Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 19, 2026

1,585 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $413.57/cwt +31.67 vs last sale · ≈ $2,550/hd at 616 lb · 164 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $422.98/cwt +22.46 vs last sale · ≈ $2,876/hd at 680 lb · 149 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $331.55/cwt +6.05 vs last sale · ≈ $3,083/hd at 930 lb · 129 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,585 1,314 1,664
Feeder cattle 1,494 1,243 1,570
Slaughter cattle 84 65 90
Replacement cattle 7 6 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 700 lbs sharply higher, over 700 lbs 6.00-10.00 higher, Feeder and yearling heifers sharply higher, Very good demand for a high quality set of feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 10.00-12.00 higher, Slaughter bulls 8.00-10.00 higher, Very 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
235–240 fancy 238 2 590.00–625.00 $607.68 $1,446 —
261–280 fancy 263 8 620.00–710.00 $698.04 $1,836 +114.12
300–345 fancy 329 17 540.00–705.00 $623.55 $2,051 +28.82
354–398 fancy 377 25 500.00–610.00 $584.97 $2,205 +19.29
402–440 fancy 427 11 520.00–580.00 $566.98 $2,421 +32.91
450–490 475 3 460.00–482.50 $471.40 $2,239 -8.39
453–499 fancy 481 42 510.00–550.00 $539.36 $2,594 +3.07
505 505 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,247 -16.44
507–545 value added 525 21 490.00–522.50 $505.26 $2,653 -4.07
551–579 value added 561 114 485.00–529.00 $521.85 $2,928 +13.46
572–588 584 10 447.50–470.00 $463.62 $2,708 +0.43
617–624 fancy 621 25 498.00–500.00 $498.71 $3,097 —
630 630 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,268 -0.42
605–645 value added 632 43 395.00–483.00 $461.92 $2,919 +23.06
655–698 value added 680 149 395.00–436.00 $422.98 $2,876 +22.46
715–746 value added 735 12 360.00–386.00 $383.13 $2,816 +15.67
735 735 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,572 +8.00
755–797 value added 789 28 360.00–379.00 $371.18 $2,929 +13.43
790–795 793 2 330.00–347.00 $338.53 $2,685 —
835 value added 835 68 359.00 $359.00 $2,998 —
850 value added 850 62 355.75 $355.75 $3,024 —
855–885 872 20 327.50–335.00 $331.02 $2,886 +3.02
928–930 928 13 315.00–321.00 $320.54 $2,975 —
925–936 value added 930 116 330.50–335.00 $332.78 $3,095 +7.28
953 953 3 320.00 $320.00 $3,050 —
1020 1020 1 305.00 $305.00 $3,111 —
1077 1077 7 294.50 $294.50 $3,172 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 382.50 $382.50 $2,276 +15.00
835 835 2 280.00–310.00 $295.00 $2,463 -22.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205 1205 1 260.00 $260.00 $3,133 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–295 fancy 277 12 595.00–630.00 $617.89 $1,712 +62.33
310–335 fancy 323 11 557.50–620.00 $575.93 $1,860 +82.31
350–397 fancy 378 8 500.00–535.00 $515.29 $1,948 +9.56
370–395 385 6 457.50–482.50 $472.55 $1,819 +19.67
402–442 fancy 425 13 465.00–510.00 $488.20 $2,075 +10.59
410–440 428 4 440.00–460.00 $452.34 $1,936 +12.34
450–496 fancy 470 38 462.50–482.50 $470.54 $2,212 +1.37
470–483 479 6 440.00–457.50 $445.37 $2,133 +3.59
510 510 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,938 +2.50
500–542 value added 529 55 399.00–443.00 $434.76 $2,300 +10.03
550–593 value added 576 30 400.00–437.00 $419.03 $2,414 -0.39
585 585 3 390.00 $390.00 $2,282 -4.92
611 fancy 611 123 420.00 $420.00 $2,566 —
600–640 value added 633 41 352.50–402.00 $394.27 $2,496 +8.45
650–699 value added 676 35 355.00–377.50 $363.37 $2,456 -4.54
695 695 3 327.00 $327.00 $2,273 +7.00
707–743 717 21 329.00–347.50 $340.96 $2,445 +26.66
721–738 value added 724 82 351.00–370.00 $366.50 $2,653 +16.75
760–785 777 4 327.00–345.00 $337.40 $2,622 +20.20
781 value added 781 5 354.00 $354.00 $2,765 —
813 813 3 315.00 $315.00 $2,561 —
800–830 value added 822 8 335.00–341.00 $337.22 $2,772 —
885 885 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,832 —
900 900 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,835 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 381 4 430.00 $430.00 $1,638 +36.60
410–412 411 3 412.50–422.50 $415.82 $1,709 +6.52
490–498 495 6 377.50–435.00 $424.70 $2,102 +2.76
512 512 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,792 —
595 595 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,993 +25.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 fancy 235 1 630.00 $630.00 $1,480 —
260–270 fancy 265 2 610.00 $610.00 $1,616 —
305–340 fancy 321 5 512.50–680.00 $586.30 $1,882 +13.80
355 355 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,740 —
350–380 fancy 362 11 540.00–625.00 $582.01 $2,107 +8.63
412–430 fancy 423 9 512.50–555.00 $546.35 $2,311 +41.11
445 445 1 480.00 $480.00 $2,136 +30.00
450–480 fancy 457 6 502.50–565.00 $539.97 $2,468 +35.01
482–495 486 3 477.50–487.00 $483.78 $2,351 +18.62
500–532 fancy 524 4 499.00–510.00 $504.84 $2,645 +25.67
510–540 524 4 452.50–480.00 $467.82 $2,451 +47.12
560–570 569 10 459.00–462.50 $461.91 $2,628 +29.51
605–635 fancy 618 8 375.00–450.00 $408.43 $2,524 +2.22
650–687 fancy 663 8 357.50–387.50 $379.17 $2,514 —
730 fancy 730 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,592 ±0.00
755 fancy 755 2 352.50 $352.50 $2,661 -0.50
775 775 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,480 -7.83
825 825 1 327.50 $327.50 $2,702 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 440.00 $440.00 $2,068 +9.00
530 530 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,226 +32.50
555–595 575 2 420.00–432.50 $426.03 $2,450 +70.72
670 670 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,161 +10.00
700 700 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,188 —
800 800 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,400 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–480 470 2 365.00–460.00 $411.49 $1,934 +61.49

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1090 966 85-90% 7 124.00–133.00 $128.74 $1,244 +22.87
840–1225 1060 85-90% 11 140.00–160.00 $148.95 $1,579 -0.72
1010–1110 1060 85-90% 2 100.00–110.00 $104.76 $1,110 -44.91
870–1165 1066 85-90% 7 163.00–177.00 $172.46 $1,838 +22.79
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1320 1242 80-85% 6 143.00–159.00 $150.23 $1,866 —
1200–1405 1308 80-85% 13 161.00–195.00 $176.70 $2,311 +23.81
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505–1810 1619 75-80% 5 171.00–187.00 $179.78 $2,911 +23.32

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1340 1240 2 170.00–178.00 $173.68 $2,154 —
1485–1605 1543 3 209.00–212.00 $210.32 $3,245 —
1450–2050 1819 4 214.00–228.00 $220.67 $4,014 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1025–1090 1058 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 190.00–217.50 $203.33 $2,151
1005–1360 1145 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 5 200.00–212.50 $202.69 $2,321

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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.