Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 5, 2026

1,116 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $397.05/cwt +15.45 vs last sale · ≈ $2,902/hd at 731 lb · 84 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $389.07/cwt -0.63 vs last sale · ≈ $2,436/hd at 626 lb · 74 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $383.02/cwt +29.47 vs last sale · ≈ $2,609/hd at 681 lb · 69 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,116 1,203 725
Feeder cattle 1,050 1,063 662
Slaughter cattle 62 136 51
Replacement cattle 4 4 12

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs steady, 600 lbs and up 3.00-5.00 higher. Feeder heifers mostly steady, Good demand for 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
260–295 fancy 269 10 525.00–640.00 $595.86 $1,603 -104.14
330 fancy 330 1 605.00 $605.00 $1,996 -43.30
370–385 fancy 378 3 520.00–585.00 $551.23 $2,084 -2.39
405–435 fancy 424 9 505.00–550.00 $534.27 $2,265 +0.40
430 430 1 467.50 $467.50 $2,010 —
453–475 fancy 465 20 510.00–537.50 $519.91 $2,418 +5.83
460–471 468 4 470.00–477.50 $475.66 $2,226 —
500–535 value added 519 4 462.50–492.50 $482.69 $2,505 -9.89
556 value added 556 3 475.00 $475.00 $2,641 +11.83
605–649 value added 626 53 430.00–466.00 $457.26 $2,862 +17.42
661 value added 661 19 430.50 $430.50 $2,846 +16.81
695 695 1 385.00 $385.00 $2,676 +15.00
700–746 value added 731 84 370.00–400.00 $397.05 $2,902 +14.34
761 value added 761 4 397.50 $397.50 $3,025 —
826 826 3 345.00 $345.00 $2,850 +18.77
899 value added 899 57 349.75 $349.75 $3,144 +13.22
911–945 918 5 326.00–328.00 $327.59 $3,007 +6.36
954 value added 954 60 338.75 $338.75 $3,232 +5.25
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1222 1150 3 232.50–252.50 $238.33 $2,741 -34.17

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
212 fancy 212 4 630.00 $630.00 $1,336 +40.00
295 295 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,431 —
315–345 fancy 323 8 450.00–517.50 $502.67 $1,624 -43.91
330 330 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,370 —
350–380 fancy 364 8 452.50–515.00 $489.59 $1,782 -4.81
350–385 368 3 407.50–422.50 $415.69 $1,530 -22.32
400–433 fancy 424 24 450.00–492.50 $486.75 $2,064 -7.71
420–445 435 7 427.50–445.00 $438.62 $1,908 +16.12
456–485 fancy 480 22 450.00–468.00 $464.55 $2,230 +1.11
480–495 493 8 417.50–435.00 $427.22 $2,106 -12.32
500–545 value added 521 50 410.00–450.00 $426.85 $2,224 -4.00
547 547 4 390.00 $390.00 $2,133 —
555–575 567 13 380.00–394.00 $391.29 $2,219 —
557–595 value added 577 15 400.00–415.00 $411.86 $2,376 -17.56
600–635 value added 626 73 362.50–401.00 $389.88 $2,441 -1.01
635 635 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,096 -35.13
650–695 value added 681 68 362.50–402.50 $383.54 $2,612 +13.54
695 695 1 347.50 $347.50 $2,415 -5.08
702–742 value added 722 4 350.00–352.50 $351.28 $2,536 -11.74
763–796 value added 781 53 344.00–356.00 $347.55 $2,714 -12.30
777–794 790 9 320.00–340.00 $332.95 $2,630 +1.90
811–825 821 20 319.50–330.00 $322.16 $2,645 +6.49
890 890 3 327.50 $327.50 $2,915 +17.50
900–921 908 28 300.00–316.00 $307.47 $2,792 +7.98
1000 1000 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,900 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,936 —
505–545 525 2 325.00–347.50 $336.68 $1,768 +16.68
570 570 2 350.00–355.00 $352.50 $2,009 +0.38
625 625 1 292.50 $292.50 $1,828 -37.50
685–695 690 3 295.00–322.50 $306.71 $2,116 +46.71
725–735 730 2 265.00–312.50 $288.59 $2,107 -11.41
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145 1145 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,176 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,134 —
290 fancy 290 2 595.00–605.00 $600.00 $1,740 —
325 fancy 325 2 535.00–587.50 $561.25 $1,824 -10.47
345 345 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,656 —
365–387 fancy 376 19 520.00–600.00 $573.93 $2,158 +11.43
410–441 fancy 436 12 505.00–552.50 $541.83 $2,362 +33.71
470 470 2 475.00–490.00 $482.50 $2,268 —
480 fancy 480 5 520.00 $520.00 $2,496 +21.33
515–545 fancy 529 20 472.50–505.00 $495.76 $2,623 -0.07
540 540 1 437.50 $437.50 $2,362 +16.93
555–580 563 4 422.50–442.50 $429.94 $2,421 +7.43
560–585 fancy 572 9 457.50–535.00 $471.75 $2,698 +20.41
600–647 fancy 612 17 410.00–437.50 $425.76 $2,606 +12.35
715–732 fancy 725 4 357.50–370.00 $362.45 $2,628 —
765 765 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,639 +16.66
885 885 1 282.50 $282.50 $2,500 -27.50
1030 1030 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,730 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,848 —
500 500 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,762 -50.00
555 555 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,220 +50.00
805 805 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,174 —
950 950 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,995 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–880 843 85-90% 2 104.00–107.50 $105.83 $892 —
900–1140 991 85-90% 6 123.00–134.00 $128.35 $1,272 —
850–1160 1043 85-90% 6 138.00–154.00 $146.40 $1,527 —
1110–1120 1115 85-90% 2 161.00–182.50 $171.70 $1,914 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1300 1273 80-85% 2 162.00–169.00 $165.58 $2,108 +48.08
1270–1315 1293 80-85% 3 126.00–134.00 $130.31 $1,685 —
1245–1405 1352 80-85% 5 140.00–156.00 $147.70 $1,997 -6.06
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–1610 1588 75-80% 2 172.00–180.00 $175.94 $2,794 —
1565–1690 1619 75-80% 4 147.00–157.00 $152.31 $2,466 -18.84

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1345 1260 2 164.00–182.00 $172.39 $2,172 —
1240–1615 1428 2 190.00–195.00 $192.83 $2,754 —
1795 1795 1 204.00 $204.00 $3,662 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
980–1140 1060 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 175.00–191.00 $183.60 $1,946
1040–1170 1105 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 181.00–215.00 $197.00 $2,177

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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.