Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 12, 2026

1,314 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 $366.72/cwt -30.33 vs last sale · ≈ $2,698/hd at 736 lb · 103 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $417.63/cwt +15.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,368/hd at 567 lb · 96 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $505.34/cwt +22.65 vs last sale · ≈ $2,630/hd at 520 lb · 72 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,314 1,116 2,078
Feeder cattle 1,243 1,050 1,910
Slaughter cattle 65 62 144
Replacement cattle 6 4 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 600 lbs sharply higher, over 600 lbs 8.00-10.00 lower, Feeder heifers under 700 lbs steady, over 700 lbs 6.00-8.00 lower, Good demand for feeder classes and moderate demand for yearlings. 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
200 fancy 200 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,100 —
245 245 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,250 —
255–298 fancy 287 8 545.00–690.00 $583.92 $1,676 -11.94
295 295 1 502.50 $502.50 $1,482 —
325–335 fancy 331 7 560.00–675.00 $594.73 $1,969 -10.27
357–383 fancy 375 39 539.00–635.00 $565.68 $2,121 +14.45
368–392 380 7 495.00–525.00 $511.91 $1,945 —
422–431 fancy 428 24 505.00–565.00 $534.07 $2,286 -0.20
430–445 436 6 460.00–485.00 $464.16 $2,024 -3.34
455–467 463 3 465.00–487.00 $479.79 $2,221 +4.13
450–495 fancy 472 41 510.00–572.50 $536.29 $2,531 +16.38
506–532 515 6 453.00–477.50 $461.44 $2,376 —
510–544 value added 521 66 481.00–532.50 $509.33 $2,654 +26.64
557–592 570 31 445.00–472.50 $463.19 $2,640 —
552–587 value added 575 11 482.50–521.00 $508.39 $2,923 +33.39
601–649 value added 610 53 390.00–447.00 $438.86 $2,677 -18.40
610–640 630 3 355.00–363.00 $360.42 $2,271 —
650–697 value added 670 30 390.00–415.00 $400.52 $2,683 -29.98
725 725 3 331.00–347.50 $342.00 $2,480 —
707–743 value added 736 100 352.00–380.00 $367.46 $2,705 -29.59
750–755 753 2 322.50–330.00 $326.26 $2,457 —
752–782 value added 763 22 356.00–360.00 $357.75 $2,730 -39.75
815–830 819 30 320.00–339.50 $334.93 $2,743 -10.07
866 866 3 328.00 $328.00 $2,840 —
947 value added 947 58 325.50 $325.50 $3,082 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 381.00 $381.00 $1,981 —
598 598 3 367.50 $367.50 $2,198 —
635 635 6 340.00 $340.00 $2,159 —
737 737 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,211 —
830 830 1 317.00 $317.00 $2,631 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 fancy 225 1 565.00 $565.00 $1,271 -65.00
253–290 fancy 264 7 525.00–585.00 $555.56 $1,467 —
305–345 fancy 334 16 470.00–522.50 $493.62 $1,649 -9.05
350–385 367 9 447.50–465.00 $452.88 $1,662 +37.19
350–395 fancy 376 25 470.00–575.00 $505.73 $1,902 +16.14
410 410 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,804 +1.38
408–445 fancy 422 36 457.50–492.50 $477.61 $2,016 -9.14
460–481 fancy 470 28 457.00–490.00 $469.17 $2,205 +4.62
455–485 473 3 435.00–450.00 $441.78 $2,090 +14.56
505 505 2 377.50 $377.50 $1,906 —
500–538 value added 522 33 412.50–439.00 $424.73 $2,217 -2.12
552–587 value added 566 89 400.00–422.50 $419.42 $2,374 +7.56
570–588 581 7 383.00–399.00 $394.92 $2,294 +3.63
605–625 609 5 330.00–340.00 $337.95 $2,058 +7.95
607–633 value added 613 56 350.00–404.00 $385.82 $2,365 -4.06
655–662 660 3 320.00 $320.00 $2,112 -27.50
652–686 value added 669 36 360.00–370.00 $367.91 $2,461 -15.63
715–733 728 7 312.50–315.00 $314.30 $2,288 —
742 value added 742 51 349.75 $349.75 $2,595 -1.53
766–785 771 12 309.00–320.00 $317.20 $2,446 -15.75
791 791 5 343.00 $343.00 $2,713 +10.05
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,328 —
360–395 380 3 390.00–397.50 $393.40 $1,495 —
410–415 413 2 401.00–417.50 $409.30 $1,690 —
450–495 476 4 405.00–437.50 $421.94 $2,008 +26.94
595 595 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,844 -42.50
730 730 1 303.00 $303.00 $2,212 +14.41
750–760 755 2 262.00–305.00 $283.36 $2,139 —
805–815 810 2 253.00–267.50 $260.29 $2,108 —
905–945 925 2 247.50–265.00 $256.44 $2,372 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045 1045 1 295.00 $295.00 $3,083 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690 690 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,760 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 fancy 335 2 542.50–602.50 $572.50 $1,918 +11.25
350–395 fancy 365 6 517.50–622.50 $573.38 $2,093 -0.55
400–430 fancy 410 3 500.00–515.00 $505.24 $2,071 -36.59
447 447 2 450.00 $450.00 $2,012 —
455–492 fancy 477 9 487.50–521.00 $504.96 $2,409 -15.04
460–495 480 4 451.00–472.00 $465.16 $2,233 -17.34
505–525 fancy 513 16 447.00–510.00 $479.17 $2,458 -16.59
510–545 530 4 407.50–433.00 $420.70 $2,230 -16.80
555 fancy 555 1 475.00 $475.00 $2,636 +3.25
567–590 575 3 430.00–437.00 $432.40 $2,486 +2.46
601–632 fancy 613 23 377.50–429.00 $406.21 $2,490 -19.55
665–696 690 5 350.00 $350.00 $2,415 —
705–725 715 2 330.00–342.50 $336.34 $2,405 —
740 fancy 740 2 355.00 $355.00 $2,627 -7.45
750 fancy 750 1 353.00 $353.00 $2,648 —
765–795 778 5 321.00–345.00 $327.83 $2,551 -17.17
920 920 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,668 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–435 427 7 385.00–430.00 $401.27 $1,713 -18.73
495 495 2 431.00 $431.00 $2,133 —
530 530 1 387.50 $387.50 $2,054 +35.00
550–585 568 2 345.00–365.00 $355.31 $2,018 -44.69
695 695 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,172 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,645 —
605 605 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,003 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1155 993 85-90% 4 95.00–117.00 $105.87 $1,051 -22.48
950–1025 998 85-90% 4 160.00–175.00 $169.93 $1,696 +41.58
875–1170 1001 85-90% 7 122.50–135.00 $129.04 $1,292 —
925–1185 1078 85-90% 10 145.00–155.00 $149.67 $1,613 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1420 1303 80-85% 12 145.00–158.00 $152.89 $1,992 —
1200–1490 1349 80-85% 12 161.00–174.00 $166.46 $2,246 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560–1645 1603 75-80% 2 155.00–158.00 $156.46 $2,508 +4.15
1500–1830 1645 75-80% 5 165.00–169.00 $167.39 $2,754 +15.08

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1720 1720 2 190.00–196.00 $193.00 $3,320 —
1470–1985 1728 2 175.00–186.00 $181.32 $3,133 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
720 720 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 192.50 $192.50 $1,386
1095–1130 1110 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 179.00–181.00 $180.00 $1,998

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
985–1040 1013 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,750.00 $1,750.00

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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.