Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 7, 2024

1,648 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 $232.35/cwt +2.82 vs last sale · ≈ $2,024/hd at 871 lb · 237 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $224.81/cwt -2.86 vs last sale · ≈ $2,071/hd at 921 lb · 111 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $244.56/cwt +3.27 vs last sale · ≈ $1,628/hd at 666 lb · 109 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,648 1,287 1,744
Feeder cattle 1,581 1,233 1,680
Slaughter cattle 56 48 60
Replacement cattle 11 6 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs 15.00-25.00 higher, over 500 lbs 8.00-12.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 500 lbs 8.00-12.00 higher, over 500 lbs steady to 2.00 higher, Very good demand for all feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 8.00-12.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 3.00-5.00 higher, 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
270–285 fancy 278 2 340.00–385.00 $361.89 $1,006 +50.89
303–347 fancy 320 9 320.00–360.00 $342.16 $1,095 +17.91
335 335 1 285.00 $285.00 $955 -11.69
357–390 fancy 373 6 315.00–332.50 $323.36 $1,206 -6.64
402–422 411 5 271.00–281.00 $276.67 $1,137 -15.83
400–446 fancy 421 48 307.50–365.00 $335.79 $1,414 +16.74
470 470 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,363 -0.96
462–497 fancy 476 74 301.00–337.50 $332.79 $1,584 +10.21
500–538 value added 533 15 302.50–325.00 $322.55 $1,719 +21.59
535–545 540 2 262.50–282.50 $272.59 $1,472 +1.12
551–580 558 4 272.50–284.00 $275.49 $1,537 +6.75
550–599 value added 586 77 295.00–316.00 $311.80 $1,827 +17.45
600–648 value added 627 35 275.00–312.00 $298.48 $1,871 +31.20
613–648 628 11 255.00–270.00 $265.78 $1,669 +25.78
650–678 value added 664 27 277.50–301.00 $295.82 $1,964 +35.02
650–690 665 3 250.00–270.00 $258.55 $1,719 +8.55
700 700 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,698 +22.50
700–708 value added 707 11 252.00–271.00 $269.29 $1,904 +23.12
772 value added 772 14 250.00 $250.00 $1,930 +7.66
750–797 788 31 220.00–239.00 $232.50 $1,832 —
811–835 value added 812 55 237.50–247.50 $237.87 $1,932 +0.89
813–845 816 17 210.00–221.00 $214.95 $1,754 -3.85
869–873 value added 871 237 230.00–237.75 $232.35 $2,024 +1.80
921–923 value added 921 110 224.90–227.50 $225.09 $2,073 -2.91
945 945 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,833 -15.00
985 985 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,832 -14.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 205.00 $205.00 $605 —
415–440 428 2 240.00–255.00 $247.28 $1,058 —
485 485 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,273 +11.50
570 570 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,311 —
750 750 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,568 -5.00
855 855 2 187.50–206.00 $196.75 $1,682 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1195 1183 2 197.00–198.00 $197.51 $2,337 —
1290 1290 1 189.00 $189.00 $2,438 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,236 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 282.50 $282.50 $607 —
200–248 fancy 238 6 302.50–307.50 $305.63 $727 —
250–290 270 2 280.00–285.00 $282.31 $762 +52.31
285 fancy 285 2 305.00 $305.00 $869 +14.01
305–342 fancy 323 9 300.00–310.00 $305.42 $987 +5.43
345 345 1 285.00 $285.00 $983 +47.46
350–395 fancy 381 21 291.00–321.00 $310.46 $1,183 +15.62
380–395 388 2 260.00–275.00 $267.65 $1,038 +6.18
400–446 fancy 420 57 270.00–322.50 $304.57 $1,279 +20.39
420–440 428 4 242.50–267.00 $257.26 $1,101 +10.90
452–495 fancy 474 51 270.00–318.00 $285.07 $1,351 +9.90
455–495 477 13 242.50–265.00 $259.30 $1,237 +11.68
500–544 value added 532 30 252.50–276.00 $268.92 $1,431 +4.99
521–546 535 7 232.00–243.00 $240.15 $1,285 +4.84
555–585 value added 569 27 251.00–268.00 $261.12 $1,486 +3.11
560–595 575 10 230.00–249.00 $242.95 $1,397 -5.55
612–640 value added 623 22 243.00–253.00 $250.62 $1,561 +3.93
610–630 624 4 210.00–234.00 $226.49 $1,413 +2.40
658–663 value added 662 92 247.00–250.90 $250.48 $1,658 +9.19
660–687 677 9 217.00–231.00 $222.76 $1,508 —
695 695 8 201.00 $201.00 $1,397 —
702 value added 702 18 234.00 $234.00 $1,643 -0.78
700–735 718 2 206.00–225.00 $215.27 $1,546 +18.27
741 741 10 204.00 $204.00 $1,512 —
773 773 9 221.00 $221.00 $1,708 +7.37
810 value added 810 37 210.00 $210.00 $1,701 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–495 482 3 200.00–235.00 $222.27 $1,071 -10.50
555 555 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,166 —
605–640 629 4 205.00–206.00 $205.49 $1,293 -2.51
655 655 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,290 —
735 735 1 184.00 $184.00 $1,352 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 245.00 $245.00 $943 —
530–532 531 3 177.50–187.50 $184.18 $978 —
580 580 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,146 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 fancy 295 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,092 +53.00
300–335 fancy 311 4 303.00–347.50 $324.54 $1,009 —
365 365 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,058 +2.50
357–395 fancy 376 6 302.50–315.00 $309.58 $1,164 -15.42
430–440 fancy 435 2 305.00–312.50 $308.71 $1,343 +0.23
450–490 fancy 475 16 302.50–313.00 $307.64 $1,461 —
460–495 481 7 270.00–290.00 $279.48 $1,344 -8.50
500–545 fancy 522 3 277.00–297.50 $286.80 $1,497 -19.62
565–580 fancy 573 2 272.50–279.00 $275.79 $1,580 —
560–582 575 3 250.00–265.00 $254.87 $1,466 -1.85
620 620 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,302 -12.02
625–638 fancy 635 7 258.00–265.00 $262.94 $1,670 +19.18
650–665 660 3 232.50–242.00 $238.21 $1,572 —
668–680 fancy 671 4 247.00–258.00 $255.21 $1,712 —
705 fancy 705 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,692 —
775 775 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,635 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,006 +22.50
525 525 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,050 —
650 650 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,306 —
735 735 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,029 —
870 870 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,331 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1140 992 85-90% 8 91.00–104.00 $98.22 $974 —
890–1040 993 85-90% 4 83.00–88.00 $85.69 $851 —
990–1155 1059 85-90% 6 105.00–130.00 $115.40 $1,222 +26.46
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1470 1280 80-85% 10 111.00–137.50 $119.80 $1,533 +16.52
1220–1355 1288 80-85% 2 106.00–109.00 $107.42 $1,384 +4.14
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505–1940 1653 75-80% 6 118.00–133.00 $125.47 $2,074 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,400 —
1445–1920 1747 3 134.00–152.00 $142.26 $2,485 +2.26

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900–1110 1043 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 1,200.00–1,575.00 $1,281.43
950–1220 1083 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,100.00–1,450.00 $1,239.69

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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
1230–1250 1240 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,550.00–1,575.00 $1,562.60 —

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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.