Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 22, 2024

1,246 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 steers $264.39/cwt +11.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,912/hd at 723 lb · 201 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $229.38/cwt +22.38 vs last sale · ≈ $2,129/hd at 928 lb · 177 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $234.21/cwt -10.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,094/hd at 894 lb · 119 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,246 1,465 173
Feeder cattle 1,116 1,391 136
Slaughter cattle 124 70 36
Replacement cattle 6 4 1

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers 6.00-8.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers 5.00-8.00 lower, Moderate to good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 8.00-10.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 5.00-8.00 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
200 fancy 200 2 322.50 $322.50 $645 —
395 395 2 270.00–287.50 $278.75 $1,101 —
454–488 477 16 281.00–282.00 $281.70 $1,344 +11.70
515 value added 515 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,494 -11.81
502–548 533 9 265.00–280.00 $274.85 $1,465 +3.43
555–590 570 4 262.50–276.00 $270.80 $1,544 +2.06
614–622 value added 614 43 265.00–270.50 $270.11 $1,658 +0.15
675 value added 675 1 270.50 $270.50 $1,826 -18.25
705–740 value added 723 198 252.50–268.60 $264.71 $1,914 +3.71
731 731 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,776 +6.80
750 750 2 232.50 $232.50 $1,744 -4.11
781–785 value added 781 71 247.75–269.00 $249.25 $1,947 -6.50
823–840 827 4 225.00–230.00 $228.73 $1,892 +8.73
894–895 value added 894 119 230.75–237.50 $234.21 $2,094 -11.64
916–943 value added 928 177 227.25–230.90 $229.38 $2,129 —
985 985 1 211.00 $211.00 $2,078 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,421 —
805 805 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,296 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280 1280 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,304 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–280 275 2 262.50–282.50 $272.68 $750 -7.20
325–345 335 2 240.00–247.50 $243.64 $816 -33.78
385–395 393 5 240.00–257.50 $251.56 $989 -14.23
405–443 426 10 230.00–247.50 $237.70 $1,013 -34.06
445 fancy 445 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,268 —
450–490 471 23 230.00–252.50 $239.88 $1,130 -33.86
500–547 521 28 232.50–257.50 $243.65 $1,269 -6.76
560–580 569 8 235.00–245.00 $241.03 $1,371 -14.48
614 value added 614 24 242.00 $242.00 $1,486 -11.74
605–642 626 8 220.00–227.50 $221.82 $1,389 -13.01
665–692 676 18 230.00–233.00 $231.20 $1,563 +0.79
760–769 764 11 215.00–221.00 $217.74 $1,664 —
867 867 2 194.00 $194.00 $1,682 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 2 222.50–231.00 $226.75 $692 -30.75
362–375 367 5 227.50–235.00 $233.47 $857 -14.03
405 405 1 230.00 $230.00 $932 -7.53
468–475 470 4 210.00–220.00 $212.53 $999 -23.57
525–540 529 9 210.00–225.00 $221.87 $1,174 -5.45
580–582 581 3 222.50–223.00 $222.83 $1,295 -3.70
605–635 622 10 206.00–214.00 $211.16 $1,313 —
667–695 682 5 185.00–195.00 $189.97 $1,296 -10.37
710 710 2 172.00–185.00 $178.50 $1,267 -12.50
797 797 2 174.00 $174.00 $1,387 -38.50
820 820 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,345 -15.00
945 945 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,531 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 fancy 305 1 312.50 $312.50 $953 -7.50
315 315 1 287.50 $287.50 $906 —
355 fancy 355 3 307.50 $307.50 $1,092 -27.50
375–392 385 5 270.00–287.00 $278.88 $1,074 -14.21
420–430 423 3 265.00–280.00 $270.08 $1,142 -9.32
472–497 487 7 270.00–280.00 $274.28 $1,336 -18.78
500–545 511 7 267.50–280.00 $273.78 $1,399 +3.19
550–580 558 7 252.50–281.00 $263.78 $1,472 +3.84
600–605 603 4 230.00–250.00 $236.49 $1,426 +1.13
655–690 674 6 222.50–238.00 $228.39 $1,539 -0.36
720–730 725 2 208.00–215.00 $211.48 $1,533 -16.59
770–791 786 4 197.50–209.00 $206.18 $1,621 —
805 805 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,473 -28.00
945 945 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,758 -1.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–385 370 2 230.00–252.50 $240.79 $891 —
510 510 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,275 +30.69
560–595 590 11 210.00–245.00 $217.14 $1,281 -10.55
615–625 620 2 206.00–215.00 $210.46 $1,305 -2.54
755 755 1 152.50 $152.50 $1,151 -45.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1495 1260 80-85% 45 136.00–165.00 $146.49 $1,846 +5.83
1230–1395 1288 80-85% 3 123.00–131.00 $127.35 $1,640 -13.31
1350–1425 1388 80-85% 2 114.00–120.00 $117.08 $1,625 -8.26
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1130 1023 85-90% 2 92.00–100.00 $95.58 $978 -39.76
995–1115 1034 85-90% 4 134.00–150.00 $141.59 $1,464 +6.25
915–1170 1043 85-90% 2 113.00–116.00 $114.68 $1,196 -20.66
1030–1110 1074 85-90% 4 123.00–130.00 $126.01 $1,353 +1.48
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485–1700 1566 75-80% 7 137.00–161.00 $148.99 $2,333 +5.17

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,635 —
1295–1600 1445 3 171.00–189.00 $178.47 $2,579 —
1490–1950 1723 4 162.00–168.00 $165.20 $2,846 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
785 785 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,334

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1050–1075 1063 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,775.00–2,000.00 $1,886.18
1105 1105 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
1145 1145 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,950.00 $1,950.00

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690 690 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,535 —
755 755 2 187.50 $187.50 $1,416 —

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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
1180 1180 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 182.50 $182.50 $967 —
1299 value added 1299 80 160.00 $160.00 $2,078 —

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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.