Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 24, 2024

1,490 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 $242.15/cwt -1.26 vs last sale · ≈ $1,784/hd at 737 lb · 223 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $262.00/cwt +16.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,518/hd at 579 lb · 112 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $252.08/cwt +9.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,595/hd at 633 lb · 93 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,490 1,859 1,595
Feeder cattle 1,333 1,707 1,467
Slaughter cattle 148 145 122
Replacement cattle 9 7 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday : Feeder and yearling steers steady to 3.00-higher, Feeder and yearling heifers steady, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 1.00-3.00 lower, 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
235 235 1 290.00 $290.00 $682 —
240 fancy 240 1 325.00 $325.00 $780 +25.00
290 290 1 290.00 $290.00 $841 —
325–340 fancy 330 3 305.00–315.00 $310.08 $1,023 +0.08
345 345 3 295.00 $295.00 $1,018 +3.29
355–360 358 2 270.00–290.00 $280.07 $1,003 +2.57
355–395 fancy 370 6 300.00–329.00 $323.20 $1,196 +11.95
402–430 fancy 407 6 306.00–315.00 $313.41 $1,276 +13.38
410–440 434 7 270.00–287.50 $279.33 $1,212 -4.15
495 495 1 281.00 $281.00 $1,391 -0.34
500–525 value added 513 11 283.00–289.00 $286.99 $1,472 +0.82
515–547 532 11 265.00–272.00 $268.71 $1,430 +4.58
560–566 value added 564 16 281.00–283.00 $281.75 $1,589 -4.25
555–593 583 26 261.00–277.00 $267.77 $1,561 -2.08
605–631 value added 616 15 255.00–272.50 $264.69 $1,630 -1.85
655–659 value added 658 14 260.00–262.00 $260.71 $1,715 +4.36
672–690 678 6 230.00–245.00 $235.82 $1,599 -1.61
705 value added 705 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,780 -1.57
707 fancy 707 87 275.25 $275.25 $1,946 —
740–745 743 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,709 -8.76
755 755 3 231.00 $231.00 $1,744 -6.07
805–810 809 9 219.00–232.00 $230.56 $1,865 —
809 fancy 809 72 260.00 $260.00 $2,103 —
970–975 973 2 208.00–217.00 $212.49 $2,068 —
1035 1035 1 221.00 $221.00 $2,287 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 250.00 $250.00 $762 —
430 430 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,054 —
465 465 1 190.00 $190.00 $884 -64.59
545 545 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,226 —
560–565 563 4 217.50–252.50 $241.28 $1,358 +5.26
640 640 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,424 +18.49
665–695 681 4 197.50–220.00 $204.44 $1,392 -15.56
710 710 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,580 +12.50
770–795 780 3 195.00–204.00 $200.04 $1,560 -19.53
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
592 592 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,243 —
660 660 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,056 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
227 227 2 245.00 $245.00 $556 —
280 280 2 245.00 $245.00 $686 —
314–347 330 12 242.50–257.50 $247.96 $818 +5.46
350–395 370 15 241.00–260.00 $250.00 $925 -0.54
400–432 fancy 420 6 249.00–255.00 $254.05 $1,067 +0.39
413–437 423 20 222.50–242.50 $235.55 $996 -2.26
476 fancy 476 47 277.50 $277.50 $1,321 +25.00
455–496 480 18 225.00–242.50 $234.97 $1,128 +0.09
503–527 value added 510 66 246.00–257.50 $252.75 $1,289 +3.73
500–545 532 14 220.00–245.00 $235.91 $1,255 -1.49
550–576 567 20 223.00–240.00 $231.85 $1,315 +1.42
560–582 value added 582 92 248.00–269.00 $268.56 $1,563 +16.17
610–622 619 8 212.50–225.00 $221.03 $1,368 +1.61
634 value added 634 85 255.00 $255.00 $1,617 +1.61
652–670 657 7 211.00–232.00 $226.32 $1,487 +5.32
672–687 value added 680 16 239.00–249.00 $243.32 $1,655 —
705–735 716 5 201.00–215.00 $206.39 $1,478 +8.51
731–745 value added 737 218 238.25–248.10 $242.97 $1,791 -1.05
758–785 763 17 199.00–221.00 $213.15 $1,626 +2.15
856 value added 856 70 238.25 $238.25 $2,039 —
870–880 875 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,838 —
