Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 21, 2026

1,348 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 $358.33/cwt -4.51 vs last sale · ≈ $3,194/hd at 891 lb · 304 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $365.01/cwt +13.05 vs last sale · ≈ $2,683/hd at 735 lb · 144 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $367.75/cwt +10.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,804/hd at 763 lb · 139 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,348 2,121 986
Feeder cattle 1,271 2,000 928
Slaughter cattle 66 106 56
Replacement cattle 11 15 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 800 lbs steady, over 800 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers mostly steady, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls 4.00-6.00 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
250–297 fancy 281 3 600.00 $600.00 $1,686 +5.00
320–340 fancy 330 3 535.00–610.00 $579.85 $1,914 -0.94
365–370 fancy 367 3 560.00–600.00 $586.55 $2,153 +35.43
407–430 fancy 415 3 500.00–525.00 $516.36 $2,143 -10.83
482–486 fancy 484 5 500.00 $500.00 $2,420 -22.50
495 495 14 485.00 $485.00 $2,401 -20.54
505–530 518 2 440.00–442.50 $441.28 $2,286 -35.47
515–537 value added 529 4 500.00–512.50 $504.37 $2,668 +3.99
575–590 582 3 450.00–462.50 $454.12 $2,643 -16.79
594–597 value added 594 33 475.00–484.50 $483.34 $2,871 —
610–630 fancy 617 7 460.00–480.00 $468.49 $2,891 —
600–645 value added 618 3 405.50–420.00 $412.62 $2,550 -46.13
665–685 value added 672 11 395.00–407.50 $402.80 $2,707 -37.20
685 685 2 387.50 $387.50 $2,654 -24.60
705–730 value added 720 19 385.00–405.00 $390.44 $2,811 +1.42
775–792 779 8 352.00–355.00 $354.24 $2,760 -17.97
798 value added 798 55 370.00 $370.00 $2,953 —
821 value added 821 21 356.50 $356.50 $2,927 -3.50
842 842 4 348.00 $348.00 $2,930 +0.28
867–885 869 8 336.00–337.00 $336.13 $2,921 +1.23
886–896 value added 892 296 354.95–361.00 $358.93 $3,202 -4.28
946 value added 946 58 344.90 $344.90 $3,263 —
962 value added 962 57 345.00 $345.00 $3,319 +9.49
1080 1080 1 309.00 $309.00 $3,337 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 402.50 $402.50 $1,952 -48.72
590 590 1 432.50 $432.50 $2,552 +19.63

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 fancy 310 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,550 —
345 345 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,656 -30.00
370–385 fancy 372 10 487.50–500.00 $488.80 $1,818 —
370–395 381 7 472.50–480.00 $473.96 $1,806 -9.31
400–447 419 18 440.00–469.00 $463.33 $1,941 -3.74
405–440 fancy 433 7 472.50–515.00 $480.28 $2,080 -3.72
450–490 469 21 440.00–455.00 $448.47 $2,103 -15.90
502–549 value added 539 40 413.00–442.50 $418.74 $2,257 -20.93
540 540 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,160 -14.15
561–565 value added 562 4 420.00 $420.00 $2,360 -6.05
565–593 590 17 380.00–400.00 $383.62 $2,263 -25.58
609–645 value added 628 41 370.00–397.50 $378.89 $2,379 —
625–645 632 5 330.00–350.00 $341.84 $2,160 -27.13
660–685 value added 662 12 369.00–375.00 $369.52 $2,446 -15.88
655–685 671 6 330.00–345.00 $340.04 $2,282 -25.87
725 725 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,501 +2.72
725–745 value added 735 143 364.50–365.75 $365.15 $2,684 +8.79
762 value added 762 134 368.60 $368.60 $2,809 +10.50
765–781 778 5 335.00–347.50 $345.04 $2,684 -2.63
805–807 806 7 326.00–340.00 $329.99 $2,660 +1.99
895 895 1 328.00 $328.00 $2,936 +4.00
905 value added 905 12 331.00 $331.00 $2,996 —
910 910 1 303.00 $303.00 $2,757 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–440 415 6 350.00–437.50 $411.33 $1,707 -26.17
477–495 487 12 350.00–425.00 $414.38 $2,018 -16.25
530–540 535 2 355.00–360.00 $357.52 $1,913 +6.52
550 550 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,980 -8.44
605 605 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,906 +7.53
787 787 2 325.00 $325.00 $2,558 +10.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 fancy 200 1 690.00 $690.00 $1,380 —
310–335 fancy 325 3 585.00–630.00 $601.95 $1,956 +51.95
382 382 4 450.00 $450.00 $1,719 -62.50
375–391 fancy 384 7 520.00–565.00 $543.22 $2,086 -16.78
410 fancy 410 1 500.00 $500.00 $2,050 —
430–435 433 2 475.00–479.00 $477.01 $2,065 -26.09
470–471 471 6 470.00–480.00 $478.34 $2,253 -28.04
495 fancy 495 4 502.50 $502.50 $2,487 —
520 fancy 520 1 480.00 $480.00 $2,496 —
521–540 528 8 437.50–455.00 $443.98 $2,344 -46.02
570 570 2 450.00 $450.00 $2,565 —
635–642 fancy 640 3 395.00–427.50 $405.75 $2,597 —
645 645 1 357.50 $357.50 $2,306 -44.64
650–692 fancy 675 7 397.50–420.00 $411.98 $2,781 —
685 685 2 371.00–377.50 $374.25 $2,564 -16.75
705 705 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,432 -15.35
750 750 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,550 —
855 855 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,544 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–380 370 2 310.00–387.50 $349.80 $1,294 —
445 445 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,780 -73.24
455–495 475 2 397.50–425.00 $410.67 $1,951 -64.36
520 520 1 402.50 $402.50 $2,093 —
565–585 575 2 375.00–429.00 $401.53 $2,309 -32.20
630 630 2 337.50–365.00 $351.25 $2,213 —
965 965 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,750 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–1175 978 85-90% 6 133.00–149.00 $138.96 $1,359 +1.92
860–1105 983 85-90% 2 100.00–127.50 $112.04 $1,101 -25.00
895–1135 1002 85-90% 7 150.00–166.00 $158.11 $1,584 —
1000–1135 1076 85-90% 6 171.00–186.00 $176.77 $1,902 +5.59
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200 1200 80-85% 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,092 —
1190–1275 1233 80-85% 2 159.00–165.00 $162.10 $1,999 —
1175–1440 1298 80-85% 13 167.00–196.00 $181.21 $2,352 +1.11
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1820–1925 1855 75-80% 3 174.00–200.00 $186.75 $3,464 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070 1070 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,953 —
1385 1385 1 213.00 $213.00 $2,950 —
1795–2370 2000 8 220.00–242.00 $230.35 $4,607 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000–1110 1055 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 2,000.00–2,100.00 $2,049.76
1060 1060 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00
1285 1285 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00
1140–1540 1335 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,250.00–3,000.00 $2,575.03

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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
1265 1265 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,600.00 $3,600.00 —

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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.