Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 23, 2026

1,158 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 $348.93/cwt +0.43 vs last sale · ≈ $3,022/hd at 866 lb · 80 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $421.74/cwt -3.69 vs last sale · ≈ $2,891/hd at 686 lb · 76 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $355.01/cwt +11.05 vs last sale · ≈ $2,677/hd at 754 lb · 73 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,158 1,195 1,481
Feeder cattle 1,075 1,112 1,379
Slaughter cattle 67 75 95
Replacement cattle 16 8 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 600 lbs sharply lower, over 600 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers steady, Moderate to good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-3.00 lower, 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
250–285 fancy 268 2 610.00–640.00 $624.02 $1,672 -13.74
305–340 fancy 330 10 540.00–645.00 $557.16 $1,839 -109.27
330 330 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,584 —
355–375 fancy 363 8 510.00–555.00 $539.34 $1,958 -81.11
360–390 376 5 480.00–500.00 $492.65 $1,852 -57.35
410–422 fancy 415 9 500.00–517.50 $513.89 $2,133 -55.56
412–437 426 5 495.00–497.50 $495.97 $2,113 —
450–488 466 12 470.00–492.50 $476.19 $2,219 -13.83
457–491 fancy 478 9 500.00–507.50 $502.74 $2,403 -15.91
506–527 518 21 442.50–460.00 $450.83 $2,335 -29.17
512–535 value added 524 23 480.00–500.00 $487.26 $2,553 -25.89
550–587 576 28 441.00–465.00 $446.24 $2,570 -15.13
601–610 603 6 375.00–387.50 $384.57 $2,319 +5.94
618–640 value added 630 22 400.00–450.00 $440.02 $2,772 -3.95
670 670 2 392.50–395.00 $393.75 $2,638 +3.48
686 value added 686 74 422.50 $422.50 $2,898 -9.00
707 707 2 347.50 $347.50 $2,457 -25.00
721 value added 721 18 388.50 $388.50 $2,801 -3.73
765–770 768 3 350.00–360.00 $356.68 $2,739 +2.91
768 value added 768 44 365.00 $365.00 $2,803 -12.16
814–822 value added 815 45 345.00 $345.00 $2,812 -22.75
855–876 value added 866 80 348.00–349.75 $348.93 $3,022 +0.43
922 value added 922 65 342.70 $342.70 $3,160 -10.30
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382–387 385 4 450.00–455.00 $452.52 $1,742 —
430–445 439 6 440.00–455.00 $445.75 $1,957 —
463–496 480 11 437.50–465.00 $451.62 $2,168 -9.58
535 535 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,140 —
565–597 591 14 385.00–430.00 $413.30 $2,443 -22.50
685 685 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,295 +4.00
755 755 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,492 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
247 fancy 247 2 565.00 $565.00 $1,396 ±0.00
255–295 fancy 270 3 507.50–560.00 $530.40 $1,432 -64.50
305–345 fancy 330 11 505.00–580.00 $550.83 $1,818 +22.61
350–390 fancy 366 4 510.00 $510.00 $1,867 +3.46
355–397 383 3 482.50–495.00 $486.36 $1,863 +1.80
407–445 fancy 429 28 480.00–522.50 $496.44 $2,130 -2.72
410–442 432 10 445.00–462.50 $458.92 $1,983 -7.68
462–497 480 36 445.00–467.50 $454.11 $2,180 -19.18
495 495 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,782 -113.29
515 515 1 382.50 $382.50 $1,970 -15.00
501–542 value added 516 37 407.50–445.00 $425.40 $2,195 -32.62
550–578 value added 561 39 410.00–440.00 $427.96 $2,401 +5.78
565–592 582 6 380.00–390.00 $384.22 $2,236 +9.17
620–640 628 5 355.00–367.50 $363.46 $2,283 -1.54
630 value added 630 1 382.50 $382.50 $2,410 -6.12
650–680 667 3 350.00–362.50 $355.76 $2,373 -3.80
658–691 value added 679 32 370.00–377.50 $376.55 $2,557 -11.01
720–730 723 4 340.00–350.00 $347.47 $2,512 -8.29
746 value added 746 41 350.75 $350.75 $2,617 —
750 750 1 338.00 $338.00 $2,535 -5.96
754 value added 754 72 355.25 $355.25 $2,679 —
870 870 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,806 -12.50
921 921 4 325.00 $325.00 $2,993 —
955 955 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,388 —
1055 1055 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,954 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–395 381 4 380.00–457.50 $432.78 $1,649 -17.22
430 430 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,892 -5.00
