Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 30, 2026

1,104 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $354.02/cwt -0.99 vs last sale · ≈ $2,799/hd at 791 lb · 144 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $355.75/cwt +13.05 vs last sale · ≈ $3,287/hd at 924 lb · 121 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $412.59/cwt -9.54 vs last sale · ≈ $2,435/hd at 590 lb · 105 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,104 1,158 1,085
Feeder cattle 1,012 1,075 960
Slaughter cattle 90 67 120
Replacement cattle 2 16 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 600 lbs sharply higher, over 600 lbs 5.00-8.00 higher, Feeder and yearling heifers 5.00-10.00 higher, Good to very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls 3.00-5.00 higher, 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
270 fancy 270 1 770.00 $770.00 $2,079 +145.98
335–342 fancy 340 3 600.00–645.00 $614.79 $2,090 +57.63
353 fancy 353 3 587.00 $587.00 $2,072 +47.66
385 385 1 550.00 $550.00 $2,118 +57.35
400–434 fancy 418 15 515.00–547.50 $537.22 $2,246 +23.33
425 425 1 485.00 $485.00 $2,061 -10.97
450–475 fancy 461 8 510.00–542.50 $530.76 $2,447 +28.02
470–487 481 6 480.00–495.00 $487.87 $2,347 +11.68
500–535 520 3 467.50–472.50 $469.94 $2,444 +19.11
500–547 value added 528 29 481.00–515.00 $506.30 $2,673 +19.04
550–577 value added 565 18 475.00–485.00 $477.36 $2,697 —
550–590 577 7 450.00–469.00 $460.87 $2,659 +14.63
606 fancy 606 7 462.50 $462.50 $2,803 —
610–641 value added 633 50 400.00–450.00 $445.03 $2,817 +5.01
635–640 638 2 370.00–382.50 $376.27 $2,401 -8.30
665–670 668 2 387.50–392.50 $389.99 $2,605 -3.76
651–692 value added 677 8 430.00–432.50 $431.60 $2,922 +9.10
710–735 value added 726 31 377.50–402.50 $395.04 $2,868 +6.54
740 740 1 342.50 $342.50 $2,534 -5.00
751–772 value added 757 27 382.00–389.00 $386.67 $2,927 +21.67
790 790 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,765 -6.68
870 value added 870 60 366.50 $366.50 $3,189 +17.57
883–890 884 18 339.00–340.00 $339.94 $3,005 —
922–931 value added 924 121 349.00–359.25 $355.75 $3,287 +13.05
952–961 value added 954 72 340.00–346.85 $345.32 $3,294 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480–487 485 6 407.50–465.00 $447.26 $2,169 -4.36
555–595 580 3 412.50–445.00 $425.91 $2,470 +12.61

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 fancy 200 3 660.00 $660.00 $1,320 —
265 fancy 265 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,590 +69.60
315–340 fancy 330 4 520.00–590.00 $547.67 $1,807 -3.16
375 fancy 375 2 517.50 $517.50 $1,941 +7.50
377 377 2 495.00 $495.00 $1,866 +8.64
400–447 fancy 415 14 482.50–520.00 $503.56 $2,090 +7.12
410–435 416 4 460.00–475.00 $469.85 $1,955 +10.93
450 fancy 450 4 482.50 $482.50 $2,171 —
450–497 480 22 457.50–475.00 $464.50 $2,230 +10.39
500–547 value added 518 29 420.00–450.00 $438.12 $2,269 +12.72
540–545 541 5 392.50–395.00 $394.50 $2,134 +12.00
555–596 583 10 370.00–397.50 $386.75 $2,255 +2.53
560–598 value added 591 95 400.00–426.00 $415.31 $2,454 -12.65
600–641 value added 623 28 382.50–408.00 $391.01 $2,436 +8.51
680 680 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,312 -15.76
686 value added 686 4 370.00 $370.00 $2,538 -6.55
728 value added 728 3 349.00 $349.00 $2,541 -1.75
755–763 762 15 327.50–340.00 $339.17 $2,584 +1.17
794 value added 794 129 355.75 $355.75 $2,825 —
821 821 22 343.00 $343.00 $2,816 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,688 +17.22
415–445 425 3 371.00–420.00 $398.82 $1,695 -41.18
475–497 488 5 340.00–440.00 $415.99 $2,030 -24.40
575–590 583 3 353.00–365.00 $359.31 $2,095 +6.81
890 890 4 285.00 $285.00 $2,536 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
261–295 fancy 270 4 635.00–660.00 $641.84 $1,733 —
320–340 fancy 333 3 592.50–625.00 $602.90 $2,008 +37.90
370–375 373 2 462.50–490.00 $476.34 $1,777 -16.18
392 fancy 392 4 565.00 $565.00 $2,215 +63.36
450–480 fancy 465 2 510.00–517.50 $513.63 $2,388 +18.51
465–495 485 3 497.50–507.50 $500.70 $2,428 +34.91
515–535 fancy 520 6 477.50–517.50 $504.48 $2,623 —
510–545 531 4 452.50–470.00 $462.08 $2,454 +1.35
560–565 563 2 457.50 $457.50 $2,576 +7.55
635–645 fancy 638 3 380.00–389.00 $385.97 $2,462 -36.53
657–697 fancy 668 7 383.00–392.50 $389.67 $2,603 -0.23
700–712 fancy 705 5 375.00–383.00 $379.77 $2,677 +9.77
805 805 1 293.00 $293.00 $2,359 -14.51
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 451.00 $451.00 $1,962 +61.00
455–475 465 2 410.00–442.50 $426.60 $1,984 -2.35
510–545 523 4 367.50–425.00 $407.95 $2,134 -22.63
560–580 570 2 350.00–377.50 $363.99 $2,075 -43.78
625 625 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,125 ±0.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1460 1301 80-85% 7 143.00–165.00 $157.41 $2,048 -19.39
1175–1490 1332 80-85% 31 168.00–200.00 $177.57 $2,365 +25.98
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–1035 978 85-90% 2 136.00–137.00 $136.47 $1,335 —
900–1175 1055 85-90% 7 167.00–207.50 $177.24 $1,870 —
975–1280 1076 85-90% 6 144.00–162.50 $150.96 $1,624 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–1710 1549 75-80% 4 168.00–182.00 $174.28 $2,700 —
1640 1640 75-80% 1 161.00 $161.00 $2,640 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1235 1225 2 202.50–203.00 $202.75 $2,484 —
1790–1845 1818 2 215.00–239.00 $226.82 $4,124 —

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1095 1095 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00 —
1330 1330 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 4,100.00 $4,100.00 —

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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.