Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 11, 2025

1,537 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 $351.57/cwt +6.87 vs last sale · ≈ $2,736/hd at 778 lb · 159 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $349.40/cwt +27.65 vs last sale · ≈ $2,275/hd at 651 lb · 156 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $318.75/cwt -7.25 vs last sale · ≈ $2,974/hd at 933 lb · 105 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,537 1,220 2,000
Feeder cattle 1,433 1,113 1,874
Slaughter cattle 100 107 122
Replacement cattle 4 — 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 700 lbs sharply higher, over 700 lbs steady, Feeder heifers steady to 2.00 higher, except 400-500 lbs they were 8.00-12.00 higher, Very good demand for feeder classes and good demand for 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
215–220 fancy 218 2 450.00–485.00 $467.70 $1,020 +26.03
245 245 1 400.00 $400.00 $980 —
260–295 fancy 278 6 450.00–565.00 $497.45 $1,383 +12.45
300 300 2 405.00–417.50 $411.25 $1,234 —
335–345 fancy 340 2 480.00–530.00 $505.37 $1,718 +17.24
350–375 365 6 405.00–417.50 $413.11 $1,508 +10.56
370–395 fancy 377 6 475.00–550.00 $522.88 $1,971 +86.18
405–440 fancy 426 6 467.50–505.00 $482.14 $2,054 +60.08
430–448 445 8 392.00–410.00 $399.65 $1,778 —
475 475 1 417.50 $417.50 $1,983 +40.10
495–497 fancy 495 10 440.00–462.50 $444.76 $2,202 +33.51
503 503 4 372.00 $372.00 $1,871 +7.33
502–535 value added 513 11 397.50–419.00 $406.68 $2,086 +6.89
515 fancy 515 1 450.00 $450.00 $2,318 —
565–599 value added 585 20 387.50–415.00 $402.75 $2,356 +10.59
612–636 value added 616 62 386.00–407.00 $391.38 $2,411 +20.67
630–640 635 2 322.50–340.00 $331.18 $2,103 -2.68
656 value added 656 76 378.50 $378.50 $2,483 —
666 666 16 347.50 $347.50 $2,314 +6.87
750–781 774 26 319.00–328.00 $326.33 $2,526 +48.83
779 value added 779 133 356.50 $356.50 $2,777 +8.84
806 value added 806 68 339.75 $339.75 $2,738 +6.37
855 855 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,736 -5.00
879 value added 879 60 332.00 $332.00 $2,918 —
929–939 value added 933 105 318.00–319.75 $318.75 $2,974 -7.25
980 value added 980 56 313.75 $313.75 $3,075 —
990 990 3 270.00 $270.00 $2,673 -29.54
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,287 —
625 625 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,719 -33.67
746 746 4 299.00 $299.00 $2,231 +8.14
760–767 765 3 299.00–300.00 $299.33 $2,290 —
806 806 5 302.50 $302.50 $2,438 +10.83
860–871 869 5 282.50–300.00 $285.96 $2,485 -4.04
905–940 923 2 212.50–223.00 $217.65 $2,009 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,070 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 fancy 215 1 450.00 $450.00 $968 —
275–285 fancy 280 2 425.00–430.00 $427.54 $1,197 —
290 290 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,102 +15.00
315–330 324 4 365.00–380.00 $369.31 $1,197 —
340 fancy 340 3 435.00 $435.00 $1,479 +29.42
350–397 fancy 368 7 425.00–435.00 $430.74 $1,585 +17.84
406–440 fancy 419 22 405.00–422.50 $417.59 $1,750 +22.08
440 440 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,584 -5.31
453–475 fancy 467 12 382.50–413.00 $399.52 $1,866 +13.24
450–495 484 12 365.00–377.50 $371.28 $1,797 +3.75
500 value added 500 3 369.00 $369.00 $1,845 +10.09
520–546 539 6 322.50–340.00 $329.52 $1,776 -17.74
578–590 value added 582 8 352.50–360.00 $358.11 $2,084 +2.17
556–597 589 27 320.00–337.50 $324.24 $1,910 -17.84
606–628 value added 612 47 341.50–350.00 $343.91 $2,105 +6.41
600–640 630 4 303.00–320.00 $307.05 $1,934 -16.00
650 650 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,918 -26.75
650–651 value added 651 154 349.75–356.00 $350.11 $2,279 —
739 value added 739 8 320.00 $320.00 $2,365 —
763–764 value added 764 97 310.50–316.75 $314.30 $2,401 —
801–810 803 6 255.00–284.00 $259.88 $2,087 +0.92
900–945 915 3 245.00–255.00 $251.56 $2,302 -5.94
