Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 4, 2025

1,220 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $344.70/cwt +44.70 vs last sale · ≈ $2,707/hd at 785 lb · 178 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $333.22/cwt +5.41 vs last sale · ≈ $2,795/hd at 839 lb · 133 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $326.00/cwt +0.75 vs last sale · ≈ $3,006/hd at 922 lb · 123 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,220 1,002 1,734
Feeder cattle 1,113 921 1,638
Slaughter cattle 107 69 96
Replacement cattle — 12 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

No Comparison due to Thanksgiving Holiday last week. However all classes sold with increased demand.

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
210–240 fancy 225 2 430.00–455.00 $441.67 $994 -43.33
290 290 1 387.50 $387.50 $1,124 —
295 fancy 295 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,431 —
305–335 fancy 320 4 450.00–530.00 $488.13 $1,562 +43.13
355–380 369 4 390.00–417.50 $402.55 $1,485 +12.55
350–386 fancy 377 8 422.50–467.50 $436.70 $1,646 -28.30
400–436 fancy 423 8 410.00–427.50 $422.06 $1,785 +5.77
455–495 469 6 360.00–387.50 $377.40 $1,770 —
478 fancy 478 6 402.50–420.00 $411.25 $1,966 —
505–535 518 8 360.00–367.50 $364.67 $1,889 +27.67
507–545 value added 518 12 385.00–410.00 $399.79 $2,071 —
555–575 value added 565 2 387.00–397.50 $392.16 $2,216 —
550–595 577 14 355.00–375.00 $366.65 $2,116 —
605–649 value added 633 42 355.00–379.00 $370.71 $2,347 +23.19
600–648 639 17 325.00–347.50 $333.86 $2,133 +13.35
652–673 665 5 330.00–347.50 $340.63 $2,265 +27.33
688–695 value added 695 76 353.75–359.00 $354.09 $2,461 —
710–732 724 13 317.50–328.00 $325.76 $2,359 —
744 value added 744 40 355.25 $355.25 $2,643 —
777 777 2 277.50 $277.50 $2,156 -22.50
780 780 14 320.00 $320.00 $2,496 +20.00
780–794 value added 786 162 339.50–350.50 $347.66 $2,733 —
820 820 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,562 —
831–847 value added 839 132 331.75–335.00 $333.38 $2,797 +5.57
860 860 12 325.00 $325.00 $2,795 +20.00
912–932 value added 922 123 324.50–327.50 $326.00 $3,006 +0.75
958–970 958 35 299.50–301.00 $299.54 $2,870 —
1000 1000 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,975 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 280.00 $280.00 $938 —
480 480 2 321.00–340.00 $330.50 $1,586 +70.50
625–640 636 4 272.50–322.50 $308.67 $1,963 —
667 667 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,101 —
710–715 712 3 280.00–302.50 $290.86 $2,071 —
800–805 803 3 290.00–295.00 $291.67 $2,342 +11.72
885 885 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,566 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110 1110 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,608 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 365.00 $365.00 $931 —
340–346 fancy 345 4 402.50–415.00 $405.58 $1,399 —
355–372 fancy 366 8 400.00–437.50 $412.90 $1,511 —
360–375 368 3 397.50 $397.50 $1,463 +13.95
400–437 fancy 424 4 392.50–400.00 $395.51 $1,677 —
425–430 428 3 362.50–371.00 $365.31 $1,564 -2.55
465–470 fancy 468 2 380.00–392.50 $386.28 $1,808 —
455–496 480 25 360.00–377.50 $367.53 $1,764 —
502–535 value added 517 9 350.00–367.50 $358.91 $1,856 —
505–530 518 2 347.00–347.50 $347.26 $1,799 +28.69
550–591 value added 574 15 350.00–365.00 $355.94 $2,043 —
570–597 585 5 337.50–347.50 $342.08 $2,001 +19.43
601–645 618 15 320.00–327.00 $323.05 $1,996 +17.68
638 value added 638 3 337.50 $337.50 $2,153 —
650–692 665 15 316.00–327.50 $321.75 $2,140 +27.86
735–743 737 10 283.00–302.50 $296.00 $2,182 —
770–780 775 2 280.00–297.50 $288.81 $2,238 —
802–825 810 3 255.00–261.00 $258.96 $2,098 -6.03
851–858 855 6 239.00–267.50 $253.19 $2,165 —
945 945 1 257.50 $257.50 $2,433 -2.50
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–325 320 2 325.00–375.00 $349.61 $1,119 +39.14
350 350 1 275.00 $275.00 $962 -45.00
415–435 425 2 330.00–345.00 $337.32 $1,434 +42.91
460–485 473 4 330.00–350.00 $339.47 $1,606 +57.58
800 800 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,840 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155 1155 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,426 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 400.00 $400.00 $940 —
280 fancy 280 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,316 +5.00
335 fancy 335 1 472.50 $472.50 $1,583 +48.79
375 375 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,434 -13.64
390 fancy 390 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,687 —
442–445 443 3 390.00–397.00 $394.66 $1,748 +1.33
458–480 fancy 464 4 400.00–403.00 $402.22 $1,866 —
470–495 487 7 382.50–393.00 $389.98 $1,899 +5.08
508–515 fancy 510 6 380.00–382.50 $382.08 $1,949 -0.88
502–540 517 6 354.00–375.00 $361.12 $1,867 +10.65
565 fancy 565 1 385.00 $385.00 $2,175 +1.32
575–585 576 10 352.50–370.00 $363.64 $2,095 +13.14
615–645 628 4 300.00–320.00 $314.86 $1,977 -3.12
655–695 675 10 305.00–329.00 $313.30 $2,115 +5.80
700–730 715 2 281.00–282.50 $281.73 $2,014 -8.24
710–730 fancy 720 2 312.50–317.50 $314.97 $2,268 —
765–780 774 4 265.00–282.50 $273.06 $2,113 -26.94
806 806 3 291.00 $291.00 $2,345 +8.50
895 895 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,416 —
965 965 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,171 -30.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,850 +42.50
575–577 576 3 325.00–340.00 $335.01 $1,930 +75.01
680–687 684 5 277.50–280.00 $279.00 $1,908 —
700–735 717 3 250.00–275.00 $262.59 $1,883 —
770 770 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,694 —
800–835 820 4 222.50–252.50 $238.62 $1,957 —
895 895 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,522 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1355 1277 80-85% 3 131.00–134.00 $132.69 $1,694 +2.25
1165–1480 1315 80-85% 18 135.00–154.00 $145.67 $1,916 +4.22
1205–1475 1322 80-85% 19 155.00–175.00 $163.26 $2,158 +21.81
1270–1390 1330 80-85% 2 110.00 $110.00 $1,463 -31.45
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1070 1013 85-90% 2 157.00–159.00 $158.06 $1,601 +53.15
935–1160 1044 85-90% 5 104.00–118.00 $113.16 $1,181 +8.25
935–1200 1059 85-90% 10 120.00–134.00 $129.76 $1,374 —
860–1220 1118 85-90% 12 135.00–154.00 $145.30 $1,624 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540–1740 1611 75-80% 8 159.00–174.00 $166.64 $2,685 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1760–1790 1775 2 171.00–188.00 $179.57 $3,187 —
1920 1920 1 196.00 $196.00 $3,763 —
1625–2185 1978 6 211.00–220.00 $216.58 $4,284 —

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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.