Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 17, 2025

1,934 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $375.94/cwt +21.98 vs last sale · ≈ $2,536/hd at 675 lb · 288 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $320.28/cwt -4.15 vs last sale · ≈ $2,806/hd at 876 lb · 248 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $350.20/cwt -8.78 vs last sale · ≈ $2,514/hd at 718 lb · 154 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,934 1,819 2,015
Feeder cattle 1,859 1,709 1,922
Slaughter cattle 75 103 93
Replacement cattle — 7 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs 10.00-15.00 lower, 500-700 lbs steady except 600 lbs they were 6.00-10.00 higher, 800 lbs up steady to 4.00 lower, Feeder heifers under 400 lbs steady to 5.00 lower, 400-600 lbs 6.00-10.00 higher, over 600 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, Mostly good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and 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
280–290 fancy 285 2 430.00–475.00 $452.11 $1,289 -10.39
325 325 3 392.50 $392.50 $1,276 -2.50
310–345 fancy 328 2 400.00–407.50 $403.55 $1,324 -43.95
365 365 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,405 —
453–485 475 13 350.00–367.50 $354.30 $1,683 -17.96
498 fancy 498 3 390.00 $390.00 $1,942 -6.83
510–545 535 4 350.00–352.50 $351.90 $1,883 +10.61
560 fancy 560 24 429.00 $429.00 $2,402 —
568–596 582 6 340.00–360.00 $350.24 $2,038 -6.35
582–588 value added 587 35 382.50–397.50 $392.04 $2,301 +1.13
600 fancy 600 40 398.50 $398.50 $2,391 +17.22
604–620 value added 605 38 353.00–370.00 $368.37 $2,229 +15.66
632–647 641 9 325.00–341.00 $337.14 $2,161 +12.31
659–698 value added 674 278 369.50–384.50 $377.58 $2,545 +22.81
675–697 690 10 320.00–340.00 $330.38 $2,280 +4.83
701–707 702 15 304.00–318.00 $305.88 $2,147 -6.62
715 thin fleshed 715 73 364.00 $364.00 $2,603 —
725 value added 725 66 345.00 $345.00 $2,501 +18.00
752–761 thin fleshed 753 72 364.00–364.75 $364.63 $2,746 —
765 765 1 313.00 $313.00 $2,394 +10.08
784 value added 784 62 335.50 $335.50 $2,630 +4.69
810 810 1 303.00 $303.00 $2,454 -0.57
824 value added 824 63 329.75 $329.75 $2,717 -4.33
864–899 value added 876 248 317.00–328.25 $320.28 $2,806 -4.15
958 958 32 281.00 $281.00 $2,692 +5.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,155 —
410 410 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,292 -22.50
490 490 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,666 +12.50
565–576 572 5 300.00–301.00 $300.40 $1,718 -15.86
695 695 1 317.00 $317.00 $2,203 +16.16
715–735 725 2 280.00–281.00 $280.49 $2,034 -8.51
750 750 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,081 —
830 830 1 291.00 $291.00 $2,415 —
892 892 12 270.00 $270.00 $2,408 —
935 935 2 242.50–250.00 $246.25 $2,302 -2.75
966 966 4 259.00 $259.00 $2,502 +19.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1131–1275 1155 6 200.00–269.00 $256.31 $2,960 —

