Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 9, 2024

1,112 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 $226.48/cwt -8.33 vs last sale · ≈ $2,005/hd at 885 lb · 213 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $263.51/cwt +19.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,634/hd at 620 lb · 78 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $231.13/cwt +3.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,778/hd at 769 lb · 62 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,112 1,282 2,106
Feeder cattle 1,041 1,117 1,974
Slaughter cattle 65 160 116
Replacement cattle 6 5 16

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 400 lbs sharply higher, 400-700 lbs 3.00-5.00 higher, 800 lbs up steady, Feeder heifers under 700 lbs 8.00-12.00 higher, 800 lbs up steady, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-3.00 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
230 fancy 230 1 390.00 $390.00 $897 —
255 fancy 255 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,001 +46.18
350–395 fancy 380 3 375.00–395.00 $388.86 $1,478 +49.77
395 395 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,057 —
405 405 2 290.00–309.00 $299.50 $1,213 +15.38
430–440 fancy 437 8 321.00–345.00 $329.94 $1,442 +4.80
455–470 fancy 463 4 320.00–327.50 $324.89 $1,504 +8.89
450–495 469 11 302.50–314.00 $308.17 $1,445 —
500–545 532 6 265.00–287.50 $271.35 $1,444 -11.78
515–545 value added 537 20 301.00–326.00 $315.86 $1,696 +7.80
560–580 value added 570 24 295.00–315.00 $301.96 $1,721 -7.04
560–596 585 32 275.00–293.00 $284.16 $1,662 +0.84
601–635 value added 613 38 269.00–292.50 $280.16 $1,717 -5.23
651–698 677 11 239.00–260.00 $247.11 $1,673 +3.54
660–687 value added 682 27 264.00–281.00 $271.90 $1,854 +2.67
700 value added 700 9 258.00 $258.00 $1,806 +3.30
727–730 729 4 240.00–249.00 $244.49 $1,782 +10.30
760 value added 760 17 258.00 $258.00 $1,961 —
781 781 3 237.00 $237.00 $1,851 +4.00
802 value added 802 2 237.00 $237.00 $1,901 —
805 805 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,771 -4.35
874 874 60 219.50 $219.50 $1,918 -3.54
883–892 value added 890 153 226.75–229.75 $229.22 $2,040 -5.78
910 910 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,820 —
917 value added 917 57 232.50 $232.50 $2,132 +0.80
1080 value added 1080 48 207.30 $207.30 $2,239 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 2 240.00 $240.00 $984 —
553 553 5 260.00 $260.00 $1,438 +31.31
670 670 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,541 +10.00
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,351 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
202–240 fancy 221 5 327.50–342.50 $331.61 $733 -11.39
275–285 fancy 282 3 352.50–367.50 $357.38 $1,008 +44.88
292 292 2 300.00 $300.00 $876 +7.36
302–330 fancy 311 5 307.00–340.00 $319.60 $994 +14.40
340 340 1 260.00 $260.00 $884 -14.44
362–370 365 3 285.00–290.00 $286.69 $1,046 +4.03
405–442 fancy 420 12 280.00–301.00 $292.90 $1,230 +3.55
430 430 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,075 -1.90
460–496 fancy 489 11 278.00–290.00 $282.46 $1,381 -3.34
490–495 494 5 268.00–272.00 $271.21 $1,340 +7.87
505–547 535 8 235.00–250.00 $244.45 $1,308 -9.10
500–547 value added 537 33 261.00–301.00 $286.86 $1,540 +16.77
570–582 value added 576 16 261.00–278.00 $267.98 $1,544 +2.35
575–585 580 3 247.00–250.00 $248.66 $1,442 -0.81
602–620 616 13 230.00–249.00 $245.18 $1,510 +12.22
604–640 value added 621 65 252.00–279.00 $267.18 $1,659 +13.86
655–682 679 8 244.00–245.00 $244.88 $1,663 +13.34
652–693 value added 685 29 252.00–263.00 $256.01 $1,754 +14.82
709–710 value added 709 7 237.00–245.00 $238.14 $1,688 —
712–730 718 3 217.00–223.00 $219.03 $1,573 +5.00
769 value added 769 61 231.25 $231.25 $1,778 +3.22
790 790 1 224.00 $224.00 $1,770 +7.15
825 825 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,666 -1.00
860 860 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,694 -17.00
921 value added 921 47 207.75 $207.75 $1,913 —
965 965 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,978 +7.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–467 463 3 222.50–240.00 $228.23 $1,057 -1.77
505 505 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,010 -20.00
940 940 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,429 —
1060 1060 1 167.00 $167.00 $1,770 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 fancy 220 —— 2 342.50 $342.50 $754 —
252–265 fancy 256 —— 3 352.50–410.00 $390.19 $999 —
300–325 fancy 313 —— 2 322.50–395.00 $357.30 $1,118 +32.30
335 335 —— 1 292.50 $292.50 $980 —
375–395 fancy 382 —— 3 340.00–367.50 $349.49 $1,335 +16.74
405 405 —— 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,215 +6.21
412 fancy 412 —— 2 332.50 $332.50 $1,370 +10.63
450–482 471 —— 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,366 -11.85
465–480 fancy 473 —— 4 310.00–315.00 $312.46 $1,478 -8.81
503–530 513 —— 6 260.00–280.00 $273.34 $1,402 -12.61
500–542 fancy 527 —— 17 290.00–321.00 $312.40 $1,646 +5.14
555–595 575 —— 2 274.00–283.00 $278.66 $1,602 -1.62
550–595 fancy 581 —— 7 285.00–292.50 $287.06 $1,668 —
615–616 616 —— 4 245.00–250.00 $246.25 $1,517 -2.08
620–645 fancy 628 —— 3 257.50–267.50 $260.95 $1,639 -2.21
650–670 660 —— 2 235.00–238.00 $236.52 $1,561 -8.21
780 780 —— 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,778 +0.99
900 900 —— 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,737 —
955 955 —— 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,958 —
1065–1085 1075 (<2 yrs)N/A 2 191.00–193.00 $192.01 $2,064 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,368 —
600 600 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,260 —
680 680 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,462 —
725 725 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,348 —
970 970 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,727 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 180.00 $180.00 $891 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185 1185 80-85% 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,315 —
1180–1495 1333 80-85% 15 115.00–139.00 $125.51 $1,673 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925 925 85-90% 1 100.00 $100.00 $925 —
1010–1160 1084 85-90% 4 109.00–114.00 $111.88 $1,213 +15.79
1055–1155 1108 85-90% 4 118.00–127.00 $123.13 $1,364 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500 1500 75-80% 1 89.00 $89.00 $1,335 —
1520–1685 1577 75-80% 3 125.00–128.00 $126.39 $1,993 +14.34
1630 1630 75-80% 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,858 -10.42

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1845 1533 4 150.00–171.00 $157.44 $2,414 —
1375–2055 1680 4 136.00–148.00 $143.59 $2,412 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
975–1005 990 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 143.00–145.00 $143.98 $1,425

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1215 1215 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00
1455 1455 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
946 946 4 155.00 $155.00 $1,466 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 2 252.00 $252.00 $1,638 —

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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.