457–490 464 5 432.50–442.50 $440.39 $2,043 +22.03
570–592 584 5 347.50–355.00 $352.50 $2,059 —
635 635 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,127 +18.00
650–655 651 4 300.00–332.50 $313.14 $2,039 —
700 700 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,100 —
915 915 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,013 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 fancy 340 —— 1 565.00 $565.00 $1,921 -91.34
365–375 fancy 372 —— 3 500.00–505.00 $501.64 $1,866 -98.60
380–395 391 —— 4 490.00–495.00 $492.52 $1,926 -9.98
410 fancy 410 —— 2 500.00 $500.00 $2,050 -41.53
461–493 482 —— 15 455.00–480.00 $465.79 $2,245 -19.20
460–495 fancy 483 —— 3 490.00–497.50 $495.12 $2,391 -21.34
500–542 531 —— 10 450.00–467.50 $460.73 $2,446 -12.47
550–581 570 —— 11 442.50–460.00 $449.95 $2,565 -5.05
605–645 618 —— 6 360.00–377.50 $372.00 $2,299 -2.98
620 fancy 620 —— 1 422.50 $422.50 $2,620 +7.72
655–685 fancy 668 —— 5 380.00–400.00 $389.90 $2,605 -0.41
695 695 —— 3 350.00 $350.00 $2,432 -7.50
705–720 710 —— 4 320.00–345.00 $336.26 $2,387 +21.26
730 fancy 730 —— 2 370.00 $370.00 $2,701 -2.50
770 770 —— 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,502 -35.00
815–822 820 —— 3 302.50–310.00 $307.51 $2,522 -22.49
860 860 —— 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,774 +30.00
910–935 923 —— 2 260.00–277.50 $268.63 $2,479 —
960 960 —— 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,736 —
1000–1045 1012 —— 5 250.00–290.00 $263.86 $2,670 —
1075 1075 —— 1 285.00 $285.00 $3,064 —
1175 1175 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 260.00 $260.00 $3,055 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–395 382 3 450.00–460.00 $453.45 $1,732 +3.45
410 410 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,599 —
450–497 481 6 422.50–440.00 $428.95 $2,063 -34.82
500–535 522 15 402.50–440.00 $430.58 $2,248 +7.53
562–590 572 9 390.00–435.00 $407.77 $2,332 -8.91
615 615 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,091 —
675 675 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,295 —
812 812 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,274 —
895 895 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,461 —
935 935 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,917 —
960 960 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,112 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,696 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1470 1301 80-85% 15 164.00–193.00 $176.80 $2,300 +15.19
1270–1375 1333 80-85% 3 145.00–156.00 $151.59 $2,021 -25.09
1780 1780 80-85% 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,798 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 85-90% 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,246 —
935 935 85-90% 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,122 —
920–1010 949 85-90% 5 146.00–160.00 $154.43 $1,466 —
1110–1185 1148 85-90% 2 168.00–171.00 $169.45 $1,945 -2.11
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565 1565 75-80% 1 164.00 $164.00 $2,567 +1.00
1505–2040 1677 75-80% 5 166.00–185.00 $174.07 $2,919 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1960 1558 6 196.00–206.00 $200.87 $3,130 —
1525–1925 1725 7 216.00–227.00 $221.60 $3,823 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
830 830 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,888

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00
1075 1075 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00
1125 1125 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,600.00 $3,600.00
985–1295 1140 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 3,000.00–3,300.00 $3,170.39
1135–1375 1218 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,525.00–2,750.00 $2,191.77
1240 1240 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00
1465–1570 1518 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 3,600.00–3,650.00 $3,625.86

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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.