Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report, Stanford, KY

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 1, 2026

859 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $303.11/cwt -10.88 vs last sale · ≈ $2,949/hd at 973 lb · 171 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $329.32/cwt -2.59 vs last sale · ≈ $2,878/hd at 874 lb · 62 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $333.61/cwt -11.06 vs last sale · ≈ $2,729/hd at 818 lb · 43 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 859 1,852 1,036
Feeder cattle 781 1,772 951
Slaughter cattle 73 69 74
Replacement cattle 5 11 11

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs sharply lower, over 500 lbs 5.00-10.00 lower, Feeder and yearling heifers 5.00-10.00 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
275 fancy 275 1 580.00 $580.00 $1,595 +22.57
360–395 382 5 415.00–430.00 $420.86 $1,608 —
420–437 429 4 410.00 $410.00 $1,759 -45.98
486 486 3 430.00 $430.00 $2,090 +1.86
502–545 value added 516 13 407.50–442.50 $424.07 $2,188 +6.03
515–540 528 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,954 +22.50
572–592 581 5 367.50–372.50 $370.03 $2,150 -2.01
609–635 value added 616 12 355.00–370.00 $366.99 $2,261 +5.58
605–640 623 2 329.00–337.50 $333.37 $2,077 -7.57
655–695 668 11 324.00–345.00 $337.33 $2,253 -7.67
705–745 728 8 312.50–333.00 $322.71 $2,349 -10.89
750–757 755 4 312.50–327.50 $320.65 $2,421 -13.32
800–825 817 3 315.00–325.00 $321.73 $2,629 -7.77
818 value added 818 40 334.50 $334.50 $2,736 -10.55
872 872 2 309.00 $309.00 $2,694 -6.00
874 value added 874 60 330.00 $330.00 $2,884 -2.05
965–983 value added 973 171 300.50–304.75 $303.11 $2,949 -11.21
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–440 432 3 370.00–380.00 $375.02 $1,620 +35.02
465–495 480 2 385.00–410.00 $397.11 $1,906 -19.89
655–690 670 3 280.00–310.00 $293.61 $1,967 -23.06
735 735 1 272.50 $272.50 $2,003 -43.74
760 760 2 293.00–297.50 $295.25 $2,244 -9.80
855 855 1 301.00 $301.00 $2,574 -11.50
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,472 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,080 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,189 -40.00
300–347 335 4 400.00–420.00 $414.85 $1,390 -25.15
350–382 371 5 375.00–395.00 $383.88 $1,424 -7.86
400–420 fancy 406 8 383.00–400.00 $389.40 $1,581 -3.46
405–420 413 5 349.00–370.00 $364.80 $1,507 -4.60
460 fancy 460 3 383.00 $383.00 $1,762 —
455–470 462 16 348.00–369.00 $359.02 $1,659 -5.85
500–527 value added 509 10 357.50–380.00 $374.75 $1,907 +18.44
502–540 526 14 325.00–352.50 $346.70 $1,824 +4.62
550–591 570 20 322.50–349.00 $332.31 $1,894 +0.32
600–648 617 15 293.00–317.50 $307.68 $1,898 -0.36
650–697 681 18 285.00–300.00 $292.15 $1,990 -17.41
715–740 734 4 265.00–280.00 $268.65 $1,972 -39.33
755–795 777 3 270.00–290.00 $278.19 $2,162 -8.44
1005 1005 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,211 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–385 378 3 350.00–360.00 $353.39 $1,336 -16.61
405–425 415 2 330.00–335.00 $332.44 $1,380 —
535 535 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,699 +17.14
570–595 585 17 300.00–318.00 $312.56 $1,828 +4.55
615–635 632 6 262.50–280.00 $276.58 $1,748 -17.24
655–695 683 5 252.50–270.00 $259.75 $1,774 -22.75
765 765 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,836 -14.39
805 805 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,831 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 240.00 $240.00 $876 —
470 470 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,163 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 fancy 285 2 540.00–565.00 $552.50 $1,575 —
305–320 fancy 313 2 475.00–505.00 $489.64 $1,533 +19.64
345 345 1 437.50 $437.50 $1,509 —
360 fancy 360 1 545.00 $545.00 $1,962 +82.50
360–385 368 3 440.00–451.00 $443.83 $1,633 +1.10
415 fancy 415 1 475.00 $475.00 $1,971 -10.60
430–448 445 6 417.50–440.00 $421.12 $1,874 -31.38
475–480 478 2 420.00–425.00 $422.51 $2,020 -22.67
515–537 528 8 333.00–360.00 $340.39 $1,797 -18.33
505–545 fancy 529 27 387.50–422.50 $397.82 $2,104 -14.56
550–589 fancy 579 18 372.50–387.50 $379.83 $2,199 -11.26
565–595 580 11 333.00–367.50 $355.89 $2,064 -2.63
600–645 fancy 611 4 350.00 $350.00 $2,138 -3.12
605–645 626 9 320.00–345.00 $332.06 $2,079 -4.30
655–690 668 8 320.00–335.00 $325.85 $2,177 +3.35
702–722 712 15 312.50–332.50 $320.26 $2,280 +41.91
755–770 758 6 291.00–320.00 $305.71 $2,317 —
842–846 844 8 292.50–300.00 $296.24 $2,500 +12.50
860 860 1 271.00 $271.00 $2,331 —
975–985 980 2 252.50–261.00 $256.73 $2,516 -23.27
1075 1075 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,935 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–395 379 9 380.00–417.50 $405.62 $1,537 —
405–440 420 7 350.00–410.00 $377.99 $1,588 -21.09
457–470 462 4 397.50–405.00 $401.88 $1,857 -18.04
522 522 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,644 -5.00
550–555 553 2 300.00–310.00 $305.02 $1,687 —
605–625 612 3 300.00–310.00 $306.59 $1,876 -8.41
690 690 2 313.00 $313.00 $2,160 +2.96
704–745 711 6 279.00–289.00 $280.75 $1,996 +40.75
755–780 768 2 275.00–280.00 $277.54 $2,132 —
965 965 1 225.00 $225.00 $2,171 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,346 —
460–465 463 2 310.00–332.50 $321.31 $1,488 -17.59

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1520 1277 80-85% 12 127.00–137.00 $133.40 $1,704 +28.40
1210–1385 1298 80-85% 2 112.00–115.00 $113.40 $1,472 -34.12
1220–1410 1315 80-85% 2 102.00–107.50 $104.95 $1,380 —
1295–1435 1343 80-85% 4 143.00–150.00 $145.95 $1,960 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540 1540 75-80% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,679 -38.91
1425–1780 1577 75-80% 13 124.00–138.00 $132.76 $2,094 —
1535–1725 1635 75-80% 5 148.00–167.50 $155.83 $2,548 +15.99
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1205 1018 85-90% 5 97.00–111.00 $104.14 $1,060 —
930–1175 1069 85-90% 7 126.00–140.00 $131.47 $1,405 -13.53
980–1205 1103 85-90% 4 113.00–124.00 $117.81 $1,299 -2.82

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 1 171.00 $171.00 $2,018 —
1200–1615 1408 2 187.00–191.00 $188.71 $2,657 —
1935 1935 1 213.00 $213.00 $4,122 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
845–1375 1072 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 165.00–232.50 $198.37 $2,127

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1435 1435 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00

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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
1740 1740 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,350.00 $3,350.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
847 847 2 217.50 $217.50 $1,842 —

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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.