Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 28, 2025

1,700 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 $337.59/cwt ≈ $3,072/hd at 910 lb · 236 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $335.78/cwt +1.28 vs last sale · ≈ $3,257/hd at 970 lb · 196 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $387.51/cwt +8.51 vs last sale · ≈ $2,802/hd at 723 lb · 155 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,700 1,091 218
Feeder cattle 1,636 1,026 150
Slaughter cattle 61 56 61
Replacement cattle 3 9 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers steady on the high quality offering and 3.00-5.00 lower on the average to plain quality calves, Feeder heifers 2.00-4.00 lower except 400-500 lbs and 600-700 lbs they were 5.00-8.00 higher, Good demand for the high quality offering and moderate demand for plainer fleshier calves, 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
250–285 fancy 264 4 460.00–590.00 $535.88 $1,415 +50.88
350 fancy 350 2 522.50 $522.50 $1,829 +22.50
405–445 fancy 429 7 455.00–495.00 $472.58 $2,027 -7.88
438–440 438 9 422.50–425.00 $423.06 $1,853 —
450–477 fancy 468 3 432.50–457.50 $440.51 $2,062 -20.21
450–495 477 18 400.00–422.50 $417.20 $1,990 +11.37
500–538 value added 520 33 390.00–440.00 $421.65 $2,193 +21.65
530–531 531 6 357.00–375.00 $365.99 $1,943 —
556–590 566 38 350.00–377.50 $362.46 $2,052 -19.40
571 value added 571 3 391.00 $391.00 $2,233 -34.00
601–645 value added 620 23 355.00–393.00 $375.15 $2,326 -14.06
602–649 628 15 333.00–351.00 $338.51 $2,126 -16.49
653–690 value added 661 27 360.00–405.00 $391.31 $2,587 -16.36
660–695 675 21 330.00–352.50 $340.26 $2,297 —
698 fancy 698 64 413.25 $413.25 $2,884 —
708–744 value added 716 103 355.00–391.00 $386.14 $2,765 +2.66
715–736 734 12 332.00–340.00 $332.65 $2,442 +6.16
738 fancy 738 40 407.50 $407.50 $3,007 —
782–792 value added 787 32 353.00–358.00 $355.67 $2,799 —
799 799 5 320.00 $320.00 $2,557 —
800–846 819 8 320.00–339.00 $327.36 $2,681 —
826 value added 826 31 368.50 $368.50 $3,044 —
880 880 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,904 +9.00
900–934 value added 910 236 321.50–347.75 $337.59 $3,072 —
952–991 value added 970 196 325.50–340.00 $335.78 $3,257 +1.28
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555–595 575 7 330.00–340.00 $336.02 $1,932 —
615–630 625 3 282.50–320.00 $307.70 $1,923 —
670–695 683 2 310.00–325.00 $317.64 $2,169 —
725–740 734 5 247.00–300.00 $285.90 $2,099 —
755 755 1 307.50 $307.50 $2,322 —
810–815 813 5 295.00–311.00 $307.39 $2,499 —
910 910 1 291.00 $291.00 $2,648 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1207 1207 6 250.00 $250.00 $3,018 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
287–290 fancy 288 3 490.00–495.00 $491.68 $1,416 —
315–333 fancy 329 5 442.50–457.50 $454.63 $1,496 +37.13
345 345 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,311 +2.65
350–395 382 5 377.50–392.50 $382.26 $1,460 +8.26
400–447 fancy 422 9 380.00–397.50 $388.43 $1,639 -0.02
405–448 433 19 350.00–377.50 $371.72 $1,610 +5.78
451–493 fancy 477 30 380.00–395.00 $386.69 $1,845 +1.69
482–498 493 11 359.00–377.50 $366.79 $1,808 -2.40
510–535 value added 526 8 352.50–372.50 $366.70 $1,929 +2.62
510–546 540 18 320.00–338.00 $334.79 $1,808 -5.25
550–583 value added 569 26 360.00–374.00 $366.33 $2,084 +7.95
555–581 571 13 320.00–345.00 $330.75 $1,889 -5.99
600–640 623 11 325.00–337.50 $332.43 $2,071 +18.89
600–639 value added 629 25 343.00–365.00 $354.46 $2,230 +24.46
650–665 655 3 335.00–337.50 $335.85 $2,200 +10.85
664–692 value added 672 46 357.50–364.00 $363.09 $2,440 —
