Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 8, 2025

977 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 $285.97/cwt +8.61 vs last sale · ≈ $2,662/hd at 931 lb · 100 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $378.84/cwt +51.48 vs last sale · ≈ $2,392/hd at 631 lb · 78 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $339.38/cwt +25.79 vs last sale · ≈ $2,270/hd at 669 lb · 58 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 977 1,085 1,112
Feeder cattle 865 960 1,041
Slaughter cattle 100 120 65
Replacement cattle 12 5 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 400 lbs sharply higher, over 400 lbs 5.00-8.00 higher except 600-700 lbs they were 12.00-15.00 higher, Feeder and yearling heifers steady, Very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 3.00-5.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 4.00-6.00 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
205–235 fancy 220 2 490.00–600.00 $541.25 $1,191 +96.25
300–338 fancy 324 7 400.00–467.50 $414.01 $1,341 -9.89
355–395 fancy 378 6 415.00–432.50 $424.35 $1,604 +3.93
380–390 385 2 382.50–383.00 $382.75 $1,474 +22.75
401–445 fancy 416 7 412.50–415.00 $413.16 $1,719 -17.64
425 425 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,636 +2.56
450–496 fancy 460 27 392.50–437.50 $417.25 $1,919 +4.75
488–495 490 4 360.00–382.50 $365.69 $1,792 -18.02
519–545 value added 524 15 377.00–390.00 $387.69 $2,031 +21.71
550–586 value added 575 34 365.00–385.00 $369.20 $2,123 -2.54
560–588 585 12 347.00–360.00 $358.13 $2,095 —
622 622 2 324.00 $324.00 $2,015 —
625–645 value added 628 6 330.00–351.00 $347.41 $2,182 +20.05
632 fancy 632 70 383.10 $383.10 $2,421 —
653 653 4 317.00 $317.00 $2,070 —
668–677 value added 670 54 340.00–376.00 $341.04 $2,285 +19.13
718–745 value added 728 10 300.00–331.00 $315.99 $2,300 +8.98
735 735 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,095 -8.47
750 750 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,062 -5.00
835–840 838 2 260.00–271.00 $265.48 $2,225 —
915–943 value added 931 100 283.95–288.85 $285.97 $2,662 +6.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1151 1151 4 236.00 $236.00 $2,716 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
467–480 471 3 340.00–342.50 $341.65 $1,609 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–235 fancy 227 3 467.50–485.00 $472.90 $1,073 —
285 fancy 285 2 405.00 $405.00 $1,154 +39.02
290 290 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,102 —
315–340 fancy 326 4 390.00–415.00 $397.76 $1,297 +26.30
360–385 fancy 368 17 375.00–420.00 $402.46 $1,481 +16.81
402–435 413 3 325.00–330.00 $328.24 $1,356 -12.46
400–446 fancy 425 18 350.00–395.00 $380.26 $1,616 +4.78
450–493 fancy 463 37 350.00–393.00 $369.75 $1,712 +10.56
490–495 492 3 325.00–347.50 $336.50 $1,656 -3.92
508–545 value added 521 23 325.00–346.00 $337.38 $1,758 -1.85
505–547 522 8 301.00–317.50 $307.20 $1,604 -4.48
551–598 value added 574 34 320.00–337.50 $329.39 $1,891 -2.22
570–595 588 8 299.00–317.50 $311.22 $1,830 -5.48
630–635 631 5 290.00–294.00 $292.60 $1,846 +10.40
600–643 value added 636 19 298.00–319.00 $304.55 $1,937 -15.17
670–690 value added 677 3 295.00–300.00 $298.30 $2,019 -21.13
700 value added 700 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,925 -4.35
701 701 3 247.00 $247.00 $1,731 -19.59
778 value added 778 56 281.25 $281.25 $2,188 +2.49
810 810 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,802 -2.42
840 value added 840 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,184 —
920 920 1 239.00 $239.00 $2,199 +14.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 fancy 260 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,235 —
330 330 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,188 -15.00
375–387 fancy 384 6 406.00–422.50 $410.17 $1,575 -44.97
390 390 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,375 -31.27
415 415 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,587 +5.00
426–442 fancy 436 8 415.00–425.00 $419.30 $1,828 +4.00
465 465 1 377.00 $377.00 $1,753 —
487 fancy 487 14 412.00 $412.00 $2,006 +20.28
515 515 3 335.00–337.50 $336.67 $1,734 -10.83
512–549 fancy 535 17 365.00–381.00 $374.00 $2,001 +7.82
557–585 fancy 571 11 355.00–373.00 $364.47 $2,081 +8.93
560–590 583 6 325.00–341.00 $335.40 $1,955 +0.20
610–625 fancy 619 22 329.00–342.50 $335.47 $2,077 +1.95
625–640 633 2 304.00–313.00 $308.45 $1,952 —
655 fancy 655 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,168 —
680–695 682 9 293.00–307.00 $296.14 $2,020 -12.64
700–730 fancy 711 6 299.00–310.00 $305.59 $2,173 +5.59
700–743 734 5 281.00–283.00 $281.38 $2,065 —
881 881 3 230.00 $230.00 $2,026 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–490 480 2 322.50–340.00 $331.07 $1,589 —
590 590 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,829 —
870 870 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,775 —
900 900 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,827 +10.50

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1000 962 85-90% 3 115.00–120.00 $118.40 $1,139 -2.36
865–1195 1024 85-90% 11 127.50–140.00 $133.68 $1,369 -15.60
1035 1035 85-90% 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,045 -48.28
955–1150 1074 85-90% 17 142.00–167.00 $151.76 $1,630 +17.31
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250 1250 80-85% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,462 —
1125–1475 1299 80-85% 28 145.00–173.00 $157.19 $2,042 +21.56
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1520–1750 1612 75-80% 3 153.00–177.00 $163.89 $2,642 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285 1285 1 178.00 $178.00 $2,287 —
1635–1655 1645 2 180.00–188.00 $183.98 $3,026 —
1805–2205 2011 4 194.00–210.00 $199.66 $4,015 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1020 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,867

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1055 1055 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,725.00 $1,725.00
1040–1365 1204 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,850.00–2,200.00 $2,033.94
1445 1445 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
995–1035 1015 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,000.00–2,025.00 $2,012.25

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
895 895 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,110.00 $2,110.00

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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.