975 975 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,681 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
243 243 4 345.00 $345.00 $838 —
345 345 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,208 +0.39
350–360 355 2 310.00–340.00 $324.79 $1,153 +49.79
420 420 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,354 -14.82
510 510 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,606 —
565–570 568 2 285.00–300.00 $292.53 $1,662 —
625 625 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,781 —
678–683 681 6 285.00–291.00 $288.01 $1,961 —
718 718 3 232.50 $232.50 $1,669 —
780 780 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,677 —
850 850 1 242.50 $242.50 $2,061 —
980 980 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,156 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1145 1100 2 200.00–220.00 $210.41 $2,315 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 410.00 $410.00 $840 +10.00
280 fancy 280 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,330 +5.00
315 315 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,260 —
330–347 fancy 341 3 457.00–530.00 $480.53 $1,639 +8.03
355 355 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,491 +37.50
405–445 425 2 417.50–425.00 $421.07 $1,790 +26.41
410–447 fancy 426 8 447.50–495.00 $459.64 $1,958 —
455 455 1 402.50 $402.50 $1,831 +12.52
498 fancy 498 4 442.50 $442.50 $2,204 +40.28
508–532 fancy 518 5 390.00–437.50 $417.97 $2,165 +35.89
515–535 528 3 354.00–360.00 $355.95 $1,879 -5.17
595 595 1 375.00 $375.00 $2,231 +11.36
600–637 fancy 625 8 345.00–385.00 $356.65 $2,229 —
605–645 636 13 310.00–330.00 $318.41 $2,025 +3.55
680 680 1 307.50 $307.50 $2,091 -5.80
740–745 741 9 290.00–305.00 $300.00 $2,223 +18.27
760 760 1 290.50 $290.50 $2,208 +17.44
810 810 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,268 -11.00
855–880 870 3 250.00–275.00 $259.87 $2,261 -10.13
900–910 905 2 237.50–240.00 $238.74 $2,161 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–420 413 4 357.50–377.00 $366.78 $1,515 —
455–490 462 5 352.00–383.00 $375.20 $1,733 —
510–525 518 2 329.00–345.00 $336.88 $1,745 -5.62
565–575 566 8 325.00–330.00 $325.63 $1,843 -9.38
615 615 3 305.00 $305.00 $1,876 —
670–691 681 8 270.00–287.50 $278.43 $1,896 -0.57
705 705 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,798 -7.59
967 967 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,789 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,256 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1095 1008 85-90% 4 110.00–118.00 $114.36 $1,153 -43.70
935–1160 1066 85-90% 10 137.00–151.00 $143.24 $1,527 +13.48
1090–1120 1105 85-90% 2 156.00–159.00 $157.48 $1,740 +12.18
830–1380 1113 85-90% 9 122.00–133.00 $127.80 $1,422 -17.50
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 80-85% 1 92.50 $92.50 $1,119 —
1150–1395 1261 80-85% 8 155.00–172.50 $163.93 $2,067 +31.24
1235–1290 1263 80-85% 2 133.00–134.00 $133.51 $1,686 +0.82
1160–1485 1363 80-85% 8 140.00–151.00 $146.31 $1,994 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445–1660 1563 75-80% 3 142.00–153.00 $148.57 $2,322 —
1485–1860 1648 75-80% 8 161.00–177.00 $170.02 $2,802 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1975 1337 10 156.00–182.00 $169.45 $2,266 —
1610–2345 1971 4 183.00–195.00 $187.70 $3,700 -28.88

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
830–995 913 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 230.00–250.00 $239.10 $2,183

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1055–1360 1208 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,050.00–2,700.00 $2,416.05

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1182–1255 1206 6 150.00–165.00 $159.80 $1,927 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935 935 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,683 —

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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.