Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 18, 2024

2,018 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $239.93/cwt -3.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,882/hd at 784 lb · 212 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $259.15/cwt +2.19 vs last sale · ≈ $2,025/hd at 781 lb · 192 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $253.99/cwt +9.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,698/hd at 669 lb · 137 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,018 2,404 1,880
Feeder cattle 1,922 2,277 1,789
Slaughter cattle 93 127 91
Replacement cattle 3 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers mostly steady, Feeder heifers steady to 3.00 higher, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and 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
295 fancy 295 1 335.00 $335.00 $988 -40.00
350–380 fancy 370 3 317.00–331.00 $325.89 $1,206 +3.39
380 380 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,064 -32.50
415–436 fancy 428 5 337.50–340.00 $339.03 $1,451 -0.91
440 440 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,265 -23.56
450–495 467 8 286.00–307.50 $300.42 $1,403 -1.07
450–495 fancy 485 13 317.00–324.00 $321.40 $1,559 -1.08
500–534 519 11 271.00–282.50 $275.83 $1,432 -6.67
500–545 value added 527 77 302.50–322.50 $311.60 $1,642 +11.62
565 value added 565 7 299.00 $299.00 $1,689 +9.75
550–598 587 29 268.00–289.00 $274.81 $1,613 -6.15
600–625 value added 609 34 273.00–289.00 $283.75 $1,728 -10.68
621–635 626 6 250.00 $250.00 $1,565 -2.38
650–695 675 11 250.00–268.00 $262.46 $1,772 +2.60
660–686 value added 678 11 280.00–293.00 $285.94 $1,939 -1.13
700–745 723 2 240.00–242.00 $240.97 $1,742 -0.25
700–741 value added 725 121 251.00–285.00 $281.05 $2,038 +3.76
762 762 4 246.00 $246.00 $1,875 +2.67
773 773 49 245.00 $245.00 $1,894 +1.67
771–799 value added 785 139 259.25–270.50 $264.51 $2,076 +4.51
800–810 value added 809 73 245.00–264.00 $262.46 $2,123 +4.04
815–825 820 2 221.00–241.00 $230.94 $1,894 +0.53
872 872 2 222.00 $222.00 $1,936 —
852–889 value added 885 126 241.75–249.50 $245.94 $2,177 -9.02
916 916 3 239.00 $239.00 $2,189 +8.00
915–933 value added 924 117 244.25–251.50 $247.99 $2,291 -5.26
1008–1037 value added 1025 139 224.50–239.75 $234.37 $2,402 —
1057 1057 2 219.00 $219.00 $2,315 +15.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–480 475 3 252.50–273.00 $266.31 $1,265 -7.96
505 505 2 242.50 $242.50 $1,225 -10.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1210 1175 2 181.00–205.00 $192.64 $2,264 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 fancy 235 1 335.00 $335.00 $787 +35.00
265 fancy 265 1 330.00 $330.00 $874 —
270 270 1 270.00 $270.00 $729 +4.04
310 fancy 310 1 305.00 $305.00 $946 -16.93
315–330 323 3 270.00–295.00 $285.68 $923 +2.35
350–390 368 5 262.50–281.00 $274.79 $1,011 -13.10
375–395 fancy 386 7 309.00–320.00 $314.67 $1,215 -1.58
405–447 fancy 428 14 296.00–320.00 $310.11 $1,327 +2.20
450–488 fancy 479 32 280.00–312.50 $287.54 $1,377 -1.43
480–495 490 4 275.00–277.50 $276.89 $1,357 +13.73
500–540 521 9 245.00–268.00 $254.93 $1,328 -8.47
500–547 value added 525 31 269.00–279.00 $274.97 $1,444 +2.00
557–590 576 12 250.00–267.50 $258.60 $1,490 -1.25
582 value added 582 10 270.00 $270.00 $1,571 -15.00
610–637 value added 624 35 259.50–260.50 $260.03 $1,623 +13.56
600–645 631 14 230.00–244.00 $240.18 $1,516 +5.10
657–690 664 11 226.00–247.00 $240.80 $1,599 +10.00
