Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 1, 2024

1,602 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $261.30/cwt +35.77 vs last sale · ≈ $1,770/hd at 677 lb · 219 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $263.13/cwt +1.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,667/hd at 634 lb · 159 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $241.61/cwt -4.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,835/hd at 759 lb · 152 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,602 2,106 1,504
Feeder cattle 1,508 2,001 1,437
Slaughter cattle 82 85 67
Replacement cattle 12 20 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 400 lbs sharply lower, over 400 lbs 2.00-5.00 lower, Feeder heifers steady to 4.00 lower, Moderate to good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls 2.00-4.00 higher, Most price increase on the extra high dressing individuals. Good demand for all 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
210 fancy 210 1 337.50 $337.50 $709 -39.35
280 280 1 315.00 $315.00 $882 —
321 fancy 321 4 350.00 $350.00 $1,124 -7.50
350 fancy 350 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,120 —
405–425 fancy 420 4 302.50–310.00 $304.31 $1,278 —
430 430 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,161 -19.02
477–485 480 3 266.00–271.00 $267.69 $1,285 -27.92
516–537 524 8 249.00–267.50 $260.65 $1,366 -12.91
545 value added 545 7 307.00 $307.00 $1,673 +0.13
550–595 573 4 257.50–280.00 $268.31 $1,537 -10.11
610–635 value added 617 6 261.00–290.00 $273.00 $1,684 -6.00
600–645 627 6 237.50–255.00 $244.96 $1,536 +6.88
652–690 666 4 240.00–252.50 $249.02 $1,658 +9.02
681 value added 681 15 269.00–271.00 $269.80 $1,837 -8.60
700–705 702 3 225.00–246.00 $238.97 $1,678 +1.14
748 value added 748 72 278.10 $278.10 $2,080 -2.76
752 value added 752 5 255.00 $255.00 $1,918 -14.38
765 765 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,836 -3.09
806–811 value added 806 63 252.00–255.00 $252.29 $2,033 -3.91
909–929 value added 919 115 241.00–246.75 $243.87 $2,241 +1.12
945 945 8 233.50 $233.50 $2,207 +15.50
972 value added 972 58 242.00 $242.00 $2,352 +5.25
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–475 468 2 210.00–225.00 $217.38 $1,017 -54.62
500–545 527 3 227.50–240.00 $232.59 $1,226 —
555–580 568 2 240.00–242.50 $241.22 $1,370 -2.86
620–635 628 3 205.00–232.50 $222.95 $1,400 —
675 675 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,519 -5.00
972 972 2 210.00 $210.00 $2,041 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–265 262 3 300.00–302.50 $301.66 $790 —
325–337 330 6 290.00–301.00 $294.37 $971 -5.63
355 fancy 355 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,092 -4.96
350–397 385 4 295.00–300.00 $296.28 $1,141 +9.48
400 fancy 400 6 282.50 $282.50 $1,130 -10.21
410–430 423 5 257.50–277.50 $263.99 $1,117 -6.06
460–470 fancy 465 2 282.50–286.00 $284.23 $1,322 +0.57
455–495 472 13 250.00–272.50 $261.90 $1,236 -8.05
507–540 520 10 242.50–262.50 $250.69 $1,304 -1.38
523–536 value added 529 11 270.00–275.00 $271.38 $1,436 -1.22
555 value added 555 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,498 +1.37
550–587 565 17 242.50–265.00 $256.30 $1,448 +3.64
600–635 624 7 237.50–248.00 $243.94 $1,522 +13.03
626–645 value added 634 152 255.50–270.85 $264.01 $1,674 -5.87
662–684 value added 677 207 250.00–265.25 $262.90 $1,780 —
661–698 681 12 230.00–239.00 $233.75 $1,592 +8.22
700–740 720 2 231.00–232.50 $231.77 $1,669 +12.76
746 value added 746 65 243.75 $243.75 $1,818 —
751–765 value added 757 139 240.00–242.50 $242.13 $1,833 -3.80
784 784 13 236.00 $236.00 $1,850 +17.05
809–831 value added 819 129 240.00–240.75 $240.41 $1,969 —
872–885 880 5 210.00–220.00 $213.96 $1,883 +5.97
925 925 44 213.50 $213.50 $1,975 +4.56
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 260.00 $260.00 $780 —
350–365 358 2 260.00 $260.00 $931 +20.00
445 445 1 244.00 $244.00 $1,086 -4.74
460–495 487 8 240.00–247.50 $243.33 $1,185 -4.66
500–535 520 4 210.00–230.00 $222.74 $1,158 -9.76
550–590 570 5 227.50–233.00 $230.46 $1,314 -1.69
617 617 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,296 +1.93
768 768 10 218.50 $218.50 $1,678 —
810 810 1 154.00 $154.00 $1,247 -28.00
950 950 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,662 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1158 1158 3 143.00 $143.00 $1,656 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 fancy 275 1 320.00 $320.00 $880 -27.50
300–330 fancy 320 3 327.00–335.00 $329.50 $1,054 -25.69
340 340 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,046 -5.00
390 390 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,112 -16.60
415 fancy 415 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,266 -8.77
410–440 429 4 260.00–280.00 $267.88 $1,149 -22.85
460–475 468 5 249.00–260.00 $255.83 $1,197 -29.17
500–548 526 13 252.50–272.00 $262.66 $1,382 -6.24
560–575 570 3 245.00–265.00 $255.75 $1,458 -21.95
620 620 2 225.00–240.00 $232.50 $1,442 —
620 fancy 620 1 253.00 $253.00 $1,569 -21.12
680–695 685 5 222.50–237.00 $228.36 $1,564 -9.41
700 700 2 226.00–234.00 $230.00 $1,610 +6.75
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 242.50 $242.50 $606 —
430 430 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,032 -34.45
480–495 487 5 222.50–242.50 $230.99 $1,125 -23.23
536 536 3 239.00 $239.00 $1,281 —
565 565 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,342 +13.85

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1480 1237 80-85% 15 120.00–129.00 $124.84 $1,544 —
1185–1370 1265 80-85% 6 107.00–116.00 $111.57 $1,411 +1.57
965–1485 1266 80-85% 21 130.00–152.00 $135.73 $1,718 +25.73
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1025 990 85-90% 3 121.00–129.00 $124.08 $1,228 +8.38
855–1125 1014 85-90% 6 110.00–119.00 $114.40 $1,160 —
1005–1135 1070 85-90% 2 130.00–132.00 $130.94 $1,401 -0.06
960–1190 1075 85-90% 2 89.00–94.00 $91.23 $981 -39.77
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1525–1550 1535 75-80% 3 124.00–126.00 $124.66 $1,914 —
1505–1755 1641 75-80% 5 134.00–148.00 $138.40 $2,271 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235 1235 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,815 —
1925 1925 1 161.00 $161.00 $3,099 —
1855–2070 1961 5 171.00–190.00 $177.97 $3,490 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
935 935 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,496

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1075 1075 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00
1015–1520 1305 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,825.00–2,075.00 $1,983.75
1185–1540 1377 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,800.00–2,175.00 $1,992.13
1380 1380 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00
1610 1610 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,175.00 $2,175.00

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
532 532 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,343 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,152 —
618 618 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,421 —

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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
1300–1515 1408 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,425.00–2,600.00 $2,505.82 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
572 572 2 222.50 $222.50 $1,273 —
777 777 2 186.00 $186.00 $1,445 —
870 870 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,501 —

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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.