Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 31, 2024

1,933 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $244.50/cwt ≈ $2,142/hd at 876 lb · 195 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $237.23/cwt ≈ $2,218/hd at 935 lb · 167 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $240.13/cwt -2.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,752/hd at 729 lb · 147 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,933 1,490 1,255
Feeder cattle 1,796 1,333 1,177
Slaughter cattle 128 148 78
Replacement cattle 9 9 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers steady, Feeder and yearling heifers steady to 3.00 lower, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows steady, Slaughter bulls 2.00-4.00 lower, 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
245 fancy 245 1 305.00 $305.00 $747 -20.00
255–295 fancy 272 3 300.00–312.50 $304.06 $827 —
300 300 1 260.00 $260.00 $780 —
310–330 fancy 318 3 315.00–320.00 $317.55 $1,010 +7.47
376–390 fancy 378 7 315.00–322.50 $321.39 $1,215 -1.81
380 380 1 262.50 $262.50 $998 -17.57
400–430 fancy 409 9 305.00–329.00 $314.48 $1,286 +1.07
450–492 489 80 270.00–285.00 $271.52 $1,328 -9.48
510–530 520 5 252.50–267.50 $264.56 $1,376 -4.15
531–546 value added 539 6 280.00–281.00 $280.49 $1,512 -6.50
552–595 569 18 250.00–267.50 $259.15 $1,475 -8.62
555–598 value added 580 24 270.00–272.50 $272.09 $1,578 -9.66
600–635 value added 623 80 255.00–265.00 $260.98 $1,626 -3.71
630–647 638 10 236.00–251.00 $243.92 $1,556 —
658–685 675 20 229.00–248.00 $238.96 $1,613 +3.14
696 value added 696 3 255.00 $255.00 $1,775 —
700 700 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,592 —
712–738 value added 732 9 249.00–250.00 $249.78 $1,828 -2.72
750–755 752 14 231.00–238.00 $236.93 $1,782 +5.93
789 value added 789 72 252.00 $252.00 $1,988 —
810–834 832 45 225.00–239.00 $237.83 $1,979 +7.27
860–890 value added 876 194 240.75–250.00 $244.59 $2,143 —
890 890 1 227.00 $227.00 $2,020 —
929–949 value added 935 167 233.00–241.00 $237.23 $2,218 —
1040 1040 2 215.00 $215.00 $2,236 -6.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 235.00 $235.00 $529 —
395 395 1 237.50 $237.50 $938 —
410–445 428 4 235.00–257.50 $250.80 $1,073 +5.80
470–487 478 11 240.00–257.00 $250.19 $1,196 +60.19
510–535 521 5 220.00–247.50 $238.02 $1,240 +13.02
550–590 570 3 220.00–242.50 $234.75 $1,338 -6.53
620 620 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,383 +0.50
655 655 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,441 +15.56
790 790 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,462 -15.04
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100 1100 1 147.00 $147.00 $1,617 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 280 3 230.00–237.50 $235.18 $659 -9.82
322–345 333 11 240.00–247.50 $243.38 $810 -4.58
365–385 370 4 230.00–242.50 $238.41 $882 -11.59
410 fancy 410 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,035 -1.55
400–447 422 10 230.00–247.50 $241.05 $1,017 +5.50
459–497 fancy 476 31 251.00–260.00 $253.77 $1,208 -23.73
490–495 492 6 230.00–247.50 $238.25 $1,172 +3.28
500–540 519 61 225.00–249.00 $242.53 $1,259 +6.62
510–528 value added 523 11 253.00–260.00 $254.86 $1,333 +2.11
554–580 558 18 225.00–240.00 $235.22 $1,313 +3.37
600–645 619 38 210.00–229.00 $224.64 $1,391 +3.61
621 value added 621 37 244.25 $244.25 $1,517 -10.75
705–712 709 4 201.00–205.00 $202.99 $1,439 -3.40
709–748 value added 730 143 231.00–246.50 $241.17 $1,761 -1.80
806 value added 806 69 229.75 $229.75 $1,852 —