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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 1 470.00 $470.00 $964 +15.00
275 fancy 275 2 435.00 $435.00 $1,196 +3.87
300–305 fancy 303 2 400.00–422.50 $411.34 $1,246 -5.02
340–345 343 2 395.00 $395.00 $1,355 —
352–395 372 7 375.00–397.50 $381.90 $1,421 -2.84
380 fancy 380 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,520 -2.69
400–445 fancy 426 19 380.00–395.00 $387.61 $1,651 +15.80
420–442 431 5 360.00–379.00 $369.33 $1,592 +14.00
450–491 475 17 350.00–375.00 $361.46 $1,717 +7.54
505–532 value added 520 5 350.00–362.50 $356.57 $1,854 +20.33
500–547 534 14 321.00–337.50 $326.60 $1,744 -0.53
550–590 570 16 320.00–342.50 $327.32 $1,866 +9.45
570–573 value added 572 94 345.00–360.00 $351.36 $2,010 +8.86
602–609 value added 606 22 320.00–325.00 $321.36 $1,947 -5.27
610–642 631 13 301.00–317.50 $311.94 $1,968 -2.09
664 value added 664 5 322.00 $322.00 $2,138 —
650–672 666 4 292.50–312.50 $303.72 $2,023 -1.89
701–728 value added 725 56 307.50–317.00 $308.48 $2,236 -14.35
769–775 value added 772 140 311.00–314.50 $312.79 $2,415 -6.43
802–821 value added 820 42 280.00–300.00 $281.36 $2,307 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–345 325 5 310.00–350.00 $339.12 $1,102 —
350–360 355 2 327.50–360.00 $343.52 $1,219 -15.25
455–493 475 41 300.00–347.50 $340.03 $1,615 +11.66
505–540 516 8 300.00–315.00 $305.95 $1,579 +23.45
570–595 578 7 265.00–310.00 $284.49 $1,644 +9.20
655–690 675 3 257.00–260.00 $259.03 $1,748 +31.05
700–730 710 4 230.00–277.50 $245.31 $1,742 -4.79
825 825 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,145 —
860 860 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,870 —
970 970 2 217.00 $217.00 $2,105 +47.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985 985 1 212.50 $212.50 $2,093 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–290 fancy 267 3 450.00–475.00 $466.88 $1,247 +12.66
295 295 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,128 —
315–330 fancy 323 2 422.50–425.00 $423.72 $1,369 -10.52
340 340 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,241 —
360–385 370 4 367.50–397.50 $387.96 $1,435 +7.96
375 fancy 375 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,500 -15.00
420–445 437 5 350.00–365.00 $359.58 $1,571 -21.71
455–480 464 7 350.00–383.00 $367.00 $1,703 -6.94
510–545 534 31 320.00–352.50 $323.49 $1,727 -10.83
555–575 569 9 320.00–340.00 $322.71 $1,836 -25.42
615–640 628 6 315.00–332.50 $327.09 $2,054 +27.03
660–680 667 3 312.50–332.50 $319.30 $2,130 +24.30
700–740 727 5 282.00–302.50 $293.90 $2,137 +9.36
780 780 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,067 -18.00
800–815 808 2 280.00–285.00 $282.48 $2,282 +42.48
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,147 —
350–395 373 6 250.00–320.00 $304.26 $1,135 —
405–430 412 5 300.00–340.00 $331.15 $1,364 -8.91
450–495 467 9 265.00–340.00 $321.69 $1,502 -22.82
500–535 521 6 280.00–317.50 $306.07 $1,595 -9.83
570–580 577 3 292.50–297.50 $295.85 $1,707 +3.09
600–645 618 3 281.00–302.50 $294.68 $1,821 +23.92
715 715 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,716 -21.17
890 890 1 223.00 $223.00 $1,985 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310 1310 80-85% 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,834 —
1130–1480 1311 80-85% 25 152.00–176.00 $161.24 $2,114 —
1320 1320 80-85% 1 97.50 $97.50 $1,287 —
1380 1380 80-85% 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,753 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–1095 948 85-90% 2 113.00–116.00 $114.27 $1,083 +0.75
835–1185 1006 85-90% 13 132.00–148.00 $139.39 $1,402 -0.43
925–1150 1022 85-90% 9 153.00–163.00 $156.33 $1,598 +16.51
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555–1600 1578 75-80% 2 133.00–145.00 $138.91 $2,192 —
1500–1985 1648 75-80% 9 153.00–186.00 $167.02 $2,752 -2.33

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1605 1392 3 185.00–192.00 $188.73 $2,627 —
1505 1505 1 150.00 $150.00 $2,258 —
1425–2025 1823 3 208.00–215.00 $212.41 $3,872 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,680 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
523 523 6 338.00 $338.00 $1,768 —

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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.