Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 18, 2026

948 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 $355.25/cwt +7.64 vs last sale · ≈ $2,725/hd at 767 lb · 142 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $418.50/cwt ≈ $2,917/hd at 697 lb · 83 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $370.55/cwt ≈ $3,044/hd at 821 lb · 76 head
Stanford, KY 7-weight heifers sold at $355/cwt, among the strongest in the state and $2/cwt above the KY average ($353), though $6/cwt under Albany, KY ($361). With 948 head through, you're seeing solid demand at this sale. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 948 1,060 1,402
Feeder cattle 899 874 1,313
Slaughter cattle 49 61 89
Replacement cattle — 125 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 800 lbs steady, over 800 lbs 4.00-6.00 higher, Feeder heifers steady except 700 lbs they were 1.00-2.00 higher, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 1.00-3.00 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
350–365 fancy 358 2 520.00–530.00 $524.90 $1,879 —
375 375 1 505.00 $505.00 $1,894 -40.59
400–440 418 5 457.50–482.50 $465.98 $1,948 -26.52
435 fancy 435 3 492.50 $492.50 $2,142 —
455–480 469 4 467.50–480.00 $473.13 $2,219 +2.18
480–492 fancy 484 6 490.00–502.50 $494.24 $2,392 —
507–510 value added 508 6 462.50–463.00 $462.83 $2,351 —
510–515 513 4 425.00–441.00 $433.04 $2,221 -30.81
570–581 578 4 425.00–435.00 $427.46 $2,471 +0.02
635–642 640 3 360.00–390.00 $369.93 $2,368 -55.07
610–647 value added 641 10 412.00–418.00 $413.24 $2,649 -35.35
697 value added 697 83 418.50 $418.50 $2,917 —
727 value added 727 58 415.00 $415.00 $3,017 +4.00
705–748 732 9 348.00–362.50 $353.72 $2,589 —
750–761 758 4 341.00–345.00 $341.99 $2,592 —
770 value added 770 67 394.85 $394.85 $3,040 —
820 value added 820 65 375.30 $375.30 $3,077 —
830 830 11 342.50 $342.50 $2,843 —
875 875 1 327.00 $327.00 $2,861 —
877 value added 877 60 365.00 $365.00 $3,201 +7.53
938 value added 938 60 352.25 $352.25 $3,304 +5.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515–530 526 4 400.00–413.00 $409.82 $2,156 —
565–587 584 12 395.00–410.00 $406.21 $2,372 —
640 640 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,208 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 377.50 $377.50 $1,963 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–295 280 2 500.00–510.00 $504.73 $1,413 —
325 325 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,576 -51.42
375–395 385 2 467.50–472.50 $469.94 $1,809 -24.99
400–405 fancy 403 2 460.00–465.00 $462.52 $1,864 -12.48
420–440 430 5 422.50–445.00 $434.87 $1,870 -20.30
455–480 473 7 420.00–435.00 $425.78 $2,014 -15.80
515–540 523 4 380.00–397.50 $391.21 $2,046 -38.91
515–549 value added 538 26 405.00–427.50 $414.17 $2,228 —
555 value added 555 1 402.50 $402.50 $2,234 —
555–580 559 25 362.00–392.00 $369.36 $2,065 -28.53
621 621 3 353.00 $353.00 $2,192 -30.12
662 value added 662 23 374.00 $374.00 $2,476 —
650–681 668 7 339.00–363.00 $343.18 $2,292 -23.25
719 719 5 335.00 $335.00 $2,409 +10.84
767 value added 767 142 355.25 $355.25 $2,725 +7.64
865–870 868 3 267.00–287.50 $279.86 $2,429 —
963 963 3 270.00 $270.00 $2,600 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,342 —
395 395 1 437.50 $437.50 $1,728 -1.50
430–445 438 2 400.00–412.50 $406.14 $1,779 +7.14
482–490 484 5 317.50–375.00 $329.15 $1,593 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 1 207.50 $207.50 $2,324 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,438 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–320 fancy 315 2 525.00–530.00 $527.46 $1,661 —
330 330 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,650 -67.45
370–380 373 3 475.00–505.00 $494.24 $1,844 -45.70
375 fancy 375 1 522.50 $522.50 $1,959 —
400–415 fancy 404 5 512.50–520.00 $516.00 $2,085 -6.50
401–448 432 13 467.50–495.00 $480.01 $2,074 -10.31
475–486 484 5 470.00–477.50 $476.03 $2,304 +15.55
501–508 504 12 415.00–433.00 $428.13 $2,158 -27.92
557–587 569 6 415.00–442.50 $424.71 $2,417 -5.65
606 fancy 606 6 390.00–397.50 $393.75 $2,386 -23.75
605–632 621 9 350.00–370.00 $364.19 $2,262 -28.37
662–695 679 4 363.00–380.00 $371.29 $2,521 -17.76
700 700 2 363.00 $363.00 $2,541 +22.97
750–795 773 2 332.50 $332.50 $2,570 —
970 970 1 211.00 $211.00 $2,047 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 452.50 $452.50 $1,629 —
415–440 428 2 412.50–440.00 $425.85 $1,823 -4.15
470–495 481 4 400.00–420.00 $414.91 $1,996 -20.09
500–545 515 6 370.00–402.50 $385.44 $1,985 -29.56
570–593 590 9 355.00–388.00 $377.10 $2,225 +17.10
740 740 1 287.50 $287.50 $2,128 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,467 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1170 1016 85-90% 4 151.00–163.00 $158.41 $1,609 +8.72
935–1140 1069 85-90% 5 129.00–148.00 $140.88 $1,506 —
1070 1070 85-90% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,230 —
805–1150 1072 85-90% 7 170.00–179.00 $174.60 $1,872 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1385 1287 80-85% 5 155.00–165.00 $162.63 $2,093 —
1175–1470 1340 80-85% 8 167.00–185.00 $176.61 $2,367 -14.27
1345 1345 80-85% 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,991 -42.88
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1535 1535 75-80% 1 163.00 $163.00 $2,502 -13.00
1525–1670 1620 75-80% 3 175.00–196.00 $188.49 $3,054 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560 1560 1 219.00 $219.00 $3,416 +7.01
1245–2265 1568 8 179.00–199.00 $189.59 $2,973 -22.40
1180–1890 1626 4 220.00–235.00 $226.23 $3,678 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715 715 1 317.50 $317.50 $2,270 —

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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.