Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 14, 2024

2,017 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $239.59/cwt +16.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,726/hd at 720 lb · 187 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $247.78/cwt +0.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,539/hd at 621 lb · 147 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $261.47/cwt +5.27 vs last sale · ≈ $1,492/hd at 570 lb · 113 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,017 1,648 1,563
Feeder cattle 1,919 1,581 1,405
Slaughter cattle 98 56 158
Replacement cattle — 11 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 600 lbs 4.00-8.00 higher, over 600 lbs steady to 3.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 600 lbs steady, over 600 lbs 2.00-4.00 higher, Good to very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 4.00-6.00 higher, 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
230–248 fancy 244 4 327.50–345.00 $331.63 $809 —
305–340 fancy 320 5 327.50–367.50 $344.78 $1,103 +2.62
385–395 fancy 390 2 327.50–340.00 $333.83 $1,302 +10.47
400–445 422 9 300.00–317.50 $309.79 $1,307 +33.12
401–440 fancy 424 16 322.50–372.50 $350.21 $1,485 +14.42
450–485 467 5 301.00–312.50 $304.37 $1,421 +14.37
450–495 fancy 470 21 320.00–352.50 $330.63 $1,554 -2.16
505–545 value added 517 67 300.00–350.00 $342.24 $1,769 +19.69
520 520 1 262.00 $262.00 $1,362 -10.59
555–595 572 9 262.50–288.00 $274.78 $1,572 -0.71
557–595 value added 575 44 290.00–324.00 $304.65 $1,752 -7.15
600 600 4 252.50 $252.50 $1,515 -13.28
605–649 value added 630 33 260.00–309.00 $283.09 $1,783 -15.39
652–697 value added 668 92 260.00–299.00 $285.01 $1,904 -10.81
660–690 672 5 237.50–257.50 $246.64 $1,657 -11.91
705–715 710 3 228.00–239.00 $234.02 $1,662 -8.48
712–747 value added 727 14 245.00–264.00 $254.54 $1,851 -14.75
767–796 value added 786 94 245.00–259.00 $250.60 $1,970 +0.60
780–793 788 12 225.00–243.00 $235.23 $1,854 +2.73
811–845 value added 822 8 242.00–248.00 $243.75 $2,004 +5.88
800–848 830 8 223.00–232.00 $225.67 $1,873 +10.72
857–884 870 11 214.00–225.00 $219.15 $1,907 —
853–896 value added 892 66 239.00–250.00 $240.15 $2,142 +7.80
915–935 925 2 218.00–220.00 $219.01 $2,026 +25.01
974 974 6 208.00 $208.00 $2,026 +22.00
1001–1025 1005 9 205.00–217.00 $214.53 $2,156 —
1146 1146 24 196.50 $196.50 $2,252 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–445 433 2 243.00–277.50 $260.75 $1,129 +13.47
455–490 473 2 280.00–285.00 $282.59 $1,337 +20.09
545 545 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,322 —
645 645 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,290 —
750 750 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,650 +11.00
890 890 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,780 +3.25
1005 1005 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,809 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,213 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 fancy 220 1 297.50 $297.50 $654 -8.13
245 245 1 272.50 $272.50 $668 -10.00
260–285 fancy 273 3 295.00–307.50 $300.06 $819 -4.94
275–290 280 3 260.00–275.00 $265.95 $745 -16.36
305 305 1 263.00 $263.00 $802 —
310–346 fancy 340 26 285.00–315.00 $304.85 $1,036 -0.57
350–398 fancy 373 16 285.00–313.00 $293.61 $1,095 -16.85
390–395 393 2 250.00–277.50 $263.66 $1,036 -3.99
400–445 fancy 424 26 270.00–307.50 $281.82 $1,195 -22.75
405–445 430 20 245.00–267.50 $254.34 $1,094 -2.92
450–498 fancy 481 41 267.00–278.00 $271.43 $1,306 -13.64
