Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 15, 2024

1,465 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $240.36/cwt +3.29 vs last sale · ≈ $1,764/hd at 734 lb · 209 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $255.46/cwt ≈ $2,020/hd at 791 lb · 133 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $250.34/cwt +3.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,592/hd at 636 lb · 100 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,465 1,684 2,077
Feeder cattle 1,391 1,587 1,964
Slaughter cattle 70 93 111
Replacement cattle 4 4 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers and heifers 4.00-6.00 higher, Good demand with considerably more buyer activity this week. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 higher, 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
282–285 fancy 283 8 337.50–347.50 $340.33 $963 —
400 400 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,080 —
442 fancy 442 2 307.50 $307.50 $1,359 —
467 467 6 270.00 $270.00 $1,261 -15.00
450–485 fancy 476 11 300.00–312.50 $309.84 $1,475 —
513–535 value added 517 11 295.00–307.50 $301.81 $1,560 +11.81
523–540 525 10 270.00–279.00 $271.42 $1,425 -9.54
555–598 591 19 266.00–280.00 $268.74 $1,588 +13.10
615 value added 615 13 269.00–272.50 $269.96 $1,660 —
615–640 627 3 240.00–253.00 $247.58 $1,552 -0.85
671 value added 671 64 288.75 $288.75 $1,938 —
680–690 685 2 230.00–233.00 $231.51 $1,586 -13.49
703 value added 703 9 261.00 $261.00 $1,835 -1.52
715–745 723 4 231.00–238.00 $236.20 $1,708 -4.52
755–780 768 2 230.00–243.00 $236.61 $1,817 —
791 value added 791 131 255.75 $255.75 $2,023 —
825 825 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,815 -5.62
849 value added 849 60 248.50 $248.50 $2,110 —
859–873 value added 869 87 238.50–249.10 $245.85 $2,136 +3.85
855–885 870 2 215.00–217.00 $216.02 $1,879 —
925 925 3 207.00 $207.00 $1,915 -0.19
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,138 -11.00
517 517 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,241 +15.00
575–595 580 7 210.00–245.00 $228.45 $1,325 -6.55
635 635 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,349 +30.00
700 700 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,561 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 fancy 205 1 337.50 $337.50 $692 —
230 230 1 290.00 $290.00 $667 —
290–297 295 3 272.50–295.00 $279.88 $826 -3.61
300–310 307 3 272.50–285.00 $277.42 $852 +4.24
350–390 362 10 262.50–272.50 $265.79 $962 +10.94
385–390 fancy 388 2 290.00–297.50 $293.77 $1,140 —
400–425 fancy 409 5 282.50–297.50 $289.12 $1,183 -13.38
400–448 418 12 255.00–279.00 $271.76 $1,136 +7.40
455–497 fancy 468 17 282.50–285.00 $284.57 $1,332 —
456–496 479 20 260.00–277.50 $273.74 $1,311 +23.01
500–543 value added 514 29 265.00–280.00 $273.41 $1,405 —
506–540 517 6 242.50–260.00 $250.41 $1,295 +4.92
557–595 572 38 240.00–263.00 $255.51 $1,462 +15.81
610–645 627 18 225.00–242.50 $234.83 $1,472 +7.23
600–638 value added 638 82 252.50–253.75 $253.74 $1,619 +2.63
665–692 690 63 220.00–233.00 $230.41 $1,590 +3.83
712 712 2 214.00 $214.00 $1,524 -7.30
725–741 value added 734 207 237.00–245.00 $240.61 $1,766 +2.34
790–799 value added 799 66 236.75–241.00 $236.88 $1,893 —
822–835 825 5 189.00–192.00 $191.39 $1,579 -8.60
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 242.50 $242.50 $618 —
330 330 2 257.50 $257.50 $850 +16.50
370 370 1 247.50 $247.50 $916 +15.00
425–430 428 2 232.50–242.50 $237.53 $1,017 +7.07
460–495 487 11 228.00–250.00 $236.10 $1,150 +9.59
520–545 533 2 220.00–235.00 $227.32 $1,212 -2.02
555–580 568 3 212.50–235.00 $226.53 $1,287 +9.67
670–690 680 3 191.00–217.50 $200.34 $1,362 +5.64
710 710 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,356 +7.07
770 770 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,636 +31.50
820 820 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,468 +9.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 fancy 270 1 315.00 $315.00 $850 -23.02
315 fancy 315 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,008 +5.85
350 fancy 350 6 335.00 $335.00 $1,172 +22.50
355–392 376 6 285.00–300.00 $293.09 $1,102 -1.59
420–440 434 8 270.00–292.50 $279.40 $1,213 -3.54
435 fancy 435 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,348 —
450–480 465 2 291.00–295.00 $293.06 $1,363 +16.02
455–490 fancy 471 4 300.00–305.00 $302.49 $1,425 —
505–545 529 5 267.50–272.50 $270.59 $1,431 -5.00
530–535 fancy 533 2 292.50–302.50 $297.48 $1,586 —
550–585 567 5 255.00–262.50 $259.94 $1,474 -9.34
600–635 620 14 225.00–246.00 $235.36 $1,459 -11.09
690 690 4 225.00–235.00 $228.75 $1,578 -8.72
700–716 712 4 225.00–237.50 $228.07 $1,624 +9.47
815 815 1 211.00 $211.00 $1,720 +12.00
925 925 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,730 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–490 470 5 220.00–260.00 $244.15 $1,148 -10.85
515–545 526 5 210.00–245.00 $219.31 $1,154 -18.14
565–595 581 10 202.50–247.50 $227.69 $1,323 -4.34
628 628 4 213.00 $213.00 $1,338 -9.50
675–680 677 3 210.00–212.50 $210.84 $1,427 -4.53
785 785 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,550 —
805 805 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,489 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,249 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1455 1273 80-85% 20 131.00–155.00 $140.66 $1,791 —
1305 1305 80-85% 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,396 —
1270–1445 1358 80-85% 2 123.00–128.00 $125.34 $1,702 +7.34
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1160 1021 85-90% 5 131.00–145.00 $135.34 $1,382 —
965–1180 1080 85-90% 4 122.00–127.00 $124.53 $1,345 +27.56
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1740 1573 75-80% 6 140.00–151.00 $143.82 $2,262 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1775 1506 5 161.00–165.00 $163.00 $2,455 +23.00
1200–1815 1583 3 168.00–176.00 $172.32 $2,728 +15.29

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910–990 950 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,575.00–1,700.00 $1,634.87
1460 1460 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,125.00 $2,125.00

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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
1340 1340 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,425.00 $2,425.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1366 value added 1366 40 170.50 $170.50 $2,329 —

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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.