712–746 value added 713 143 336.00–354.75 $345.95 $2,467 —
715–727 723 3 302.50–320.00 $308.27 $2,229 —
753–777 758 10 325.00–328.00 $327.38 $2,482 —
810 810 1 282.50 $282.50 $2,288 +5.00
816 value added 816 23 339.50 $339.50 $2,770 +4.50
875 875 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,494 —
920 920 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,392 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–395 378 2 330.00–361.00 $346.22 $1,309 —
402–447 434 7 330.00 $330.00 $1,432 —
455–495 471 5 277.50–332.50 $307.87 $1,450 —
500–537 529 9 285.00–307.00 $302.38 $1,600 -20.12
550–597 567 9 280.00–307.50 $299.76 $1,700 -1.66
615–625 620 2 250.00–281.00 $265.38 $1,645 -20.62
675 675 4 263.00–310.00 $297.00 $2,005 —
705 705 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,097 +12.50
790 790 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,350 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 fancy 330 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,716 +63.84
350–395 fancy 376 5 420.00–500.00 $470.40 $1,769 +13.55
400–445 fancy 421 13 425.00–510.00 $471.25 $1,984 +11.30
435 435 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,718 +2.50
450–480 fancy 466 15 407.50–442.50 $422.82 $1,970 -9.15
465–495 488 8 372.50–395.00 $382.24 $1,865 -4.99
510–535 fancy 523 2 382.50–383.00 $382.76 $2,002 -15.21
505–546 527 20 353.00–377.50 $365.72 $1,927 -1.82
550–565 558 2 355.00–360.00 $357.53 $1,995 -14.35
570–582 fancy 578 3 383.00–401.00 $388.92 $2,248 +6.42
605 fancy 605 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,148 +1.68
610–645 623 12 320.00–345.00 $334.06 $2,081 -1.06
685–690 686 7 321.00–337.50 $328.86 $2,256 +8.86
715–730 722 3 300.00–322.50 $312.44 $2,256 +2.44
795 795 1 299.00 $299.00 $2,377 +9.00
810–831 827 5 267.00–280.00 $269.55 $2,229 -5.37
885 885 1 262.50 $262.50 $2,323 -12.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
422–430 425 5 307.50–365.00 $347.36 $1,476 —
457–495 481 6 327.50–360.00 $344.99 $1,659 —
500–535 505 7 280.00–337.50 $326.89 $1,651 —
560–595 579 6 317.50–342.50 $329.91 $1,910 +21.11
605 605 3 291.00 $291.00 $1,761 —
680 680 2 300.00–315.00 $307.50 $2,091 +21.05
815 815 1 241.00 $241.00 $1,964 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1280 1245 80-85% 2 126.00–132.00 $128.92 $1,605 -20.42
1170–1300 1246 80-85% 4 143.00–159.00 $151.93 $1,893 +2.59
1285 1285 80-85% 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,414 -25.00
1245–1540 1412 80-85% 11 160.00–173.00 $164.48 $2,322 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1080 1024 85-90% 4 123.00–135.00 $126.91 $1,300 -4.52
1085 1085 85-90% 1 99.00 $99.00 $1,074 -10.00
995–1180 1090 85-90% 6 142.00–157.00 $149.91 $1,634 +40.91
1105–1170 1130 85-90% 4 160.00–172.00 $166.30 $1,879 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1430 1430 75-80% 1 153.00 $153.00 $2,188 —
1510–1845 1656 75-80% 4 165.00–179.00 $169.86 $2,813 +13.31

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420 1420 1 163.00 $163.00 $2,315 —
1395–1980 1704 4 189.00–203.00 $194.29 $3,311 —
1665–1955 1810 2 210.00–211.00 $210.46 $3,809 —

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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
1065 1065 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,300.00 $3,300.00 —
1320–1380 1350 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 3,200.00–3,350.00 $3,276.67 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,001 —

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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.