Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 2, 2026

881 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $338.93/cwt +6.15 vs last sale · ≈ $3,135/hd at 925 lb · 79 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $357.65/cwt +8.92 vs last sale · ≈ $2,518/hd at 704 lb · 43 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $435.19/cwt +15.87 vs last sale · ≈ $2,322/hd at 534 lb · 41 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 881 2,433 624
Feeder cattle 787 2,293 507
Slaughter cattle 91 130 67
Replacement cattle 3 10 50

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers and heifers steady to 5.00 higher, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 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
200–240 fancy 220 2 570.00–640.00 $601.82 $1,324 -31.43
235 235 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,175 —
250 250 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,262 —
265–285 fancy 271 4 570.00–645.00 $599.65 $1,625 -47.53
320–340 fancy 333 5 555.00–720.00 $646.83 $2,154 +11.26
345 345 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,690 —
371–395 fancy 384 9 620.00–665.00 $645.24 $2,478 +61.75
415 415 1 500.00 $500.00 $2,075 +20.00
405–448 fancy 432 17 547.50–625.00 $582.98 $2,518 +16.10
485 485 3 500.00 $500.00 $2,425 -6.88
475–497 fancy 492 20 545.00–577.50 $561.87 $2,764 +26.16
500–545 value added 523 8 482.50–537.50 $504.52 $2,639 -17.12
500–547 527 6 452.50–465.00 $461.54 $2,432 +0.97
550–575 value added 563 17 480.00–497.50 $490.38 $2,761 +5.38
560–591 584 6 450.00–472.50 $462.45 $2,701 +2.72
605–647 617 7 389.00–405.00 $393.79 $2,430 -10.71
610–640 value added 630 18 410.00–451.00 $443.25 $2,792 +0.72
657–687 value added 667 16 420.00–457.50 $439.42 $2,931 +11.58
677–697 693 14 390.00–400.00 $398.57 $2,762 -6.64
707 value added 707 6 401.00 $401.00 $2,835 +18.02
780–797 value added 796 41 357.00–377.50 $358.47 $2,853 —
801 value added 801 23 370.00 $370.00 $2,964 +24.68
895 895 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,909 -10.76
912–930 value added 925 79 331.00–341.75 $338.93 $3,135 +6.11
962 value added 962 15 322.00 $322.00 $3,098 —
975 975 1 315.00 $315.00 $3,071 +4.00
1085 1085 1 315.00 $315.00 $3,418 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,158 -5.00
510 510 1 442.50 $442.50 $2,257 +5.53
572–575 573 3 370.00–405.00 $393.29 $2,254 -33.62
615 615 1 377.50 $377.50 $2,322 —
790 790 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,212 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240–245 fancy 243 3 550.00–610.00 $569.73 $1,384 +21.52
265–275 fancy 270 2 505.00–525.00 $514.81 $1,390 -50.33
265–295 277 3 450.00–475.00 $460.48 $1,276 -32.02
320–340 fancy 327 3 500.00–522.50 $511.89 $1,674 -2.69
300–347 331 3 475.00–480.00 $478.49 $1,584 -12.58
350–395 372 7 465.00–490.00 $475.53 $1,769 -3.28
350–395 fancy 384 11 500.00–525.00 $504.66 $1,938 -21.53
400–447 fancy 421 27 485.00–520.00 $497.99 $2,097 +6.03
420–442 432 8 460.00–465.00 $462.47 $1,998 +5.87
457–460 458 5 457.50 $457.50 $2,095 +1.95
450–480 fancy 460 12 487.50–515.00 $503.15 $2,314 +22.80
515 515 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,828 -40.73
500–542 value added 534 40 392.50–459.00 $437.19 $2,335 +14.61
555–591 value added 581 32 392.50–427.50 $419.91 $2,440 +2.37
585–595 593 5 360.00–375.00 $364.98 $2,164 -19.73
600–635 618 2 340.00–349.00 $344.63 $2,130 +1.63
615–635 value added 625 6 351.00–392.50 $378.64 $2,366 -10.05
675 675 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,362 +0.55
655–685 value added 679 25 355.00–375.00 $372.88 $2,532 +3.15
700–705 value added 704 43 357.00–357.75 $357.65 $2,518 +3.32
830–840 834 4 317.50–339.00 $331.35 $2,763 +31.35
869 869 6 323.00 $323.00 $2,807 +24.68
990 990 1 267.50 $267.50 $2,648 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–335 330 2 420.00–450.00 $434.77 $1,435 -5.23
367–395 375 5 432.50–457.50 $444.75 $1,668 -0.06
400–435 423 6 385.00–432.50 $418.69 $1,771 -19.02
461–490 472 6 390.00–445.00 $403.53 $1,905 -23.86
575 575 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,926 -15.00
735 735 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,297 +36.85
760 760 1 289.00 $289.00 $2,196 +34.16
990 990 1 217.00 $217.00 $2,148 -56.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065 1065 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,769 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 fancy 275 1 615.00 $615.00 $1,691 +40.15
305 305 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,540 -25.00
310–325 fancy 318 2 602.50–690.00 $645.22 $2,052 +22.16
350–395 fancy 373 15 540.00–670.00 $601.79 $2,245 +37.08
380–392 388 3 500.00–520.00 $513.47 $1,992 -16.53
400–447 fancy 429 17 512.50–600.00 $556.45 $2,387 -13.14
435 435 1 497.50 $497.50 $2,164 —
450–495 fancy 473 27 512.50–600.00 $561.28 $2,655 +16.29
490 490 1 497.50 $497.50 $2,438 -12.63
520–525 523 3 462.50–482.50 $474.98 $2,484 +8.28
530–532 fancy 531 6 492.50–537.50 $522.54 $2,775 +31.67
550–568 fancy 564 5 487.50–520.00 $513.67 $2,897 —
550–595 564 11 465.00–480.00 $470.95 $2,656 +6.04
600–635 fancy 616 10 387.50–440.00 $408.18 $2,514 +18.89
670–680 fancy 675 3 370.00–382.50 $376.70 $2,543 -11.34
700–710 fancy 707 3 360.00–367.50 $362.48 $2,563 +1.72
765 765 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,410 -25.00
805 805 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,596 +2.50
895 895 1 307.50 $307.50 $2,752 -10.00
975 975 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,779 —
1013–1027 1019 5 265.00–281.00 $274.55 $2,798 -12.95
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357–375 363 3 425.00–480.00 $461.06 $1,674 -23.94
465–475 470 2 440.00–450.00 $445.05 $2,092 -19.94
515–540 528 2 399.00–400.00 $399.51 $2,109 -42.99
555–585 573 4 390.00–452.50 $433.88 $2,486 -0.67
830 830 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,594 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1310 1271 80-85% 4 139.00–157.00 $144.84 $1,841 -12.63
1145–1495 1323 80-85% 25 168.00–199.00 $180.99 $2,394 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500–1780 1608 75-80% 19 164.00–183.00 $174.96 $2,813 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–890 878 85-90% 2 121.00–125.00 $122.97 $1,080 —
865–1065 936 85-90% 4 131.00–136.00 $132.97 $1,245 —
915–1175 1044 85-90% 7 139.00–153.00 $145.91 $1,523 -1.09
970–1165 1068 85-90% 5 165.00–187.00 $173.70 $1,855 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1785 1785 1 207.00 $207.00 $3,695 —
1865–2110 1968 5 224.00–245.00 $235.70 $4,639 +1.42

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
815–935 867 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 200.00–289.00 $231.17 $2,004

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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.