Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 31, 2025

1,017 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $344.09/cwt +38.13 vs last sale · ≈ $2,853/hd at 829 lb · 248 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $314.02/cwt +24.02 vs last sale · ≈ $3,096/hd at 986 lb · 115 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $349.92/cwt +20.75 vs last sale · ≈ $2,255/hd at 645 lb · 93 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,017 1,169 1,602
Feeder cattle 957 1,109 1,508
Slaughter cattle 48 59 82
Replacement cattle 12 1 12

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 800 lbs steady, Over 800 lbs 6.00-10.00 higher, Feeder and yearling heifers 6.00-10.00 higher, Good demand for feeders and very good demand for yearling loads. Slaughter cows 6.00-8.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 3.00-5.00 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
210 fancy 210 1 470.00 $470.00 $987 —
285 fancy 285 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,233 -4.44
310 310 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,194 +22.00
380 fancy 380 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,596 -10.00
445 445 2 362.50 $362.50 $1,613 -4.95
478–495 482 4 365.00–385.00 $379.87 $1,831 +6.31
505–535 520 2 367.50–370.00 $368.79 $1,918 +2.20
560 560 3 362.50 $362.50 $2,030 +12.50
610–625 value added 620 5 350.00–357.50 $353.00 $2,189 -10.03
635 635 1 337.50 $337.50 $2,143 +6.50
657–671 value added 663 7 345.00 $345.00 $2,287 -3.53
675–685 680 2 337.50–342.50 $339.98 $2,312 +14.44
710 value added 710 57 361.50 $361.50 $2,567 —
700–735 715 3 315.00–330.00 $324.04 $2,317 +0.04
750–777 764 4 320.00–327.50 $323.82 $2,474 -3.55
806–848 value added 829 248 339.75–346.75 $344.09 $2,853 —
855 855 1 337.50 $337.50 $2,886 +33.50
926 926 4 300.00 $300.00 $2,778 —
985–986 value added 986 115 312.25–315.75 $314.02 $3,096 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,353 —
490–495 493 2 330.00–340.00 $335.03 $1,652 -15.48
545 545 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,676 —
645 645 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,645 -38.65
692 692 2 295.00 $295.00 $2,041 —
760–775 768 3 260.00–301.00 $283.54 $2,178 -18.31
855–870 863 2 250.00–280.00 $264.87 $2,286 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 fancy 235 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,069 +5.00
310 fancy 310 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,256 —
310 310 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,147 -2.15
355–380 fancy 366 4 405.00–412.50 $409.39 $1,498 —
405–440 412 5 360.00–372.50 $364.92 $1,503 +19.51
400–440 fancy 414 4 387.50–400.00 $394.86 $1,635 +4.86
475–492 487 8 355.00–365.00 $361.53 $1,761 +7.29
500–525 508 4 320.00–340.00 $329.85 $1,676 -10.90
523–540 value added 526 5 347.50 $347.50 $1,828 —
550–590 565 10 322.50–332.50 $329.71 $1,863 +0.99
583 value added 583 7 350.00 $350.00 $2,040 —
608–635 619 5 312.50–320.00 $316.92 $1,962 +8.59
625–648 value added 646 88 340.00–353.00 $351.80 $2,273 +17.99
675–685 678 3 322.50–332.50 $325.87 $2,209 +14.94
685 value added 685 71 349.75 $349.75 $2,396 +23.04
700–730 708 4 280.00–302.50 $296.70 $2,101 —
728 value added 728 76 339.50 $339.50 $2,472 +12.75
754 value added 754 65 336.25 $336.25 $2,535 +17.25
750–785 768 2 280.00–287.50 $283.84 $2,180 -5.05
805 805 2 292.50 $292.50 $2,355 +5.61
885 885 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,478 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 330.00 $330.00 $874 -20.09
320 320 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,088 —
370–385 378 2 320.00–330.00 $324.90 $1,228 +14.90
460–465 463 3 334.00–345.00 $337.64 $1,563 +25.14
545 545 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,730 +72.50
565–585 576 4 285.00–317.50 $308.63 $1,778 +8.62
655–690 678 3 285.00–297.50 $292.41 $1,983 +12.53
780 780 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,521 —
800 800 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,080 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 fancy 205 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,025 +70.00
300 300 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,155 —
300–315 fancy 310 3 420.00–437.50 $431.85 $1,339 -8.31
360–390 375 2 362.50–382.50 $372.90 $1,398 -19.66
380–397 fancy 391 6 400.00–430.00 $422.61 $1,652 +4.47
405 405 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,438 -27.79
410–437 fancy 430 5 400.00–420.00 $409.95 $1,763 +10.95
455–485 469 10 360.00–385.00 $372.77 $1,748 -4.04
520–540 527 6 337.50–352.50 $340.88 $1,796 -1.45
523–541 fancy 533 9 360.00–367.50 $364.23 $1,941 —
550–593 572 6 330.00–357.50 $344.27 $1,969 +1.14
580 fancy 580 4 370.00 $370.00 $2,146 —
630–645 635 3 292.50–310.00 $300.08 $1,906 +13.08
640–642 fancy 642 6 340.00 $340.00 $2,183 +10.04
655 655 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,129 +23.04
705–745 725 2 280.00–305.00 $292.16 $2,118 +10.06
775–795 788 4 282.50–300.00 $292.43 $2,304 —
800 800 1 267.50 $267.50 $2,140 -4.25
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,074 -25.89
400–425 410 4 322.50–340.00 $335.73 $1,376 -19.27
455–495 471 5 325.00–337.50 $333.01 $1,568 -1.76
560–580 571 5 307.50–325.00 $317.06 $1,810 +0.35
605 605 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,770 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,686 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1465 1308 80-85% 14 155.00–179.00 $167.62 $2,192 —
1470 1470 80-85% 1 139.00 $139.00 $2,043 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–1110 1005 85-90% 6 132.00–149.00 $142.46 $1,432 +1.33
970–1190 1091 85-90% 5 155.00–187.00 $165.28 $1,803 +3.86
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–1865 1645 75-80% 10 153.00–184.00 $168.53 $2,772 —
1655 1655 75-80% 1 142.00 $142.00 $2,350 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370–1780 1508 3 195.00–204.00 $200.96 $3,030 —
1810–1935 1880 4 210.00–225.00 $216.92 $4,078 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
875 875 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,444

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
880 880 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00
900–1345 1098 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,550.00–2,950.00 $2,027.79
1105–1190 1148 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,450.00–2,475.00 $2,462.96
1105–1235 1178 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,925.00–2,375.00 $2,136.92

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805 805 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,050.00 $2,050.00

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 302.50 $302.50 $892 —

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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.