Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 28, 2024

1,375 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $242.01/cwt +4.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,978/hd at 817 lb · 139 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $231.14/cwt -0.04 vs last sale · ≈ $2,138/hd at 925 lb · 98 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $322.99/cwt -8.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,697/hd at 525 lb · 72 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,375 2,022 2,528
Feeder cattle 1,276 1,915 2,392
Slaughter cattle 97 104 132
Replacement cattle 2 3 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers and heifers 2.00-4.00 lower, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and 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
215–240 fancy 228 2 335.00–347.50 $340.91 $777 —
305–335 fancy 317 3 312.50–330.00 $323.41 $1,025 -15.70
325 325 1 276.00 $276.00 $897 -46.53
377–380 fancy 378 3 312.00–320.00 $317.32 $1,199 -29.77
380–395 387 6 290.00–300.00 $298.30 $1,154 -8.58
405–445 fancy 431 13 309.00–347.50 $323.10 $1,393 +5.80
435 435 2 285.00–300.00 $292.50 $1,272 —
456–490 465 9 273.00–291.00 $285.41 $1,327 +0.46
455–497 fancy 469 22 310.00–342.50 $323.10 $1,515 -13.11
506–516 fancy 514 30 342.50–346.00 $345.31 $1,775 —
503–543 531 16 278.00–296.00 $291.15 $1,546 +19.91
510–546 value added 535 26 300.00–327.50 $316.82 $1,695 -18.15
550–580 value added 575 6 310.00–333.00 $313.67 $1,804 +7.31
560–587 582 12 271.00–297.50 $290.62 $1,691 +25.56
600–615 610 6 247.00–269.00 $258.94 $1,580 -0.03
601–647 value added 632 61 271.00–312.50 $294.54 $1,861 -6.15
650–683 value added 658 39 276.00–285.50 $282.97 $1,862 +9.64
665–685 675 2 248.00–270.00 $258.84 $1,747 +0.60
717–748 value added 739 27 257.00–260.00 $259.14 $1,915 -6.56
735–743 740 6 231.00–242.00 $234.64 $1,736 -4.65
755–780 761 39 241.00–246.00 $245.61 $1,869 +11.95
802–835 value added 817 138 235.50–248.00 $242.10 $1,978 +3.60
845 845 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,944 +5.00
858–865 859 8 220.00–231.00 $229.62 $1,972 +16.62
891 value added 891 57 235.25 $235.25 $2,096 -6.23
905–930 918 2 221.00–225.00 $222.97 $2,047 +7.97
909–932 value added 925 96 227.25–233.50 $231.31 $2,140 -0.19
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 250.00 $250.00 $962 —
400–445 428 3 252.50–260.00 $254.83 $1,091 —
470 470 2 260.00–265.00 $262.50 $1,234 —
535 535 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,257 -20.00
570–597 588 6 240.00–260.00 $248.01 $1,458 -1.93
607 607 2 239.00 $239.00 $1,451 +8.00
795 795 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,670 —
821 821 4 199.00 $199.00 $1,634 —
870–872 871 3 210.00–211.00 $210.33 $1,832 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1230 1125 2 186.00–188.00 $186.91 $2,103 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 280.00 $280.00 $560 —
230 fancy 230 1 332.50 $332.50 $765 —
293–295 fancy 294 4 305.00–337.50 $313.17 $921 —
295 295 1 280.00 $280.00 $826 —
320–340 fancy 331 12 290.00–320.00 $316.02 $1,046 +4.97
350–360 357 6 280.00–285.00 $281.64 $1,005 -1.31
377–398 fancy 390 8 297.50–307.50 $301.03 $1,174 -8.30
402–440 fancy 423 10 281.00–300.00 $289.96 $1,227 -0.67
415–435 426 7 265.00–277.00 $270.26 $1,151 +13.15
455–495 478 24 250.00–273.00 $264.26 $1,263 +19.29
500–545 519 12 230.00–248.00 $241.84 $1,255 -2.91
505–545 value added 521 47 255.00–263.00 $259.16 $1,350 -5.48
555–598 570 22 231.00–248.00 $241.72 $1,378 +0.26
582 value added 582 5 257.00 $257.00 $1,496 -7.29
604–633 value added 621 32 242.00–255.00 $248.60 $1,544 -6.76
600–640 622 8 220.00–239.00 $227.55 $1,415 -5.00
656–690 value added 669 29 240.00–250.00 $248.37 $1,662 -6.79
660–690 677 5 221.00–237.00 $227.24 $1,538 -1.15
712–720 value added 713 21 229.00–236.00 $235.09 $1,676 +3.71
720–745 737 3 195.00–210.00 $200.06 $1,474 -21.49
754–755 754 28 203.00–215.00 $208.58 $1,573 -20.42
772–790 value added 779 17 230.00–233.00 $231.41 $1,803 -8.99
815–825 823 6 190.00–206.00 $200.00 $1,646 —
922 922 5 210.00 $210.00 $1,936 —
960 960 2 182.00 $182.00 $1,747 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 250.00 $250.00 $712 —
385 385 1 210.00 $210.00 $808 -19.81
470–490 479 4 236.00–245.00 $240.22 $1,151 +12.65
515 515 2 214.00 $214.00 $1,102 -6.00
575 575 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,294 +8.98
600–630 615 2 200.00–210.00 $205.12 $1,261 —
660–685 675 5 173.00–210.00 $185.93 $1,255 -15.07
715–730 723 2 180.00–187.50 $183.71 $1,328 -2.14

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 295.00 $295.00 $796 —
350–390 fancy 366 5 310.00 $310.00 $1,135 -18.12
411–421 fancy 415 8 302.50–327.50 $323.43 $1,342 +1.34
420–422 421 3 285.00–290.00 $288.34 $1,214 -1.68
475–495 483 3 273.00–295.00 $281.74 $1,361 -9.02
490 fancy 490 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,629 -1.41
500–535 fancy 516 6 292.50–320.00 $302.08 $1,559 -26.64
560–580 568 4 270.00–280.00 $274.96 $1,562 +13.53
555–580 fancy 572 3 282.50–284.00 $282.99 $1,619 -2.42
615–645 fancy 627 3 254.00–265.00 $259.58 $1,628 -9.28
650 650 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,566 -3.76
660–670 fancy 668 4 251.00–258.00 $256.27 $1,712 —
775 775 2 222.00 $222.00 $1,720 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,123 —
950 950 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,425 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1490 1297 80-85% 5 101.00–116.00 $108.78 $1,411 -18.53
1190–1475 1321 80-85% 19 119.00–144.00 $130.56 $1,725 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–970 933 85-90% 2 97.00–98.00 $97.48 $909 —
985–1045 1015 85-90% 2 75.00–87.00 $80.82 $820 -5.73
975–1145 1049 85-90% 5 109.00–112.50 $110.71 $1,161 +24.16
955–1175 1101 85-90% 12 120.00–135.00 $126.05 $1,388 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1625 1528 75-80% 4 120.00–137.00 $130.52 $1,994 —
1605 1605 75-80% 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,701 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1535–2265 1829 5 142.00–173.00 $159.09 $2,910 +12.40

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
985 985 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00

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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
1125 1125 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1013 value added 1013 52 184.90 $184.90 $1,873 —

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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.