Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 25, 2025

1,237 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $353.88/cwt +27.88 vs last sale · ≈ $3,089/hd at 873 lb · 180 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $326.12/cwt ≈ $3,069/hd at 941 lb · 121 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $339.56/cwt +21.86 vs last sale · ≈ $2,570/hd at 757 lb · 90 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,237 1,085 1,977
Feeder cattle 1,182 1,005 1,898
Slaughter cattle 49 74 70
Replacement cattle 6 6 9

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers steady, Feeder and yearling heifers steady except 300-400 lbs they were 3.00-5.00 higher, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows steady, Slaughter bulls 2.00-4.00 higher, 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
205–225 fancy 218 3 450.00–515.00 $470.34 $1,025 -23.04
320–325 fancy 323 2 425.00–427.50 $426.26 $1,377 -1.24
385–395 fancy 390 2 430.00–452.50 $441.11 $1,720 +6.96
395 395 2 392.50–410.00 $401.25 $1,585 —
422–440 fancy 427 13 405.00–422.50 $414.38 $1,769 +6.13
430 430 1 387.50 $387.50 $1,666 +14.53
460 460 1 391.00 $391.00 $1,799 +6.23
510–512 fancy 511 4 417.50–422.50 $420.00 $2,146 —
502–535 value added 512 26 380.00–407.50 $400.61 $2,051 +12.52
552–594 value added 570 44 382.50–405.00 $393.17 $2,241 +8.49
570–596 587 6 362.50–377.50 $368.31 $2,162 +7.84
603–625 value added 615 13 372.50–381.00 $376.64 $2,316 +14.46
626 fancy 626 3 395.00 $395.00 $2,473 —
660–692 678 8 337.50–355.00 $346.40 $2,349 +1.36
675–680 value added 680 82 360.00–379.25 $378.55 $2,574 -5.23
741 value added 741 70 371.00 $371.00 $2,749 +23.00
757–795 764 14 325.00–336.00 $334.83 $2,558 —
855–888 value added 873 180 349.00–358.00 $353.88 $3,089 —
907–945 value added 941 121 319.75–332.50 $326.12 $3,069 —
960 value added 960 66 331.00 $331.00 $3,178 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440–446 445 4 320.00–332.50 $329.41 $1,466 -10.59
455–493 479 11 340.00–360.00 $355.33 $1,702 +23.11
560–580 570 2 320.00–350.00 $335.26 $1,911 +7.46
675 675 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,228 —
735 735 3 285.00–300.00 $290.00 $2,132 -10.44
786 786 4 305.00 $305.00 $2,397 -12.50
820–840 830 2 295.00–310.00 $302.59 $2,511 +11.59
855 855 1 317.00 $317.00 $2,710 +5.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–240 fancy 223 3 425.00–460.00 $440.75 $983 -4.25
255–288 fancy 281 5 415.00–430.00 $417.72 $1,174 -0.46
295 295 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,069 -32.50
330 330 2 361.00 $361.00 $1,191 +2.13
367–386 378 5 367.50–387.50 $379.74 $1,435 +18.74
420–435 427 9 365.00–377.50 $370.90 $1,584 +5.88
405–436 fancy 428 16 380.00–400.00 $390.63 $1,672 —
470 fancy 470 4 382.50 $382.50 $1,798 -0.86
470–498 482 19 360.00–377.00 $374.70 $1,806 +11.78
500–538 513 20 330.00–345.00 $336.55 $1,727 +7.78
506–536 value added 517 17 375.00–403.00 $392.75 $2,031 +19.42
552–575 557 11 330.00–343.00 $337.87 $1,882 +0.37
587 value added 587 12 361.00 $361.00 $2,119 -4.61
607 607 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,882 -19.32
615–635 value added 628 8 355.00–367.50 $362.91 $2,279 +9.17
655 value added 655 3 345.00 $345.00 $2,260 -15.00
753–778 value added 757 90 327.50–342.25 $339.56 $2,570 —
811 value added 811 57 333.25 $333.25 $2,703 —
852 852 40 314.00 $314.00 $2,675 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
371–395 376 7 327.50–350.00 $332.66 $1,251 +2.38
423–430 425 4 330.00–340.00 $337.47 $1,434 +14.83
450–495 473 8 320.00–350.00 $338.61 $1,602 +11.04
555–585 570 2 305.00–321.00 $313.21 $1,785 +12.88
640–643 642 4 252.50–260.00 $258.13 $1,657 -26.95
655–675 661 4 265.00–302.50 $279.40 $1,847 -11.41
707–730 720 6 260.00–279.00 $266.39 $1,918 -8.61
755 755 3 282.50–292.50 $289.17 $2,183 —
905–907 907 5 242.50–255.00 $252.50 $2,290 -24.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185 1185 4 190.00 $190.00 $2,252 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,304 —
485 485 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,455 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 fancy 230 1 435.00 $435.00 $1,000 -70.00
326 fancy 326 3 417.50 $417.50 $1,361 -4.94
350–385 fancy 370 4 407.50–445.00 $419.55 $1,552 -21.61
370 370 2 380.00–392.50 $386.25 $1,429 -13.75
400–435 fancy 417 15 409.00–437.50 $420.76 $1,755 +10.76
460–472 466 4 391.00–400.00 $395.44 $1,843 +26.12
500–515 510 3 362.50–377.50 $372.60 $1,900 +8.80
521–540 fancy 528 8 385.00–423.00 $411.94 $2,175 +11.94
560–575 fancy 569 5 385.00–402.50 $391.89 $2,230 —
550–595 578 10 352.50–377.50 $367.68 $2,125 +26.32
600 fancy 600 1 347.00 $347.00 $2,082 -9.60
640 640 3 312.50 $312.50 $2,000 -27.50
650–690 661 8 317.50–337.00 $327.66 $2,166 -12.69
785 785 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,355 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,408 -15.00
455–495 473 5 267.50–320.00 $291.68 $1,380 -30.82
510–545 528 2 275.00–297.50 $285.88 $1,509 -51.21
590 590 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,770 -6.40
625 625 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,688 —
655–695 674 5 250.00–302.50 $280.38 $1,890 -26.83
775 775 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,899 —
865 865 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,336 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1090 993 85-90% 3 105.00–115.00 $111.73 $1,109 —
920–1205 1085 85-90% 8 135.00–148.00 $141.63 $1,537 -16.19
1070–1135 1103 85-90% 2 153.00–155.00 $153.97 $1,698 —
1150–1155 1153 85-90% 2 129.00–132.00 $130.50 $1,505 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285 1285 80-85% 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,388 -25.00
1245–1365 1319 80-85% 4 142.00–152.00 $148.68 $1,961 —
1245–1490 1367 80-85% 6 155.00–168.00 $159.41 $2,179 -6.50
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515–1645 1570 75-80% 4 135.00–153.00 $147.31 $2,313 +1.22
1530–1730 1622 75-80% 3 160.00–169.00 $165.14 $2,679 +3.35

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1695 1695 1 182.00 $182.00 $3,085 —
1730 1730 1 193.00 $193.00 $3,339 -5.40
1460–2005 1820 3 196.00–211.00 $204.07 $3,714 +15.46

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
925–1090 1008 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 173.00–210.00 $193.01 $1,946

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1215 1215 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,375.00–1,775.00 $1,575.00
1280–1305 1293 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,875.00–2,475.00 $2,172.10

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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.