Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 20, 2026

548 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 $319.50/cwt +17.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,406/hd at 753 lb · 137 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $313.75/cwt -9.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,927/hd at 933 lb · 59 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $425.43/cwt -17.49 vs last sale · ≈ $2,244/hd at 527 lb · 22 head
Stanford, KY 7-weight heifers sold at $318/cwt, in line with the state average—$2/cwt above the KY average ($316) and $4/cwt under Campbellsville, KY ($322). The class is down $33/cwt from its early July peak of $344. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 548 672 1,082
Feeder cattle 499 637 1,026
Slaughter cattle 49 32 56
Replacement cattle — 3 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers under 700 lbs 12.00-15.00 lower, 800 lbs and up 5.00-8.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers steady to 8.00 lower, Moderate demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls steady, Moderate 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
280–285 283 2 510.00–515.00 $512.52 $1,450 —
340 340 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,530 —
380–385 383 2 435.00–450.00 $442.45 $1,695 -77.55
425 425 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,668 —
415–448 fancy 446 14 435.00–460.00 $458.34 $2,044 —
475–490 479 4 375.00–380.00 $376.28 $1,802 —
500–548 value added 526 20 392.50–445.00 $433.47 $2,280 -25.99
542 542 2 345.00 $345.00 $1,870 -40.00
565 value added 565 1 417.50 $417.50 $2,359 -16.73
585 585 1 382.50 $382.50 $2,238 -32.49
600 600 1 357.50 $357.50 $2,145 -15.00
607–622 value added 620 12 392.50–402.50 $400.87 $2,485 -19.73
655 655 1 357.50 $357.50 $2,342 -6.50
817 value added 817 8 341.00 $341.00 $2,786 -6.40
885 885 1 309.00 $309.00 $2,735 —
933 value added 933 59 313.75 $313.75 $2,927 -9.40
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,387 —
410 410 1 372.50 $372.50 $1,527 —
490 490 2 355.00–380.00 $367.50 $1,801 —
665 665 1 327.50 $327.50 $2,178 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165 1165 1 272.50 $272.50 $3,175 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,430 —
310–325 318 2 475.00–485.00 $479.88 $1,526 +37.38
370 370 1 427.50 $427.50 $1,582 —
415 fancy 415 1 417.50 $417.50 $1,733 —
410–445 417 5 390.00–397.50 $391.60 $1,633 -19.14
450–492 469 16 365.00–397.50 $377.55 $1,771 -18.40
505–535 513 7 337.50–360.00 $353.89 $1,815 -11.11
560–596 579 13 340.00–357.50 $352.04 $2,038 -12.96
610–640 622 5 321.00–340.00 $328.39 $2,043 -30.30
682–695 688 7 310.00–315.00 $313.58 $2,157 -25.19
707–710 708 15 287.50–303.00 $301.23 $2,133 —
753 value added 753 137 319.50 $319.50 $2,406 —
945 945 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,315 -37.50
965 965 1 261.00 $261.00 $2,519 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,215 —
355 355 2 375.00 $375.00 $1,331 —
400 400 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,420 —
460–468 462 10 350.00–357.50 $352.77 $1,630 —
535 535 2 330.00–332.50 $331.25 $1,772 —
555–560 558 2 320.00–327.50 $323.77 $1,807 —
603–640 612 4 300.00–307.50 $305.54 $1,870 —
790 790 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,192 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,609 -50.02
625 625 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,562 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 550.00 $550.00 $1,292 —
360 360 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,656 -18.50
415 415 1 422.50 $422.50 $1,753 -24.50
420 fancy 420 2 435.00 $435.00 $1,827 -73.08
450–465 fancy 458 2 421.00–430.00 $425.43 $1,948 —
462–495 473 6 377.50–415.00 $395.47 $1,871 -46.82
510–546 527 9 340.00–355.00 $345.43 $1,820 -15.41
560–570 fancy 565 2 382.50–392.50 $387.46 $2,189 -32.54
550–595 568 5 345.00–350.00 $348.95 $1,982 -36.09
600–617 fancy 610 8 361.00–392.50 $373.15 $2,276 +3.15
620 620 11 340.00 $340.00 $2,108 —
670 670 1 347.50 $347.50 $2,328 +26.25
703–735 713 6 305.00–320.00 $310.87 $2,217 -24.13
760–771 768 4 315.00–320.00 $316.24 $2,429 —
815 815 1 287.50 $287.50 $2,343 —
926 926 3 275.00 $275.00 $2,546 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 4 417.50 $417.50 $1,566 —
450–495 471 13 352.50–372.50 $365.62 $1,722 —
605 605 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,815 —
665–670 668 2 285.00–312.50 $298.80 $1,996 —
700–702 701 3 285.00–300.00 $289.99 $2,033 —
785 785 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,316 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,446 —
465 465 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,407 —
710 710 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,094 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485–495 490 2 320.00–350.00 $334.85 $1,641 -85.15

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1140 1038 85-90% 6 130.00–140.00 $134.71 $1,398 -40.00
880–1150 1053 85-90% 4 90.00–110.00 $101.93 $1,073 —
1000–1175 1078 85-90% 4 146.00–162.00 $156.63 $1,688 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1415 1267 80-85% 3 173.00–204.00 $185.11 $2,345 —
1255–1465 1360 80-85% 5 145.00–160.00 $154.42 $2,100 -10.76
1345–1435 1390 80-85% 2 127.00–131.00 $128.94 $1,792 -36.24
1495 1495 80-85% 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,704 -21.00
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530 1530 75-80% 1 162.00 $162.00 $2,479 —
1540–1670 1618 75-80% 3 165.00–172.00 $167.56 $2,711 —
1700 1700 75-80% 1 130.00 $130.00 $2,210 -33.46
1735 1735 75-80% 1 90.00 $90.00 $1,562 -73.46

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1415 1350 2 181.00–190.00 $185.28 $2,501 —
1460–2040 1789 6 221.00–242.00 $228.08 $4,080 —
1855 1855 1 216.00 $216.00 $4,007 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305 1305 2 174.00 $174.00 $2,271 —

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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.