Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 22, 2026

1,053 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $384.54/cwt -25.63 vs last sale · ≈ $2,567/hd at 668 lb · 87 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $371.48/cwt +8.51 vs last sale · ≈ $2,159/hd at 581 lb · 61 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $394.98/cwt +1.04 vs last sale · ≈ $1,886/hd at 477 lb · 59 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,053 920 1,393
Feeder cattle 985 814 1,346
Slaughter cattle 66 104 46
Replacement cattle 2 2 1

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers and heifers unevenly steady, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 8.00-10.00 higher, Slaughter 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
255–270 fancy 265 5 475.00–500.00 $482.83 $1,279 +4.76
300–335 fancy 321 6 490.00–510.00 $500.42 $1,606 -11.38
356–396 fancy 374 9 432.50–525.00 $483.61 $1,809 -44.10
360–395 378 2 395.00–415.00 $405.46 $1,533 -14.54
400–411 fancy 408 4 495.00–510.00 $498.67 $2,035 —
450–490 fancy 465 22 425.00–513.00 $461.74 $2,147 +6.91
509–515 fancy 509 25 485.00–502.50 $488.70 $2,487 —
500–547 value added 528 32 405.00–465.00 $440.54 $2,326 +2.87
550–595 564 4 370.00–390.00 $384.72 $2,170 -28.28
556–590 value added 580 17 400.00–419.00 $416.64 $2,417 -28.23
616–638 value added 627 6 390.00–412.50 $401.05 $2,515 -26.81
630 630 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,079 -73.74
661–697 value added 667 85 360.00–399.50 $385.35 $2,570 -28.65
692 692 2 350.00 $350.00 $2,422 —
708–726 value added 719 35 350.00–365.00 $362.28 $2,605 +2.87
720–730 727 3 330.00–340.00 $333.30 $2,423 -14.20
759–776 value added 762 45 347.00–359.00 $351.46 $2,678 -6.54
760–775 768 3 323.00–331.00 $327.17 $2,513 -17.83
800–833 831 24 321.00–343.00 $330.26 $2,744 -5.48
850–851 851 9 330.00–344.00 $342.45 $2,914 +17.66
922 value added 922 57 333.00 $333.00 $3,070 -9.77
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
526 526 3 330.00 $330.00 $1,736 -2.50
580 580 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,030 —
922–935 922 46 306.00–306.50 $306.49 $2,826 +26.49
975 975 1 307.50 $307.50 $2,998 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
620 620 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,922 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 fancy 250 2 475.00–485.00 $480.00 $1,200 -0.73
250 250 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,012 —
315–345 fancy 337 5 435.00–477.50 $452.29 $1,524 +11.76
360–393 fancy 382 19 420.00–487.50 $448.44 $1,713 +17.58
407–442 fancy 424 11 417.50–445.00 $432.09 $1,832 +7.58
445 445 1 389.00 $389.00 $1,731 +7.69
460–481 fancy 468 28 395.00–430.00 $406.93 $1,904 -10.48
460–495 486 31 372.00–392.50 $384.18 $1,867 -1.93
500–525 513 2 340.00–355.00 $347.32 $1,782 +1.71
503–545 value added 524 18 361.00–386.00 $374.77 $1,964 -8.96
562–570 565 3 340.00–350.00 $343.36 $1,940 +0.46
553–588 value added 582 58 365.00–390.00 $372.93 $2,170 +4.64
605–647 value added 621 17 357.50–376.00 $372.55 $2,314 +5.92
622–647 635 4 330.00 $330.00 $2,096 —
655–663 662 10 330.00–340.00 $338.20 $2,239 +3.20
708–725 value added 709 29 329.00–330.00 $329.04 $2,333 —
727 727 12 315.00 $315.00 $2,290 -13.68
761–780 766 4 300.00–305.00 $301.27 $2,308 —
823 823 3 307.00 $307.00 $2,527 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485–495 490 2 330.00–342.50 $336.31 $1,648 —
595 595 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,919 -10.00
600 600 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,800 +13.25
655–675 665 2 297.50–312.50 $304.89 $2,028 +4.80
706 706 4 275.00 $275.00 $1,942 —
770–782 778 3 277.50–285.00 $279.97 $2,178 -12.24
950 950 3 227.50 $227.50 $2,161 —
1090 1090 2 233.00 $233.00 $2,540 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,069 —
305 fancy 305 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,540 —
350–395 fancy 379 14 442.50–482.50 $458.06 $1,736 -66.94
410–437 fancy 433 13 445.00–520.00 $504.50 $2,184 +27.02
450–493 fancy 482 18 475.00–497.50 $479.58 $2,312 +15.43
460–495 483 3 392.50–407.50 $402.74 $1,945 +24.47
514–535 fancy 519 19 397.50–455.00 $425.81 $2,210 +10.81
560 560 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,072 -5.00
585 fancy 585 1 415.00 $415.00 $2,428 +4.76
605–630 fancy 617 15 350.00–386.00 $382.34 $2,359 +3.61
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
587 587 2 347.50 $347.50 $2,040 —
745 745 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,049 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1250 1248 80-85% 2 121.00–129.00 $124.99 $1,560 —
1195–1460 1325 80-85% 7 137.00–152.00 $146.56 $1,942 -13.24
1205–1490 1328 80-85% 24 155.00–183.00 $167.14 $2,220 +7.34
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–1165 1048 85-90% 6 121.00–133.00 $127.46 $1,336 +38.94
1035–1160 1085 85-90% 4 137.50–154.00 $146.76 $1,592 +0.89
1135–1175 1156 85-90% 4 166.00–181.00 $172.07 $1,989 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515–1865 1653 75-80% 8 162.00–167.00 $164.98 $2,727 +5.94

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270 1270 1 174.00 $174.00 $2,210 —
1105–1615 1415 3 183.00–186.00 $185.22 $2,621 —
1450–1970 1780 4 198.00–202.00 $200.27 $3,565 +21.53

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1175–1335 1255 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 194.00–195.00 $194.47 $2,441

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
974 value added 974 58 245.50 $245.50 $2,391 —
1076 value added 1076 50 240.50 $240.50 $2,588 —

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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.