820 820 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,476 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 340 3 175.00–227.50 $203.82 $693 -21.18
355–390 367 8 180.00–220.00 $210.32 $772 -24.78
411–440 420 9 172.50–210.00 $192.39 $808 —
450–495 468 9 180.00–222.50 $201.49 $943 -11.89
500–545 530 13 185.00–220.00 $215.71 $1,143 +10.76
550–595 569 9 160.00–222.50 $205.93 $1,172 +10.73
605–640 621 9 170.00–205.00 $195.93 $1,217 -2.60
655–680 671 5 170.00–207.00 $183.58 $1,232 -7.78
735 735 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,323 -1.00
785 785 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,295 +0.09
800–815 805 3 172.00–199.00 $189.89 $1,529 —
890 890 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,513 -11.00
920 920 1 157.50 $157.50 $1,449 -2.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–260 258 6 265.00–280.00 $277.58 $716 +17.58
322–340 fancy 328 3 310.00–320.00 $316.54 $1,038 +6.15
338 338 4 272.50 $272.50 $921 —
355 355 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,047 +7.63
350–390 fancy 370 2 302.50–332.50 $318.31 $1,178 -16.69
400–425 fancy 410 7 307.50–320.00 $316.79 $1,299 +13.92
425–427 426 3 257.50–265.00 $262.51 $1,118 -18.21
465–495 484 13 252.50–270.00 $259.71 $1,257 -16.86
500–542 521 14 232.50–257.50 $245.37 $1,278 -24.58
563–593 578 31 232.50–250.00 $242.27 $1,400 -15.80
600 fancy 600 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,440 -17.92
600–642 618 10 220.00–235.00 $228.37 $1,411 -2.15
652–665 658 11 215.00–230.00 $221.21 $1,456 -6.85
705–732 713 14 208.00–210.00 $209.41 $1,493 +3.14
750–775 761 8 192.00–202.00 $197.72 $1,505 -15.29
800–820 805 5 170.00–192.00 $185.53 $1,494 +2.03
867 867 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,474 -23.72
955 955 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,695 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 202.50 $202.50 $526 —
345 345 1 232.00 $232.00 $800 +9.50
385 385 1 245.00 $245.00 $943 +0.01
440–442 441 4 235.00–245.00 $240.01 $1,058 —
475–489 485 8 237.50–242.50 $240.94 $1,169 +19.19
500–540 516 6 200.00–225.00 $211.57 $1,092 -28.43
580 580 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,262 -6.94
670–695 683 2 190.00–200.00 $194.91 $1,331 -6.42
785 785 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,256 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1225 1145 80-85% 2 101.00–103.00 $101.93 $1,167 —
1145–1480 1274 80-85% 6 121.00–128.00 $124.51 $1,586 +5.91
1135–1415 1304 80-85% 6 115.00–119.00 $116.62 $1,521 -13.49
1160–1470 1318 80-85% 21 104.00–114.00 $109.74 $1,446 -20.37
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1150 997 85-90% 7 61.00–95.00 $88.61 $883 —
955–1080 1003 85-90% 4 122.50–132.50 $126.67 $1,271 +27.01
875–1210 1032 85-90% 7 102.50–114.00 $108.52 $1,120 -1.51
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1480–1675 1543 75-80% 9 108.00–114.00 $110.19 $1,700 —
1535–1710 1623 75-80% 2 128.00–140.00 $134.32 $2,180 —
1490–1825 1658 75-80% 2 115.00–120.00 $117.75 $1,952 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375 1375 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,200 —
1405–1765 1625 4 152.00–156.00 $154.17 $2,505 —
1345–2080 1726 8 129.00–147.00 $141.98 $2,451 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
775–1050 956 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 137.00–185.00 $161.41 $1,543

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1005 1005 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
587 587 5 211.00 $211.00 $1,239 —

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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.