940 940 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,824 —
965–980 973 2 182.50–209.00 $195.85 $1,906 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285–290 288 2 220.00–222.50 $221.26 $637 —
320 320 1 225.00 $225.00 $720 —
355–385 370 2 232.50–237.50 $235.10 $870 +5.97
465–495 483 3 210.00–220.00 $213.38 $1,031 -10.58
510–530 520 3 202.50–210.00 $204.95 $1,066 -2.36
550–595 571 13 172.00–219.00 $195.20 $1,115 -16.71
600–638 617 11 180.00–201.00 $198.53 $1,225 +3.18
655–685 670 11 171.00–205.00 $191.36 $1,282 -0.39
730 730 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,321 —
757–771 765 5 157.00–177.00 $164.91 $1,262 -5.09
887 887 6 181.00 $181.00 $1,605 +15.99
925 925 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,480 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 252.50 $252.50 $593 -39.97
285 fancy 285 1 317.50 $317.50 $905 +17.50
290 290 1 260.00 $260.00 $754 —
310–335 fancy 323 2 300.00–320.00 $310.39 $1,003 -18.95
355–390 375 3 285.00–292.50 $287.37 $1,078 -3.63
380 fancy 380 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,273 +29.16
418–425 422 10 271.00–293.00 $280.72 $1,185 +5.57
400–428 fancy 423 7 300.00–312.50 $302.87 $1,281 +5.37
457–465 460 3 260.00–285.00 $276.57 $1,272 +1.31
500–535 516 11 257.50–275.00 $269.95 $1,393 +10.31
560–590 574 9 251.00–270.00 $258.07 $1,481 -2.45
605–635 fancy 622 5 252.50–267.00 $257.92 $1,604 —
620–640 623 9 223.00–239.00 $230.52 $1,436 +6.83
650–698 669 10 220.00–241.00 $228.06 $1,526 +10.08
715–733 724 7 198.00–219.00 $206.27 $1,493 +11.21
750–793 788 9 202.50–217.00 $213.01 $1,679 +13.01
830–835 833 2 182.00–185.00 $183.50 $1,529 —
850–865 858 2 190.00–197.50 $193.72 $1,662 +11.72
900–905 903 2 171.00–175.00 $173.01 $1,562 -3.19
1070 1070 1 195.00 $195.00 $2,086 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 222.50 $222.50 $756 -37.50
387–390 388 3 240.00–247.50 $244.99 $951 —
460–495 475 3 190.00–247.50 $221.75 $1,053 -4.96
525 525 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,260 +4.60
550–585 560 4 210.00–232.50 $224.44 $1,257 -3.44
635 635 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,295 +9.00
655–690 681 5 198.00–212.50 $201.33 $1,371 -0.29
715 715 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,351 —
960 960 1 152.00 $152.00 $1,459 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 1 142.50 $142.50 $841 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1475 1288 80-85% 25 115.00–122.00 $118.60 $1,528 -1.04
1190–1445 1298 80-85% 9 102.00–113.00 $109.22 $1,418 -10.42
1160–1545 1318 80-85% 12 123.00–148.00 $130.11 $1,715 +2.64
1450 1450 80-85% 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,348 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1040 1013 85-90% 3 99.00–100.00 $99.66 $1,010 +7.77
880–1165 1033 85-90% 15 103.00–114.00 $110.03 $1,137 +18.14
945–1130 1044 85-90% 6 115.00–119.00 $116.74 $1,219 +24.85
1025–1115 1070 85-90% 2 123.00–124.00 $123.52 $1,322 +13.31
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1760 1760 75-80% 1 124.00 $124.00 $2,182 —
1800 1800 75-80% 1 118.00 $118.00 $2,124 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1735 1518 9 155.00–162.00 $158.63 $2,408 —
1545 1545 1 151.00 $151.00 $2,333 —
1100–2010 1666 4 165.00–170.00 $167.51 $2,791 +2.27

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
775–840 808 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 155.00–161.00 $157.88 $1,276

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
830 830 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
1105–1390 1227 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,450.00–1,650.00 $1,521.68

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910 910 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,104 —
660 660 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,304 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190 1190 1 170.00 $170.00 $2,023 —

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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.