Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 20, 2024

1,643 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $248.45/cwt -0.11 vs last sale · ≈ $2,296/hd at 924 lb · 298 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $252.78/cwt +48.78 vs last sale · ≈ $2,230/hd at 882 lb · 125 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $241.22/cwt +12.22 vs last sale · ≈ $2,302/hd at 954 lb · 121 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,643 1,111 1,661
Feeder cattle 1,585 1,017 1,503
Slaughter cattle 55 74 153
Replacement cattle 3 20 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 700 lbs steady, over 700 lbs 5.00-8.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 600 lbs 8.00-12.00 higher, over 600 lbs steady, Good demand for high quality calves and very good demand for high quality yearlings. Slaughter cows 6.00-10.00 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
215 215 1 302.50 $302.50 $650 —
285 285 1 320.00 $320.00 $912 —
400–435 425 8 301.00–317.00 $306.94 $1,304 -3.41
410–445 fancy 435 4 323.00–335.00 $328.08 $1,427 -6.70
450–495 475 10 292.50–314.00 $304.78 $1,448 -4.12
493 fancy 493 6 320.00 $320.00 $1,578 —
500–535 value added 510 16 291.00–329.00 $312.94 $1,596 -17.33
521–545 531 9 272.50–286.00 $277.43 $1,473 -29.22
562–590 574 10 272.50–287.50 $280.95 $1,613 -17.56
586 value added 586 9 298.00 $298.00 $1,746 -17.41
606–640 value added 619 20 281.00–297.00 $290.28 $1,797 -16.72
631–645 635 4 260.00–262.00 $261.49 $1,660 -25.63
655–695 value added 658 33 271.00–280.00 $279.71 $1,840 —
680–698 692 8 258.00–263.00 $260.12 $1,800 -13.10
700–705 value added 701 23 260.00–280.00 $269.38 $1,888 +9.65
706 fancy 706 64 298.95 $298.95 $2,111 —
705–720 713 2 237.50–240.00 $238.76 $1,702 -9.15
756 value added 756 73 277.50 $277.50 $2,098 +27.50
750–780 765 2 237.00–240.00 $238.47 $1,824 +3.47
820 820 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,788 -12.00
808–835 value added 822 110 248.00–257.10 $254.05 $2,088 —
860–891 value added 882 120 241.00–257.00 $253.69 $2,238 —
855–893 885 5 221.00–238.00 $230.95 $2,044 +26.95
905–943 value added 924 298 235.25–255.00 $248.45 $2,296 -0.11
951–957 value added 954 120 237.00–245.75 $241.36 $2,303 —
985 985 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,216 -4.00
1017 1017 2 200.00 $200.00 $2,034 —
1013–1032 value added 1022 109 227.00–236.00 $231.50 $2,366 —
1060–1065 1063 2 213.00–217.00 $215.00 $2,285 —
1105 1105 1 219.00 $219.00 $2,420 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–445 430 3 280.00–290.00 $285.70 $1,229 -11.80
450–480 462 5 240.00–287.00 $272.21 $1,258 —
505–520 515 3 207.50–252.00 $236.37 $1,217 -38.63
555–585 576 4 232.50–257.50 $248.95 $1,434 -28.55
705 705 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,551 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 180.00 $180.00 $783 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 290.00 $290.00 $914 —
350–382 368 7 267.50–295.00 $281.64 $1,036 -8.36
360–395 fancy 374 5 300.00–330.00 $313.86 $1,174 —
410–445 fancy 425 5 299.00–325.00 $308.39 $1,311 +8.39
430 430 1 253.00 $253.00 $1,088 -25.32
450–497 476 11 264.00–278.00 $272.65 $1,298 +6.59
470–490 fancy 483 3 282.00–295.00 $286.21 $1,382 +6.64
530–535 533 2 251.00–260.00 $255.48 $1,362 -11.25
512–549 value added 534 15 281.00–293.00 $289.40 $1,545 +8.39
550–570 560 2 254.00–261.00 $257.44 $1,442 -12.32
550–570 value added 561 4 271.00–289.00 $279.26 $1,567 +0.26
603–625 value added 612 13 250.00–261.00 $258.41 $1,581 -1.34
626–640 634 8 245.00–248.00 $246.64 $1,564 +4.17
668–677 value added 669 80 254.00–270.50 $269.25 $1,801 —
655–686 685 22 229.00–247.00 $246.22 $1,687 +2.67
700 700 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,540 +0.09
750 750 6 220.00 $220.00 $1,650 —
822 822 4 209.00 $209.00 $1,718 —
856 856 3 223.00 $223.00 $1,909 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–395 385 2 212.50–242.50 $227.89 $877 -52.11
415–447 434 4 220.00–257.50 $241.73 $1,049 —
480 480 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,157 -9.00
560 560 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,344 -11.00
625–635 632 3 185.00–210.00 $201.75 $1,275 -16.61
785 785 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,452 —
817 817 2 182.50 $182.50 $1,491 —
855 855 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,197 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
212–220 215 3 282.50–290.00 $285.06 $613 -39.94
255 fancy 255 2 350.00 $350.00 $892 -11.17
320 320 1 319.00 $319.00 $1,021 -31.00
385–395 390 2 302.50–303.00 $302.75 $1,181 -27.28
400–435 422 3 280.00–302.50 $293.91 $1,240 -9.80
427–445 fancy 429 12 315.00–319.00 $318.65 $1,367 -11.35
455–494 482 8 282.00–302.50 $294.06 $1,417 +5.78
500–535 fancy 525 20 285.00–297.00 $288.07 $1,512 -13.92
510–540 530 4 260.00–272.50 $263.15 $1,395 -29.82
550–570 fancy 560 11 284.00–299.00 $290.12 $1,625 —
550–595 581 5 265.00–280.00 $273.98 $1,592 -7.63
612 fancy 612 2 279.00 $279.00 $1,707 -6.00
630 630 2 250.00–253.00 $251.50 $1,584 -18.57
705 fancy 705 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,762 -12.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
273 273 3 240.00 $240.00 $655 -72.50
450–485 461 7 225.00–272.00 $252.34 $1,163 -40.16
510 510 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,148 —
575 575 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,452 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1470 1278 80-85% 16 131.00–164.00 $149.32 $1,908 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500–1735 1594 75-80% 6 139.00–163.00 $150.82 $2,404 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1065 1043 85-90% 5 129.00–148.00 $135.49 $1,413 +4.75

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1675 1538 3 159.00–166.00 $163.69 $2,518 —
1280–2060 1793 10 174.00–194.00 $180.01 $3,228 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
990 990 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,832

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1235 1235 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,950.00 $1,950.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1015 1015 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
942 value added 942 60 197.75 $197.75 $1,863 —
1053 value added 1053 55 193.75 $193.75 $2,040 —

↑ Back to top

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.