Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 27, 2026

820 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) report →

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $331.53/cwt -9.47 vs last sale · ≈ $2,680/hd at 808 lb · 144 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $297.55/cwt ≈ $2,901/hd at 975 lb · 117 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $304.10/cwt -9.65 vs last sale · ≈ $2,868/hd at 943 lb · 60 head
Stanford, KY (Thursday) 9-weight steers sold at $300/cwt, running $3/cwt below the KY average ($303) and $11/cwt under Richmond, KY ($311). The class is down $34/cwt from its early August peak of $333. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 820 548 1,700
Feeder cattle 793 499 1,636
Slaughter cattle 25 49 61
Replacement cattle 2 — 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 700 lbs mostly steady, over 700 lbs 3.00-5.00 lower, Feeder heifers under 500 lbs 8.00-12.00 lower, over 500 lbs mostly steady, Moderate demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows and bulls steady on a lite test, 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
290 290 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,378 -37.52
350–380 365 2 425.00–427.50 $426.30 $1,556 -16.15
410 fancy 410 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,824 —
420–445 435 4 395.00–415.00 $406.33 $1,768 +13.83
463 fancy 463 23 441.50 $441.50 $2,044 —
455–473 468 7 387.50–407.50 $393.94 $1,844 +17.66
500–530 value added 513 10 370.00–410.00 $397.73 $2,040 -35.74
537 537 2 360.00 $360.00 $1,933 +15.00
553–585 value added 567 18 370.00–405.00 $394.04 $2,234 -23.46
585 585 1 362.50 $362.50 $2,121 -20.00
600–645 value added 626 30 352.50–365.00 $362.23 $2,268 -38.64
600–635 629 11 343.00–347.50 $346.43 $2,179 -11.07
650–672 665 8 329.00–347.50 $334.59 $2,225 -22.91
670 value added 670 45 349.00 $349.00 $2,338 —
720 720 2 320.00–327.50 $323.75 $2,331 —
776 776 3 335.00 $335.00 $2,600 —
806–810 value added 808 131 333.75–335.50 $334.59 $2,703 -6.41
805–812 811 13 299.00–310.00 $300.68 $2,439 —
868–870 869 4 286.00–290.00 $287.00 $2,494 -22.00
943 value added 943 60 304.10 $304.10 $2,868 -9.65
969–981 value added 975 117 295.00–300.00 $297.55 $2,901 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 380.00 $380.00 $893 —
355 355 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,278 -20.00
455–495 475 2 325.00–345.00 $334.58 $1,589 -32.92
590 590 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,991 —
615–620 618 2 310.00–317.50 $313.73 $1,939 —
670–695 683 2 280.00–302.50 $291.04 $1,988 -36.46
725 725 1 272.50 $272.50 $1,976 —
770–782 780 19 295.00–300.00 $299.74 $2,338 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 340.00 $340.00 $986 —
455 455 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,274 —
760 760 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,710 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155 1155 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,888 -22.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,032 -170.00
365–385 375 2 370.00–400.00 $384.60 $1,442 -42.90
400–425 414 6 352.50–377.50 $366.19 $1,516 -25.41
417–445 fancy 441 18 390.00–397.00 $395.06 $1,742 -22.44
455–473 469 5 352.50–355.00 $353.00 $1,656 -24.55
505–545 524 16 317.50–338.00 $328.78 $1,723 -25.11
555–588 575 21 310.00–332.50 $323.74 $1,862 -28.30
603–621 value added 614 21 315.00–326.00 $320.43 $1,967 —
630–640 633 3 280.00–290.00 $283.37 $1,794 -45.02
655–670 665 4 280.00–290.00 $284.96 $1,895 -28.62
735 735 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,132 -11.23
785–786 786 4 275.00–280.00 $278.75 $2,191 —
945 945 1 252.50 $252.50 $2,386 +7.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,188 -45.00
485–490 487 3 320.00–327.50 $324.98 $1,583 -27.79
515–517 516 3 281.00–300.00 $293.68 $1,515 -37.57
550–575 562 5 282.50–307.50 $299.50 $1,683 -24.27
660 660 1 297.50 $297.50 $1,964 —
705 705 1 259.00 $259.00 $1,826 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,404 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282 282 2 440.00 $440.00 $1,241 —
300–305 303 2 410.00–435.00 $422.60 $1,280 —
360–385 374 4 400.00–422.50 $409.92 $1,533 -50.08
400 fancy 400 1 500.00 $500.00 $2,000 +65.00
400–423 417 4 402.50–415.00 $405.50 $1,691 -17.00
460–475 464 5 392.50–420.00 $410.91 $1,907 +15.44
500–537 530 7 359.00–362.50 $360.12 $1,909 +14.69
545 fancy 545 2 407.50 $407.50 $2,221 —
552–565 556 7 335.00–357.50 $343.26 $1,909 -5.69
605–620 613 6 340.00–352.50 $345.42 $2,117 +5.42
657–682 665 6 337.50–342.50 $340.79 $2,266 -6.71
700 fancy 700 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,240 —
760–785 773 2 262.50–267.50 $264.96 $2,048 -51.28
800 800 2 285.00 $285.00 $2,280 -2.50
880–895 887 3 245.00–257.50 $250.86 $2,225 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,040 —
360–370 365 2 350.00–360.00 $355.07 $1,296 -62.43
485–495 489 5 357.50–382.50 $367.62 $1,798 +2.00
500–505 503 2 295.00–320.00 $307.44 $1,546 —
550–565 558 2 305.00–322.50 $313.87 $1,751 —
612–625 619 4 267.00–300.00 $283.33 $1,754 -16.67
660 660 2 282.00–300.00 $291.00 $1,921 -7.80
715 715 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,805 -37.49
770 770 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,925 -45.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472 472 2 317.50 $317.50 $1,499 -17.35
575 575 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,438 —
815 815 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,038 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1385 1256 80-85% 4 139.00–142.00 $141.02 $1,771 -44.09
1255–1390 1328 80-85% 3 149.00–161.00 $155.22 $2,061 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1155 1138 85-90% 2 133.00–140.00 $136.55 $1,554 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1610–1620 1615 75-80% 2 155.00–156.00 $155.50 $2,511 -12.06

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1685 1685 1 196.00 $196.00 $3,303 —
1590–2235 1913 2 204.00–207.00 $205.75 $3,936 —
1810–2060 1935 2 221.00–224.00 $222.40 $4,303 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1115 1115 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,620

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00

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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.