Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 24, 2025

1,481 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 $275.70/cwt +4.94 vs last sale · ≈ $2,520/hd at 914 lb · 127 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $266.64/cwt +3.27 vs last sale · ≈ $2,602/hd at 976 lb · 111 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $275.15/cwt -9.93 vs last sale · ≈ $2,418/hd at 879 lb · 92 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,481 1,878 1,630
Feeder cattle 1,379 1,803 1,524
Slaughter cattle 95 68 95
Replacement cattle 7 7 11

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers steady, Feeder heifers under 500 lbs 5.00-10.00 higher, over 500 lbs 1.00-3.00 higher, Good to very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 1.00-3.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 8.00-10.00 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
295 fancy 295 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,195 -30.00
325 325 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,146 —
325–347 fancy 337 9 390.00–422.50 $419.02 $1,412 +46.52
357–382 fancy 364 9 420.00–427.50 $423.56 $1,542 +27.04
405–448 fancy 422 32 395.00–440.00 $419.73 $1,771 -2.15
451–495 fancy 470 19 393.00–415.00 $401.43 $1,887 -4.52
470–497 490 8 347.00–370.00 $366.04 $1,794 +20.02
500–545 value added 521 22 350.00–387.50 $372.11 $1,939 -15.62
532 532 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,676 -7.33
560 560 2 343.00 $343.00 $1,921 —
555–597 value added 581 86 353.00–387.50 $366.92 $2,132 +7.23
607–635 value added 615 9 332.50–360.00 $344.63 $2,119 +4.43
611–645 620 4 312.50 $312.50 $1,938 +2.50
652–695 670 27 295.00–315.00 $309.29 $2,072 +13.17
672 value added 672 9 347.00 $347.00 $2,332 +29.92
700–745 715 4 265.00–281.00 $274.14 $1,960 -6.86
705–733 value added 725 8 292.50–309.00 $305.78 $2,217 -4.81
767–768 767 13 259.00–272.00 $268.00 $2,056 -6.89
801–830 805 8 259.00–270.00 $268.58 $2,162 +2.30
860–861 861 29 267.00–268.00 $267.34 $2,302 +17.34
887 value added 887 63 278.75 $278.75 $2,473 -6.57
904 fancy 904 60 284.00 $284.00 $2,567 —
923–932 value added 923 67 261.00–268.50 $268.27 $2,476 -3.83
970–984 value added 976 111 262.75–270.00 $266.64 $2,602 +1.57
1001 1001 13 231.00 $231.00 $2,312 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650–675 667 5 250.00–273.00 $256.51 $1,711 —
860 860 1 231.00 $231.00 $1,987 +4.00
996 996 3 211.00 $211.00 $2,102 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1115 1079 4 215.00–232.50 $221.20 $2,387 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965 965 4 218.00 $218.00 $2,104 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 fancy 205 1 425.00 $425.00 $871 —
240 240 1 350.00 $350.00 $840 —
255 255 1 365.00 $365.00 $931 +20.00
255–277 fancy 269 4 385.00–435.00 $410.79 $1,105 +35.97
315–347 fancy 336 13 367.00–415.00 $388.98 $1,307 -17.69
352–398 fancy 376 30 356.00–425.00 $404.84 $1,522 +32.23
405–445 fancy 420 14 360.00–412.50 $389.82 $1,637 +29.49
405–445 439 13 332.00–357.50 $344.94 $1,514 +6.53
450–490 471 9 331.00–357.50 $345.38 $1,627 +13.49
450–496 fancy 477 40 360.00–383.00 $367.80 $1,754 +15.22
505–530 516 4 300.00–317.00 $309.32 $1,596 -0.87
500–549 value added 524 63 330.00–363.00 $348.50 $1,826 +8.02
550–596 value added 576 23 329.00–350.00 $341.91 $1,969 +11.62
567–599 585 12 300.00–317.50 $315.78 $1,847 +9.33
607–640 621 5 271.00–278.00 $274.55 $1,705 -7.45
610–635 value added 625 78 290.00–331.00 $320.55 $2,003 +6.38
653–685 667 25 260.00–281.00 $273.97 $1,827 -2.48
706–740 value added 714 21 265.00–289.00 $282.56 $2,017 +5.19
705–743 729 6 245.00–262.50 $251.91 $1,836 -11.85
750 value added 750 20 265.00 $265.00 $1,988 -6.78
750–790 775 26 240.00–249.00 $241.06 $1,868 -16.52
845 845 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,922 -26.50
903–920 value added 903 65 247.00–251.50 $251.43 $2,270 —
961 961 10 200.00 $200.00 $1,922 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 210.00 $210.00 $861 —
470–480 475 2 250.00–310.00 $280.32 $1,332 +0.32
530 530 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,259 -17.50
615–635 625 4 240.00–249.00 $246.21 $1,539 +6.17
675–695 685 3 180.00–229.00 $206.19 $1,412 -40.51
700 700 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,610 +7.06
755 755 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,397 -48.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1001–1230 1058 4 179.00–225.00 $211.63 $2,239 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–285 fancy 270 2 405.00–420.00 $412.92 $1,115 +27.92
310–345 fancy 333 3 390.00–427.50 $406.39 $1,353 +0.32
363–395 fancy 380 13 385.00–442.50 $419.63 $1,595 +5.33
415 415 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,370 —
407–445 fancy 426 24 375.00–455.00 $417.53 $1,779 -3.26
450–495 fancy 470 23 371.00–410.00 $392.48 $1,845 -7.59
460–487 478 3 340.00–347.50 $345.09 $1,650 +23.93
505–545 fancy 524 20 340.00–382.50 $370.14 $1,940 -8.02
510–540 525 2 312.50–321.00 $316.87 $1,664 -3.13
550–580 559 4 317.50–330.00 $326.75 $1,827 -0.75
552–597 fancy 572 13 340.00–372.50 $350.00 $2,002 -4.45
612–645 fancy 621 11 315.00–339.00 $330.01 $2,049 -4.51
632 632 2 292.50 $292.50 $1,849 +2.50
660 fancy 660 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,096 +12.79
720 fancy 720 1 289.00 $289.00 $2,081 +0.25
750 fancy 750 1 287.50 $287.50 $2,156 +7.50
880–881 881 4 216.00–223.00 $221.25 $1,949 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,414 —
780 780 1 221.00 $221.00 $1,724 -24.00
810 810 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,636 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–1115 929 85-90% 6 110.00–124.00 $119.30 $1,108 —
830–1140 961 85-90% 22 140.00–159.00 $148.82 $1,430 +29.82
820–1135 975 85-90% 10 126.00–138.00 $130.82 $1,275 +11.82
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1380 1273 80-85% 4 138.00–147.00 $143.55 $1,827 —
1140–1485 1327 80-85% 19 150.00–172.00 $158.41 $2,102 +3.99
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500–1575 1542 75-80% 3 154.00–159.00 $156.70 $2,416 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–2055 1803 4 190.00–209.00 $200.74 $3,619 +11.74
1790–2165 1923 4 183.00–189.00 $185.68 $3,571 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
755–1105 950 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 6 175.00–239.00 $199.25 $1,893

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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
1375 1375 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,075.00 $3,075.00 —

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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.