Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 7, 2026

1,131 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 $348.74/cwt -7.01 vs last sale · ≈ $3,226/hd at 925 lb · 192 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $356.95/cwt +2.92 vs last sale · ≈ $2,763/hd at 774 lb · 154 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $330.67/cwt -12.33 vs last sale · ≈ $2,773/hd at 839 lb · 59 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,131 1,104 977
Feeder cattle 1,050 1,012 865
Slaughter cattle 78 90 100
Replacement cattle 3 2 12

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers steady to 3.00 higher except 900-1000 lbs they were 2.00-4.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers 3.00-5.00 higher, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. 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
330 330 1 535.00 $535.00 $1,766 —
351–375 fancy 358 6 550.00–565.00 $557.35 $1,995 -29.65
399 399 5 535.00 $535.00 $2,135 -15.00
403–407 fancy 404 6 515.00–552.50 $539.92 $2,181 +2.70
475–499 fancy 491 8 512.50–517.50 $516.89 $2,538 -13.87
502–532 value added 515 23 480.00–522.50 $509.90 $2,626 +3.60
510–545 530 3 460.00–477.50 $465.61 $2,468 -4.33
572–589 value added 580 18 492.50–493.00 $492.55 $2,857 +15.19
580–585 581 7 455.00 $455.00 $2,644 -5.87
605–640 value added 628 14 411.00–439.00 $425.51 $2,672 -19.52
650–685 value added 671 6 390.00–417.50 $400.15 $2,685 -31.45
705–716 value added 711 10 375.00–412.50 $399.03 $2,837 +3.99
731–745 735 4 359.00–372.50 $362.42 $2,664 +19.92
750–770 value added 754 6 375.00 $375.00 $2,828 -11.67
806–817 808 16 355.00–358.00 $356.50 $2,881 —
907–918 913 16 338.00–339.00 $338.50 $3,091 —
901–940 value added 926 176 349.50–350.00 $349.67 $3,238 -6.08
988 988 6 320.00 $320.00 $3,162 —
1050 1050 1 317.50 $317.50 $3,334 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1206 1175 5 280.00–295.00 $284.80 $3,346 —
1353–1682 1419 10 234.00–279.00 $268.33 $3,808 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 397 2 480.00 $480.00 $1,906 —
430 430 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,828 —
725 725 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,465 —
775 775 1 347.50 $347.50 $2,693 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,414 —
291 fancy 291 3 575.00 $575.00 $1,673 -25.00
300–335 fancy 320 7 515.00–540.00 $525.51 $1,682 -22.16
325–337 333 3 485.00–500.00 $489.88 $1,631 —
370 370 2 485.00–495.00 $490.00 $1,813 -5.00
360–385 fancy 381 9 510.00–540.00 $521.81 $1,988 +4.31
413–448 fancy 430 28 480.00–540.00 $519.37 $2,233 +15.81
445 445 1 475.00 $475.00 $2,114 +5.15
457–485 fancy 469 15 481.00–512.50 $495.48 $2,324 +12.98
470–498 490 9 457.50–477.50 $467.79 $2,292 +3.29
510 fancy 510 36 471.00 $471.00 $2,402 —
505–535 value added 512 11 420.00–460.00 $446.77 $2,287 +8.65
553–597 569 6 402.50–408.00 $405.99 $2,310 +19.24
555–578 value added 575 13 410.00–422.50 $416.72 $2,396 +1.41
602–633 value added 618 18 377.50–415.00 $399.16 $2,467 +8.15
659–685 value added 663 33 372.50–395.00 $383.91 $2,545 +13.91
680 680 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,414 +15.00
725 725 1 331.00 $331.00 $2,400 —
702–747 value added 727 8 352.50–360.00 $357.80 $2,601 +8.80
753–794 value added 774 152 355.90–358.50 $357.17 $2,764 +1.42
775 775 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,635 +0.83
827 827 2 347.50 $347.50 $2,874 +4.50
805–840 value added 839 57 329.75–337.50 $330.08 $2,769 —
851 value added 851 48 330.00 $330.00 $2,808 —
855 855 3 352.50 $352.50 $3,014 —
860 860 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,666 —
901–910 value added 903 8 325.00–327.50 $325.63 $2,940 —
1005 1005 1 310.00 $310.00 $3,116 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,794 +10.00
475–495 485 3 380.00–447.50 $421.21 $2,043 +5.22
530 530 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,709 —
593 593 3 418.00 $418.00 $2,479 +58.69
830 830 2 289.00 $289.00 $2,399 —
945 945 1 279.00 $279.00 $2,637 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250 1250 2 261.00 $261.00 $3,262 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 fancy 290 1 555.00 $555.00 $1,610 -86.84
318–346 fancy 337 12 560.00–600.00 $570.55 $1,923 -32.35
355–388 fancy 375 5 540.00–560.00 $547.58 $2,053 -17.42
390 390 1 482.50 $482.50 $1,882 +6.16
405–435 fancy 423 12 515.00–530.00 $521.70 $2,207 —
440–446 445 4 482.50–490.00 $488.14 $2,172 —
465–486 fancy 478 13 510.00–520.00 $518.67 $2,479 +5.04
468–495 479 9 470.00–495.00 $482.91 $2,313 -17.79
508–517 fancy 510 24 491.00–500.00 $498.48 $2,542 -6.00
500–545 519 4 455.00–477.50 $469.11 $2,435 +7.03
590 fancy 590 1 485.00 $485.00 $2,862 —
585–592 591 11 451.00–452.50 $451.13 $2,666 -6.37
600–645 fancy 624 18 382.50–439.00 $413.93 $2,583 +27.96
655–675 665 2 372.50–377.00 $374.78 $2,492 —
675–680 fancy 678 2 380.00–390.00 $385.02 $2,610 -4.65
700 fancy 700 2 380.00 $380.00 $2,660 +0.23
735–745 737 5 342.50–359.00 $355.66 $2,621 —
750 750 1 337.50 $337.50 $2,531 —
820 820 3 313.00 $313.00 $2,567 +20.00
930 930 1 261.00 $261.00 $2,427 —
995 995 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,388 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,306 —
380 380 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,843 —
440 440 1 457.50 $457.50 $2,013 +6.50
505–530 521 5 415.00–445.00 $428.39 $2,232 +20.44
560–590 583 4 417.50–430.00 $427.00 $2,489 +63.01
665 665 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,394 —
800 800 1 302.50 $302.50 $2,420 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810 810 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,308 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1480 1343 80-85% 13 165.00–189.00 $177.65 $2,386 +0.08
1295–1425 1355 80-85% 3 130.00–143.00 $138.28 $1,874 —
1205–1465 1361 80-85% 4 145.00–162.00 $154.53 $2,103 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975 975 85-90% 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,238 -9.47
800–1150 999 85-90% 7 147.50–164.00 $156.11 $1,560 +19.64
975–1160 1068 85-90% 4 133.00–142.00 $138.81 $1,482 -12.15
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–1780 1598 75-80% 8 174.00–195.00 $181.18 $2,895 —
1735 1735 75-80% 1 158.00 $158.00 $2,741 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515 1515 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,727 —
1430–2015 1748 4 203.00–211.00 $208.34 $3,642 —
1530–1995 1807 10 213.00–227.00 $219.35 $3,964 -7.47

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1090 1090 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1135 1135 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,250.00 $3,250.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,525 —
780 780 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,852 —

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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.