Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 12, 2024

2,000 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $251.69/cwt +12.24 vs last sale · ≈ $2,340/hd at 930 lb · 179 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $262.35/cwt +22.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,033/hd at 775 lb · 178 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $280.22/cwt +1.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,765/hd at 630 lb · 146 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,000 1,738 1,662
Feeder cattle 1,874 1,638 1,567
Slaughter cattle 122 96 93
Replacement cattle 4 4 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 700 lbs 12.00-18.00 higher, Over 700 lbs 5.00-8.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 600 lbs 3.00-8.00 higher, over 600 lbs steady to 2.00 lower, Very good demand for feeder classes and Good demand for yearling classes. Slaughter cows 5.00-8.00 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
250–295 fancy 273 4 370.00–410.00 $395.85 $1,081 —
335–345 fancy 340 2 330.00–335.00 $332.46 $1,130 -0.04
360–385 373 2 312.50–315.00 $313.71 $1,170 —
350–395 fancy 375 11 342.50–372.50 $354.92 $1,331 +17.92
420 420 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,260 -7.68
400–435 fancy 423 12 330.00–375.00 $348.81 $1,475 +9.56
475–495 485 2 305.00–312.50 $308.83 $1,498 +0.20
450–499 fancy 486 14 322.50–340.00 $330.71 $1,607 +1.29
500–535 value added 508 36 300.00–343.00 $331.45 $1,684 +28.85
525–535 531 7 280.00–295.00 $292.13 $1,551 +19.83
550–565 value added 557 6 300.00–312.50 $303.86 $1,693 -0.65
562–589 583 31 272.50–297.50 $288.41 $1,681 +14.89
616–622 620 15 260.00–262.00 $260.80 $1,617 —
600–649 value added 631 131 275.00–300.00 $282.44 $1,782 +3.35
659 value added 659 7 282.50 $282.50 $1,862 +13.21
650–696 676 29 250.00–265.00 $255.97 $1,730 +15.97
705–745 715 5 242.50–247.50 $245.96 $1,759 +7.63
719–737 value added 724 24 257.00–266.00 $263.10 $1,905 +5.44
765 765 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,817 -1.88
759–787 value added 775 177 254.00–268.90 $262.49 $2,034 —
818 value added 818 69 260.00 $260.00 $2,127 +16.17
810–835 819 9 220.00–235.00 $231.95 $1,900 -0.47
866 value added 866 66 246.75 $246.75 $2,137 +6.54
910 fancy 910 57 261.70 $261.70 $2,381 —
939 value added 939 122 240.50–253.75 $247.02 $2,320 +7.57
976 value added 976 64 241.75 $241.75 $2,359 —
985 985 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,068 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,116 -2.50
700–742 730 4 210.00–233.00 $226.10 $1,651 —
775–780 778 2 210.00–222.00 $216.02 $1,681 -5.98
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1350 1225 3 180.00–202.50 $194.14 $2,378 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313–345 fancy 323 5 297.50–317.50 $310.20 $1,002 +7.70
360–380 370 2 262.50–295.00 $278.31 $1,030 —
360–390 fancy 375 2 305.00–317.50 $311.00 $1,166 +22.76
410–412 411 3 265.00–271.00 $269.01 $1,106 +0.61
400–448 fancy 424 24 280.00–320.00 $308.90 $1,310 +9.79
450–495 fancy 475 17 285.00–299.00 $291.81 $1,386 +1.32
455–491 482 4 275.00 $275.00 $1,326 +14.36
500–545 512 13 240.00–257.50 $243.16 $1,245 +7.04
500–545 value added 517 33 260.00–295.00 $280.42 $1,450 +18.85
560–597 587 16 240.00–250.00 $247.84 $1,455 +12.18
585–595 value added 589 56 263.00–272.50 $266.98 $1,573 +4.75
610 610 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,470 +13.36
602–634 value added 624 135 254.00–267.50 $259.52 $1,619 -0.70
653–672 659 18 221.00–244.00 $236.14 $1,556 +4.44
656–692 value added 685 70 262.00–270.00 $263.42 $1,804 -5.33
705–741 720 19 200.00–223.00 $206.91 $1,490 -21.08
722 value added 722 73 264.75 $264.75 $1,911 +3.50
776–797 784 5 207.50–231.00 $221.45 $1,736 -5.23
810 810 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,620 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 200.00 $200.00 $670 —
560–597 585 8 217.50–237.50 $227.78 $1,333 +11.09
650–690 666 7 170.00–217.50 $203.33 $1,354 +23.33
702–735 713 3 185.00–192.50 $187.58 $1,337 -8.44
770 770 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,270 -39.29
820 820 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,353 -15.00
860 860 2 187.50 $187.50 $1,612 +25.00
940 940 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,622 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1415 1330 2 123.00–124.00 $123.53 $1,643 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 fancy 250 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,025 —
375 fancy 375 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,172 +5.00
400–440 fancy 427 3 313.00–320.00 $317.59 $1,356 +5.00
453–495 fancy 462 6 302.50–320.00 $315.81 $1,459 -1.56
460–495 473 7 270.00–297.50 $283.89 $1,343 -6.93
500–530 fancy 524 7 282.50–312.50 $295.53 $1,549 -6.61
542 542 2 277.50 $277.50 $1,504 +5.00
575–577 fancy 577 6 280.00–307.00 $302.51 $1,745 +0.01
581 581 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,598 +4.07
605–615 fancy 612 3 280.00–282.50 $280.82 $1,719 +3.32
630 630 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,512 +1.53
652 fancy 652 5 281.00 $281.00 $1,832 +21.00
656–668 661 8 227.50–240.00 $233.48 $1,543 —
700 700 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,610 +1.90
820–832 828 3 207.50–210.00 $208.33 $1,725 +5.83
915 915 2 192.50 $192.50 $1,761 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429 429 9 247.50 $247.50 $1,062 -7.50
571 571 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,399 —
645 645 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,419 ±0.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1485 1345 80-85% 18 113.00–142.50 $119.57 $1,608 -6.47
1180–1460 1351 80-85% 21 101.00–111.00 $106.50 $1,439 —
1260–1485 1408 80-85% 6 92.00–108.00 $97.67 $1,375 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1015 995 85-90% 2 124.00–125.00 $124.49 $1,239 +22.32
960–1165 1014 85-90% 7 72.00–87.00 $82.00 $831 —
1050 1050 85-90% 2 92.00–93.00 $92.50 $971 —
985–1155 1098 85-90% 6 101.00–108.00 $103.42 $1,136 -22.38
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555–1600 1578 75-80% 2 103.00–104.00 $103.51 $1,633 -22.12
1670 1670 75-80% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,954 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1545 1283 4 132.00–139.00 $136.00 $1,745 —
1130–2135 1651 8 141.00–150.00 $144.72 $2,389 —
2080 2080 1 160.00 $160.00 $3,328 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1000–1425 1272 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 150.00–155.00 $151.82 $1,931

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1260 1260 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
897 value added 897 56 199.50 $199.50 $1,790 —
905 905 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,086 —
1142 1142 17 165.00 $165.00 $1,884 —

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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.