Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 19, 2024

855 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 $249.88/cwt +3.13 vs last sale · ≈ $2,206/hd at 883 lb · 124 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $305.82/cwt +25.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,911/hd at 625 lb · 101 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $248.73/cwt -8.03 vs last sale · ≈ $2,100/hd at 844 lb · 94 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 855 2,000 560
Feeder cattle 798 1,874 516
Slaughter cattle 56 122 42
Replacement cattle 1 4 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 800 lbs steady to 5.00 higher, over 800 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, Feeder heifers under 600 lbs steady, over 600 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, Good demand for feeder classes and Moderate demand for yearlings. Slaughter cows 4.00-6.00 lower, Slaughter bulls 2.00-4.00 lower, Moderate 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
215 fancy 215 1 322.50 $322.50 $693 —
290 fancy 290 4 357.50 $357.50 $1,037 -38.35
320 fancy 320 2 390.00 $390.00 $1,248 +57.54
366 366 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,098 -13.71
395 fancy 395 4 311.00–337.50 $330.88 $1,307 -24.04
405–445 416 7 272.50–290.00 $286.57 $1,192 -13.43
425–444 fancy 440 9 300.00–332.50 $305.69 $1,345 -43.12
462–490 fancy 469 8 300.00–330.00 $318.27 $1,493 -12.44
495 495 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,386 -28.83
515–545 525 3 287.50–291.00 $289.79 $1,521 -2.34
502–541 value added 531 13 300.00–332.00 $319.64 $1,697 -11.81
552–587 value added 578 16 300.00–322.50 $316.06 $1,827 +12.20
555–595 583 4 282.50–292.50 $287.59 $1,677 -0.82
601–645 value added 625 101 280.00–311.00 $305.82 $1,911 +23.38
675–695 680 7 260.00–262.50 $261.71 $1,780 +5.74
679–687 value added 682 54 272.50–298.00 $280.07 $1,910 -2.43
700–707 706 7 240.00–245.00 $244.29 $1,725 -1.67
714–723 value added 717 13 270.00–276.00 $274.14 $1,966 +11.04
768 value added 768 16 260.00 $260.00 $1,997 -2.49
830–849 value added 844 90 248.00–252.75 $249.30 $2,104 -10.70
847 847 4 236.00 $236.00 $1,999 +4.05
876–889 value added 883 124 247.50–252.00 $249.88 $2,206 +3.13
930 value added 930 58 245.00 $245.00 $2,278 -2.02
990 990 1 217.50 $217.50 $2,153 +7.50
1005 1005 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,211 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 260.00 $260.00 $637 —
580 580 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,334 —
660 660 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,551 —
755–760 758 2 207.50–225.00 $216.22 $1,639 +0.20
810 810 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,782 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285–295 fancy 290 3 310.00–315.00 $312.34 $906 —
280–298 294 4 280.00–287.50 $281.79 $828 —
310 310 1 290.00 $290.00 $899 —
305–345 fancy 325 9 307.50–340.00 $323.36 $1,051 +13.16
350–395 fancy 379 7 302.50–317.50 $308.91 $1,171 -2.09
397 397 2 282.50 $282.50 $1,122 +4.19
403–441 fancy 417 10 275.00–320.00 $308.14 $1,285 -0.76
425 425 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,158 +3.49
455–480 468 2 263.00–272.00 $267.38 $1,251 -7.62
465–486 fancy 472 12 277.00–290.00 $286.26 $1,351 -5.55
505–532 value added 517 9 262.50–270.00 $267.74 $1,384 -12.68
500–546 537 7 249.00–257.50 $251.14 $1,349 +7.98
555 value added 555 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,512 +5.52
550–565 558 8 241.00–257.00 $253.01 $1,412 +5.17
603–630 615 8 217.50–237.50 $231.13 $1,421 -9.87
605–644 value added 637 16 240.00–246.00 $245.52 $1,564 -14.00
655–663 value added 657 12 240.00–245.00 $241.26 $1,585 -22.16
685–697 693 3 222.50–225.00 $224.18 $1,554 -11.96
715–727 724 11 200.00–220.00 $216.17 $1,565 +9.26
878 878 3 195.00 $195.00 $1,712 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 230.00 $230.00 $897 —
470 470 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,081 —
580–585 583 2 217.50–232.50 $225.03 $1,312 -2.75
640 640 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,088 —
665 665 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,330 -3.33
825 825 1 162.50 $162.50 $1,341 -2.50
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481 481 3 177.50 $177.50 $854 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1245 1228 2 151.00–157.50 $154.20 $1,894 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–380 fancy 368 2 300.00–317.00 $308.79 $1,136 -3.71
439 fancy 439 5 327.00 $327.00 $1,436 +9.41
470–490 fancy 475 4 297.50–303.00 $298.92 $1,420 -16.89
500–513 fancy 509 5 300.00–307.50 $304.73 $1,551 +9.20
550–592 fancy 572 11 290.00–307.50 $298.03 $1,705 -4.48
586 586 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,670 +10.00
600 fancy 600 1 281.00 $281.00 $1,686 +0.18
635 635 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,537 +2.00
685 fancy 685 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,747 -26.00
731 731 5 237.50 $237.50 $1,736 +7.50
975 975 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,950 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
675 675 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,350 —
730 730 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,365 —
785 785 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,484 —
930 930 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,237 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 565 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,017 —
605 605 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,210 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1425 1278 80-85% 10 101.00–109.00 $104.61 $1,337 —
1170–1445 1328 80-85% 4 93.00–99.00 $95.95 $1,274 -23.62
1270–1475 1340 80-85% 4 117.00–123.00 $119.85 $1,606 +0.28
1380 1380 80-85% 1 86.00 $86.00 $1,187 -20.50
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1595 1595 75-80% 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,467 -11.51
1525–1785 1654 75-80% 5 113.00–119.00 $115.62 $1,912 -1.38
1595–1785 1688 75-80% 3 102.00–110.00 $105.13 $1,775 -11.87
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1110 1035 85-90% 3 91.00–100.00 $96.09 $995 +14.09
1070–1115 1087 85-90% 3 102.00–105.00 $103.31 $1,123 -0.11
1185 1185 85-90% 1 87.00 $87.00 $1,031 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1585 1585 1 153.00 $153.00 $2,425 —
1415–1865 1681 5 142.00–148.00 $145.36 $2,444 +0.64
1455–2230 1843 2 131.00–138.00 $135.24 $2,492 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1135 1135 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,816

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,092 —

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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.