Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 1, 2025

1,085 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 $277.36/cwt +1.66 vs last sale · ≈ $2,557/hd at 922 lb · 136 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $278.76/cwt +27.29 vs last sale · ≈ $2,133/hd at 765 lb · 119 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $315.48/cwt +41.51 vs last sale · ≈ $2,093/hd at 663 lb · 97 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,085 1,481 1,282
Feeder cattle 960 1,379 1,117
Slaughter cattle 120 95 160
Replacement cattle 5 7 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 400 lbs 8.00-12.00 higher, 500-800 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, over 800 lbs 1.00-3.00 higher, Feeder and yearling heifers steady to 5.00 lower, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 1.00-3.00 higher, 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
240 fancy 240 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,068 —
280 280 1 367.50 $367.50 $1,029 —
285 fancy 285 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,240 +30.00
325–345 fancy 339 5 405.00–445.00 $423.90 $1,437 +4.88
350 350 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,260 —
355–390 fancy 378 4 410.00–430.00 $420.42 $1,589 -3.14
410–437 fancy 422 6 422.50–432.50 $430.80 $1,818 +11.07
430–445 440 3 370.00–390.00 $382.44 $1,683 —
460 fancy 460 1 412.50 $412.50 $1,898 +11.07
470–492 478 8 380.00–385.00 $383.71 $1,834 +17.67
505–530 value added 520 8 355.00–370.00 $365.98 $1,903 -6.13
510–540 530 4 317.50–345.00 $331.38 $1,756 +16.38
552–587 value added 578 18 357.50–382.50 $371.74 $2,149 +4.82
605–622 value added 616 3 320.00–342.50 $327.36 $2,017 -17.27
650–660 value added 658 4 312.50–325.00 $321.91 $2,118 -25.09
695 695 3 302.50 $302.50 $2,102 -6.79
710–745 value added 722 3 301.00–312.50 $307.01 $2,217 +1.23
712–740 726 4 291.00–295.00 $293.47 $2,131 +19.33
750 750 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,100 +12.00
778–785 value added 779 9 300.00–310.00 $308.88 $2,406 —
867 867 2 270.00 $270.00 $2,341 +2.66
910–931 value added 920 122 278.25–280.70 $279.47 $2,571 +11.20
938 938 14 259.00 $259.00 $2,429 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1360 1263 2 180.00–219.00 $197.99 $2,501 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–295 fancy 273 3 350.00–380.00 $365.98 $999 -44.81
320–335 fancy 324 6 351.00–382.50 $371.46 $1,204 -17.52
335 335 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,114 —
350–387 fancy 373 6 355.00–425.00 $385.65 $1,438 -19.19
400–440 417 3 340.00–342.00 $340.70 $1,421 -4.24
411–445 fancy 427 24 351.00–410.00 $375.48 $1,603 -14.34
450–492 fancy 476 22 350.00–367.50 $359.19 $1,710 -8.61
475–495 487 13 322.50–347.50 $340.42 $1,658 -4.96
500–545 value added 520 27 325.00–352.50 $339.23 $1,764 -9.27
505–545 525 2 300.00–322.50 $311.68 $1,636 +2.36
550–565 555 3 310.00–320.00 $316.70 $1,758 +0.92
550–587 value added 581 11 325.00–335.00 $331.61 $1,927 -10.30
600–610 603 4 270.00–299.00 $282.20 $1,702 +7.65
618 fancy 618 5 345.00 $345.00 $2,132 —
610–647 value added 630 10 300.00–335.00 $319.72 $2,014 -0.83
653–675 value added 659 82 315.00–319.50 $319.43 $2,105 —
685–695 688 15 292.00–299.00 $293.89 $2,022 +19.92
705–735 value added 713 6 272.50–282.50 $279.35 $1,992 -3.21
705–740 717 5 260.00–270.00 $266.59 $1,911 +14.68
755–783 value added 765 119 275.50–290.00 $278.76 $2,133 +13.76
820–845 833 2 220.00–230.00 $224.92 $1,874 -2.58
910 910 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,048 —
917 value added 917 62 265.25 $265.25 $2,432 +13.82
960 960 9 231.00 $231.00 $2,218 +31.00
1016 1016 14 229.00 $229.00 $2,327 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,322 +97.50
465 465 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,244 -12.82
567–590 579 4 270.00–287.50 $279.21 $1,617 —
685 685 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,781 +53.81
735 735 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,525 -22.50
775 775 1 233.00 $233.00 $1,806 +48.00
980 980 1 162.50 $162.50 $1,592 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1405 1199 5 175.00–217.50 $192.49 $2,308 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,077 —
345 345 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,294 —
384–392 fancy 386 13 442.50–462.50 $455.14 $1,757 +35.51
380–395 388 2 382.50–385.00 $383.77 $1,489 —
405–437 fancy 422 5 395.00–425.00 $415.30 $1,753 -2.23
445 445 1 377.50 $377.50 $1,680 +47.50
465–477 fancy 473 3 385.00–395.00 $391.72 $1,853 -0.76
515 515 1 347.50 $347.50 $1,790 +30.63
502–535 fancy 520 7 355.00–375.00 $366.18 $1,904 -3.96
550–565 fancy 561 9 355.00–357.50 $355.54 $1,995 +5.54
550–575 562 6 327.00–347.50 $335.20 $1,884 +8.45
605–635 fancy 621 7 325.00–342.50 $333.52 $2,071 +3.51
665–680 674 4 302.50–312.50 $308.78 $2,081 —
715–730 fancy 723 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,169 +11.00
815 815 1 237.00 $237.00 $1,932 —
900 900 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,025 —
950–980 965 2 220.00 $220.00 $2,123 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915 915 1 192.50 $192.50 $1,761 —
990 990 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,980 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–970 925 85-90% 2 102.00–107.00 $104.38 $966 -14.92
785–1140 976 85-90% 5 110.00–125.00 $120.76 $1,179 -10.06
845–1175 1037 85-90% 16 140.00–166.00 $149.28 $1,548 —
925–1165 1062 85-90% 15 128.00–139.00 $134.45 $1,428 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1450 1295 80-85% 5 134.00–138.00 $135.63 $1,756 -7.92
1155–1530 1315 80-85% 25 143.00–171.00 $153.39 $2,017 -5.02
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515–1665 1599 75-80% 5 150.00–163.00 $157.28 $2,515 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1660 1468 9 170.00–178.00 $175.35 $2,574 —
1520–2385 1739 8 179.00–189.00 $184.04 $3,200 —
1540–2020 1739 8 191.00–200.00 $194.48 $3,382 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1010 1010 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,843

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1205–1290 1248 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,425.00–2,450.00 $2,437.93
1260 1260 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00

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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
1615 1615 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00 —

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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.