.00–292.50 $290.99 $853 -1.70
305–345 fancy 324 18 280.00–310.00 $299.99 $972 +12.99
325–340 330 3 232.50–240.00 $237.54 $784 —
350–387 fancy 374 27 282.50–315.00 $294.84 $1,103 +14.20
355–395 374 6 250.00–272.50 $261.47 $978 +21.47
400–443 fancy 418 23 265.00–293.00 $284.18 $1,188 +15.49
430–445 438 2 240.00–252.50 $246.36 $1,079 +0.06
450–497 fancy 468 34 262.00–301.00 $275.17 $1,288 +11.92
467–487 475 14 240.00–259.00 $247.62 $1,176 +8.77
500–537 value added 522 38 251.00–276.00 $263.93 $1,378 +12.78
520–532 529 5 229.00–247.50 $235.31 $1,245 +5.26
550–555 553 2 248.00–249.00 $248.50 $1,374 —
550–595 value added 575 36 250.00–267.50 $258.01 $1,484 +11.21
602–621 value added 614 38 241.00–252.00 $246.69 $1,515 -0.17
600–624 619 7 221.00–233.00 $224.09 $1,387 +7.37
663–698 value added 679 28 237.00–244.00 $241.29 $1,638 +6.38
700–737 value added 704 96 225.00–235.80 $234.78 $1,653 +2.99
705 705 2 197.00 $197.00 $1,389 -8.03
756 value added 756 72 225.25 $225.25 $1,703 +2.25
776–790 781 9 207.00–217.00 $213.63 $1,668 +12.25
815 815 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,638 +1.37
880–893 891 6 203.00–205.00 $203.33 $1,812 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–320 313 2 200.00–202.50 $201.22 $630 +3.72
355–395 375 2 240.50–242.50 $241.55 $906 —
460–490 473 3 230.00–236.00 $232.77 $1,101 +12.77
630 630 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,310 —
780 780 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,326 +9.02
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 165.00 $165.00 $965 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 fancy 280 1 317.00 $317.00 $888 +17.00
345 345 1 250.00 $250.00 $862 -19.38
370 370 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,064 +7.63
375 fancy 375 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,219 +16.77
405–435 421 4 285.00–295.00 $289.83 $1,220 +8.93
412–447 fancy 429 10 304.00–313.00 $308.48 $1,323 +5.22
450–460 455 2 286.00–290.00 $287.98 $1,310 +25.48
510–535 fancy 515 11 275.00–321.00 $306.42 $1,578 +25.70
500–545 521 4 259.00–270.00 $266.04 $1,386 +24.46
572–595 580 7 251.00–270.00 $256.72 $1,489 +11.60
610–615 fancy 613 2 242.50–245.00 $243.76 $1,494 -0.21
615–630 623 2 220.00–224.00 $222.02 $1,383 -0.47
700–737 726 11 210.00–227.00 $216.36 $1,571 +5.36
890 890 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,620 +14.53
915 915 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,665 -5.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 232.50 $232.50 $732 -17.50
445 445 1 220.00 $220.00 $979 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1425 1265 80-85% 4 99.00–105.00 $103.28 $1,306 +20.28
1310 1310 80-85% 1 77.00 $77.00 $1,009 -39.63
1125–1480 1333 80-85% 9 109.00–119.00 $113.63 $1,515 -3.00
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1045 1005 85-90% 5 69.00–82.00 $77.74 $781 -37.19
935–1105 1038 85-90% 4 94.00–103.00 $96.69 $1,004 -3.16
1015–1155 1085 85-90% 2 88.00–90.00 $88.94 $965 +3.66
1070–1135 1103 85-90% 2 104.00–107.00 $105.46 $1,163 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1480–1725 1580 75-80% 3 115.00–124.00 $120.77 $1,908 +36.77
1605 1605 75-80% 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,637 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1660 1345 4 123.00–129.00 $126.27 $1,698 —
1730 1730 1 140.00 $140.00 $2,422 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1170 1170 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1270 1270 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1330–1530 1443 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,375.00–1,750.00 $1,599.48

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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
990 990 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00 —

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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.