662–674 value added 669 126 252.75–259.00 $255.14 $1,707 +8.76
708–709 value added 709 16 239.00–240.00 $239.75 $1,700 -2.25
766 766 8 228.00 $228.00 $1,746 -5.00
780–787 value added 785 204 237.50–241.90 $240.40 $1,887 -3.76
804–813 value added 809 132 237.75–240.80 $239.28 $1,936 —
810 810 2 219.00 $219.00 $1,774 +13.90
960 960 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,992 +14.27
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 240.00 $240.00 $516 —
322–335 326 3 225.00–240.00 $234.87 $766 —
365 365 1 230.00 $230.00 $840 +38.56
457 457 2 249.00 $249.00 $1,138 +14.61
520–525 523 2 220.00–225.00 $222.51 $1,164 —
580 580 3 235.00–240.00 $238.33 $1,382 +15.22
670–697 684 6 185.00–220.00 $207.93 $1,422 +5.48
700–735 718 2 214.00–217.00 $215.46 $1,547 +30.03
780–795 790 5 190.00–201.00 $195.61 $1,545 -2.45
945 945 3 187.00 $187.00 $1,767 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1115 1075 2 190.00–210.00 $199.63 $2,146 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 fancy 250 1 360.00 $360.00 $900 —
325 325 1 300.00 $300.00 $975 +4.25
325 fancy 325 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,072 —
370 370 1 297.50 $297.50 $1,101 -10.08
350–390 fancy 372 3 320.00–323.00 $321.05 $1,194 —
420–430 425 2 270.00–290.00 $279.88 $1,189 -16.96
425–442 fancy 436 3 313.00–332.50 $326.17 $1,422 +0.72
475–496 492 9 285.00–303.00 $293.04 $1,442 -0.53
500–537 fancy 524 7 290.00–315.00 $298.78 $1,566 +5.39
505–545 525 14 262.50–287.50 $281.38 $1,477 +2.25
560–585 fancy 568 3 292.50–302.50 $295.78 $1,680 —
555–582 577 7 261.00–287.50 $269.84 $1,557 -6.00
600–640 fancy 613 4 252.00–276.00 $261.94 $1,606 +4.77
625–645 632 6 230.00–250.00 $236.91 $1,497 -0.92
650–675 661 5 240.00–251.00 $244.76 $1,618 +7.86
707–745 720 11 225.00–241.00 $234.47 $1,688 -1.00
750 750 1 227.00 $227.00 $1,702 +2.00
800–835 825 6 212.50–238.00 $226.71 $1,870 +4.18
910–930 920 2 190.00–211.00 $200.61 $1,846 —
1042 1042 2 200.00 $200.00 $2,084 +13.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 267.50 $267.50 $923 —
380 380 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,026 —
475 475 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,057 -39.01
500–515 508 3 245.00–260.00 $252.43 $1,282 +3.35
597–598 598 5 258.00–259.00 $258.40 $1,545 +15.24
600–630 615 2 210.00–227.50 $218.96 $1,347 —
945 945 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,701 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1475 1288 80-85% 19 130.00–161.00 $139.60 $1,798 +39.60
1240–1335 1300 80-85% 3 121.00–129.00 $125.09 $1,626 -15.12
1445 1445 80-85% 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,647 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–945 920 85-90% 2 123.00–125.00 $124.03 $1,141 —
995 995 85-90% 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,005 -24.15
755–1155 1003 85-90% 12 104.00–117.50 $112.08 $1,124 —
890–1105 1032 85-90% 3 130.00–145.00 $136.09 $1,404 -0.83
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515–1645 1551 75-80% 5 136.00–148.00 $142.17 $2,205 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1890 1537 12 156.00–168.00 $163.16 $2,508 —
1150–1975 1642 7 171.00–192.50 $178.79 $2,936 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
835–1010 920 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 146.00–163.00 $156.03 $1,435

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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.