Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 9, 2026

1,460 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 $354.47/cwt -4.97 vs last sale · ≈ $3,275/hd at 924 lb · 301 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $384.85/cwt +23.69 vs last sale · ≈ $2,575/hd at 669 lb · 290 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $360.01/cwt -11.94 vs last sale · ≈ $3,131/hd at 870 lb · 185 head
Stanford, KY 8-weight steers sold at $366/cwt, mid-pack for the state — $3/cwt above the KY average ($363) and $6/cwt under Lexington, KY ($372). Receipts ran 1,460 head. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,460 909 1,819
Feeder cattle 1,409 830 1,709
Slaughter cattle 46 69 103
Replacement cattle 5 10 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparison due to no sale last week.

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
210 fancy 210 1 625.00 $625.00 $1,312 —
270 fancy 270 1 565.00 $565.00 $1,526 +20.00
330 330 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,650 —
365 365 2 485.00 $485.00 $1,770 -10.00
412–440 418 5 485.00–487.50 $485.53 $2,030 —
450–465 fancy 460 7 495.00–520.00 $512.24 $2,356 —
465–478 476 6 457.50–460.00 $457.91 $2,180 -14.32
510 value added 510 1 462.50 $462.50 $2,359 -39.74
502–545 534 12 447.50–457.50 $450.11 $2,404 -20.58
577–587 value added 582 14 460.00–462.50 $461.24 $2,684 —
550–597 586 16 430.00–455.00 $446.24 $2,615 -5.67
610–640 value added 625 4 440.00–442.50 $441.22 $2,758 -10.06
625–632 630 3 400.00–415.00 $404.96 $2,551 +22.63
668 value added 668 10 442.50 $442.50 $2,956 +16.50
667–698 690 8 400.00–407.50 $405.69 $2,799 +43.60
702 702 7 350.00 $350.00 $2,457 -10.00
706–744 value added 734 26 392.50–417.50 $401.08 $2,944 —
765–770 768 2 373.00–375.00 $374.00 $2,872 —
794–798 value added 796 143 378.50–383.50 $381.07 $3,033 +10.07
802–840 value added 819 130 363.00–378.25 $373.33 $3,058 -2.67
856–871 864 6 340.00–351.00 $345.45 $2,985 —
870 value added 870 179 360.50 $360.50 $3,136 -11.45
919–942 value added 924 296 349.50–356.25 $354.90 $3,279 -4.54
927 927 5 329.00 $329.00 $3,050 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,328 —
520 520 1 422.50 $422.50 $2,197 +15.43
580 580 2 392.50 $392.50 $2,276 +2.03
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340 1340 1 250.00 $250.00 $3,350 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,012 —
315 fancy 315 2 500.00 $500.00 $1,575 -13.68
302–345 320 5 475.00–485.00 $479.89 $1,536 -1.60
363 fancy 363 5 500.00 $500.00 $1,815 -35.00
375–397 386 8 475.00–495.00 $482.57 $1,863 +5.74
415–445 429 9 440.00–470.00 $450.65 $1,933 +1.48
445 fancy 445 1 482.50 $482.50 $2,147 —
450–466 fancy 457 14 480.00–492.50 $485.26 $2,218 —
462–498 484 21 437.50–475.00 $460.02 $2,226 +21.79
525–547 value added 537 13 410.00–445.00 $426.87 $2,292 -4.43
550–572 564 9 385.00–405.00 $399.20 $2,251 +3.59
550–595 value added 573 21 407.50–435.00 $418.02 $2,395 +5.06
607 607 2 352.50 $352.50 $2,140 -11.13
622–646 value added 635 14 380.00–397.50 $390.65 $2,481 +7.40
650–695 value added 669 289 369.75–400.00 $385.01 $2,576 -4.99
695 695 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,363 -15.40
715 value added 715 2 358.00 $358.00 $2,560 —
725–740 733 2 325.00–330.00 $327.47 $2,400 +2.47
755–790 776 6 312.50–332.50 $325.49 $2,526 —
802–830 814 4 318.00–332.50 $325.10 $2,646 —
895 895 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,685 -15.00
950 950 1 307.50 $307.50 $2,921 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,300 —
375 375 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,706 —
415 415 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,743 +18.82
495 495 1 412.50 $412.50 $2,042 +7.54
595 595 1 377.50 $377.50 $2,246 —
680 680 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,176 -13.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065 1065 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,955 —
1265–1525 1395 2 209.00–227.50 $217.39 $3,033 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 fancy 220 1 625.00 $625.00 $1,375 —
312 fancy 312 2 540.00 $540.00 $1,685 —
347 347 2 440.00 $440.00 $1,527 —
385 385 1 480.00 $480.00 $1,848 -14.97
415 fancy 415 2 500.00 $500.00 $2,075 -12.50
400–445 429 10 467.50–497.50 $487.92 $2,093 +0.90
455–490 459 9 477.50–495.00 $484.36 $2,223 +0.49
510–530 fancy 520 2 465.00 $465.00 $2,418 -33.82
515–535 531 7 430.00–452.50 $448.60 $2,382 -18.91
553–570 558 5 442.50–455.00 $450.45 $2,514 +0.84
605 605 1 392.00 $392.00 $2,372 +36.74
610 fancy 610 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,470 -8.14
660 660 1 375.00 $375.00 $2,475 +20.05
660 fancy 660 2 402.50 $402.50 $2,656 +15.00
760 760 1 332.50 $332.50 $2,527 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 400.00 $400.00 $940 —
415–420 418 2 412.50–450.00 $431.14 $1,802 +71.14
455–495 476 4 437.50–450.00 $445.64 $2,121 +12.82
505 505 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,121 +2.50
555–595 572 3 382.50–417.50 $401.23 $2,295 +12.06
650–655 653 2 335.00–365.00 $349.94 $2,285 +17.44
705 705 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,062 +17.50
850–880 865 2 262.50–280.00 $271.40 $2,348 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1410 1265 80-85% 15 173.00–207.00 $184.81 $2,338 +21.99
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1130 1035 85-90% 4 131.00–145.00 $141.20 $1,461 -11.29
975–1160 1056 85-90% 6 171.00–220.00 $185.58 $1,960 —
1070–1140 1095 85-90% 3 150.00–155.00 $152.06 $1,665 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1655–1800 1715 75-80% 6 186.00–208.00 $196.96 $3,378 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100 1100 1 208.00 $208.00 $2,288 —
1095–1675 1407 5 212.00–218.00 $215.04 $3,026 +0.11
1655–1695 1675 2 226.00–240.00 $232.92 $3,901 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
945–1005 975 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 227.50–263.00 $245.80 $2,397

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1145 1145 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,750.00 $2,750.00
1145 1145 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00
1310 1310 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00

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Beef Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,729 —

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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.