462–498 487 32 242.50–265.00 $260.05 $1,266 +0.75
500–545 value added 521 28 250.00–263.00 $256.68 $1,337 -12.24
520–530 526 4 232.50–247.00 $242.38 $1,275 +2.23
550–594 value added 570 105 251.00–267.00 $263.19 $1,500 +2.07
560–595 577 8 230.00–249.00 $238.96 $1,379 -3.99
600–645 621 10 220.00–235.00 $231.21 $1,436 +4.72
600–645 value added 621 137 240.00–260.00 $248.99 $1,546 -1.63
650–685 672 15 218.00–236.00 $225.85 $1,518 +3.09
655–690 value added 680 37 238.00–248.00 $246.25 $1,674 -4.23
708–740 value added 719 173 230.00–248.70 $241.06 $1,733 +7.06
701–749 737 14 215.00–226.00 $221.44 $1,632 +17.44
756–793 772 29 209.00–228.00 $219.36 $1,693 -1.64
836 836 4 201.00 $201.00 $1,680 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 2 222.50–235.00 $228.75 $709 —
360–397 379 4 225.00–240.00 $234.06 $887 —
440 440 1 222.50 $222.50 $979 —
491 491 3 239.00 $239.00 $1,173 +16.73
560 560 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,232 +10.00
690 690 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,380 +3.00
720–745 737 5 177.50–207.00 $199.93 $1,473 +15.93
755–775 765 3 200.00–205.00 $203.36 $1,556 —
888 888 5 180.00 $180.00 $1,598 —
920 920 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,141 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1225 1195 2 130.00–142.00 $136.15 $1,627 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–285 fancy 280 2 322.50–375.00 $349.22 $978 -20.78
290 290 1 307.50 $307.50 $892 —
320 fancy 320 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,120 +25.46
365 365 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,040 -5.00
350–398 fancy 376 15 310.00–339.00 $323.66 $1,217 +14.08
405–435 421 6 290.00–295.00 $291.66 $1,228 —
400–437 fancy 428 12 311.00–340.00 $319.66 $1,368 +10.95
450–485 460 13 285.00–302.50 $297.36 $1,368 +17.88
456–495 fancy 476 9 310.00–330.00 $321.82 $1,532 +14.18
500–545 511 8 270.00–282.50 $280.50 $1,433 —
500–537 fancy 522 6 292.50–322.50 $304.81 $1,591 +18.01
558–585 563 9 265.00–280.00 $276.42 $1,556 +21.55
550–580 fancy 566 4 290.00–307.50 $296.09 $1,676 +20.30
612–635 fancy 621 7 272.50–280.00 $274.82 $1,707 +11.88
605–635 622 3 232.50–260.00 $247.73 $1,541 +37.73
655–660 fancy 659 6 267.50–268.00 $267.92 $1,766 +12.71
650–695 673 2 240.00–250.00 $244.83 $1,648 +6.62
720 720 1 234.00 $234.00 $1,685 —
763–795 769 5 227.50–232.00 $231.07 $1,777 +20.07
800–805 803 2 209.00–213.00 $211.01 $1,694 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–290 270 2 255.00–262.50 $259.03 $699 —
325 325 1 240.00 $240.00 $780 —
450 450 1 202.50 $202.50 $911 —
700 700 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,260 +40.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1445 1283 80-85% 23 110.00–138.00 $127.27 $1,633 +7.47
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1165 1003 85-90% 8 95.00–110.00 $103.22 $1,035 —
905–1155 1080 85-90% 8 115.00–142.50 $126.59 $1,367 +11.19
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1460–1630 1541 75-80% 8 115.00–142.00 $128.92 $1,987 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255 1255 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,632 —
1120–1995 1568 8 134.00–152.00 $143.34 $2,248 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,031 —
600 600 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,095 —
877 value added 877 58 193.00 $193.00 $1,693 —

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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.