Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 26, 2026

1,203 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 $336.24/cwt -9.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,931/hd at 872 lb · 86 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $436.10/cwt +13.13 vs last sale · ≈ $2,737/hd at 628 lb · 80 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $330.09/cwt -5.69 vs last sale · ≈ $3,156/hd at 956 lb · 71 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,203 1,396 1,760
Feeder cattle 1,063 1,332 1,577
Slaughter cattle 136 56 147
Replacement cattle 4 8 36

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 600 lbs sharply higher, over 600 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers 12.00-15.00 higher, Very good demand for all feeder and 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
245 fancy 245 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,470 —
252 fancy 252 2 700.00 $700.00 $1,764 +147.20
310–325 fancy 318 3 625.00–680.00 $648.30 $2,062 +91.08
325 325 1 417.50 $417.50 $1,357 —
350–385 fancy 371 4 500.00–590.00 $553.62 $2,054 +25.86
400–445 fancy 420 18 485.00–565.00 $533.87 $2,242 +35.35
450–497 fancy 483 24 462.50–527.50 $514.08 $2,483 +10.16
500–510 505 2 402.50–410.00 $406.21 $2,051 +21.21
500–540 value added 516 16 457.50–545.00 $492.58 $2,542 +20.20
550 550 1 432.50 $432.50 $2,379 —
550–597 value added 576 46 441.00–495.00 $463.17 $2,668 +24.01
602–645 value added 627 75 407.50–449.00 $439.84 $2,758 +10.98
605–646 637 5 375.00–382.50 $380.07 $2,421 +10.07
653–676 value added 664 31 397.50–422.50 $413.69 $2,747 +12.74
685 685 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,534 +9.44
705–737 value added 712 15 373.00–390.00 $382.71 $2,725 -2.75
735 735 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,683 +18.35
765–787 776 14 349.00–361.00 $360.16 $2,795 +15.16
801–841 value added 812 67 341.00–351.00 $347.91 $2,825 -16.63
800–825 813 2 325.00–327.50 $326.23 $2,652 -25.86
852–875 value added 870 76 335.50–340.50 $336.53 $2,928 -9.35
885 885 10 334.00 $334.00 $2,956 -9.00
923–940 924 13 310.00–327.00 $321.23 $2,968 —
931 value added 931 18 330.50 $330.50 $3,077 -9.37
950 value added 950 60 333.50 $333.50 $3,168 -2.50
977–997 990 11 309.00–321.00 $311.52 $3,084 -11.48
1000 1000 12 291.00 $291.00 $2,910 -6.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,326 —
525 525 1 381.00 $381.00 $2,000 —
917 917 2 250.00 $250.00 $2,292 -49.49
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185 1185 2 272.50 $272.50 $3,229 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 fancy 235 1 590.00 $590.00 $1,386 —
280–290 fancy 285 3 500.00–610.00 $539.94 $1,539 +24.63
307–330 fancy 319 6 490.00–575.00 $546.58 $1,744 +58.54
350–395 fancy 373 17 462.50–527.50 $494.40 $1,844 +11.96
390–395 392 3 437.00–440.00 $438.01 $1,717 +68.01
402–445 fancy 416 28 445.00–525.00 $494.46 $2,057 +32.89
435 435 1 422.50 $422.50 $1,838 —
450–497 fancy 472 16 447.50–500.00 $463.44 $2,187 +3.99
455–498 486 7 425.00–443.00 $439.54 $2,136 +59.54
500–545 value added 527 34 392.50–455.00 $430.85 $2,271 +1.48
560–585 value added 563 26 400.00–432.50 $429.42 $2,418 +9.65
600–644 value added 619 62 372.50–408.00 $390.89 $2,420 +17.14
610–640 630 3 364.00–367.50 $365.13 $2,300 +25.97
655–685 665 17 340.00–367.50 $352.58 $2,345 +4.58
665 value added 665 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,460 -7.71
711–732 value added 718 20 350.00–370.00 $363.02 $2,606 +21.96
737 737 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,506 —
750–775 769 4 321.00–342.50 $331.05 $2,546 —
768–779 value added 774 21 359.00–361.00 $359.85 $2,785 +16.85
820 value added 820 1 342.50 $342.50 $2,808 +18.00
820–848 842 5 311.00–335.00 $315.67 $2,658 —
875–895 883 10 310.00 $310.00 $2,737 —
903–907 value added 903 17 322.00–325.00 $322.35 $2,911 —
905–947 937 5 285.00–307.50 $299.49 $2,806 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,728 +25.00
580–590 585 2 337.00–367.50 $352.12 $2,060 +8.52
625 625 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,062 +30.00
685 685 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,781 -60.00
715 715 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,145 —
765–795 780 2 292.50–315.00 $303.97 $2,371 —
855 855 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,394 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270 1270 1 187.50 $187.50 $2,381 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336–345 fancy 338 —— 5 520.00–585.00 $571.72 $1,932 +20.36
375 fancy 375 —— 2 555.00–570.00 $562.50 $2,109 +38.75
413–446 fancy 434 —— 17 482.50–567.50 $508.12 $2,205 +2.39
450–455 fancy 453 —— 2 485.00–512.50 $498.67 $2,259 -0.92
505–530 fancy 514 —— 10 457.50–525.00 $495.83 $2,549 +42.04
520–545 535 —— 4 412.50–430.00 $420.57 $2,250 +0.57
550–555 553 —— 2 420.00–425.00 $422.51 $2,336 +9.41
560–577 fancy 569 —— 4 440.00–457.50 $451.34 $2,568 -13.66
600–640 fancy 622 —— 5 395.00–425.00 $413.41 $2,571 +15.91
625–635 630 —— 2 371.00–387.50 $379.18 $2,389 +44.18
697 697 —— 2 367.50 $367.50 $2,561 —
765–795 780 —— 2 320.00–337.00 $328.34 $2,561 —
825 825 —— 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,578 —
890 890 —— 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,759 +10.00
915–940 928 —— 2 305.00–327.50 $316.10 $2,933 —
950 950 —— 1 327.50 $327.50 $3,111 +2.50
1215 1215 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 257.50 $257.50 $3,129 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 1 402.50 $402.50 $2,033 —
585 585 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,048 -12.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255 1255 80-85% 1 117.50 $117.50 $1,475 -33.32
1255–1370 1313 80-85% 3 127.50–132.50 $130.59 $1,715 -46.35
1190–1525 1327 80-85% 23 161.00–182.00 $168.90 $2,241 -8.04
1215–1490 1358 80-85% 15 137.00–160.00 $153.76 $2,088 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1070 948 85-90% 8 90.00–120.00 $109.19 $1,035 —
1000–1135 1063 85-90% 5 122.50–130.00 $125.52 $1,334 -40.21
835–1170 1067 85-90% 5 161.00–174.00 $166.53 $1,777 +0.80
875–1185 1082 85-90% 11 136.00–160.00 $148.08 $1,602 -17.65
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515–1555 1535 75-80% 2 158.00–159.00 $158.51 $2,433 —
1505–1770 1619 75-80% 8 161.00–182.00 $171.15 $2,771 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1710 1579 6 191.00–198.00 $195.44 $3,086 —
1625–2285 1893 3 182.00–186.00 $184.86 $3,499 —
1460–2295 1989 4 203.00–215.00 $208.68 $4,151 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
900–1320 1102 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 192.50–282.50 $219.47 $2,419

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900 value added 900 57 274.00 $274.00 $2,466 —

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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.