Cattle Market Pulse

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

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 8, 2026

983 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $323.95/cwt -5.38 vs last sale · ≈ $2,886/hd at 891 lb · 113 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $323.00/cwt ≈ $2,913/hd at 902 lb · 108 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $338.72/cwt +5.11 vs last sale · ≈ $2,802/hd at 827 lb · 68 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 983 859 702
Feeder cattle 954 781 630
Slaughter cattle 20 73 69
Replacement cattle 9 5 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs sharply higher, over 500 lbs steady to 4.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 500 lbs 10.00-15.00 higher, over 500 lbs steady, Good demand for feeder classes under 500 lbs over 500 lbs and yearlings moderate demand. Slaughter cows 3.00-5.00 lower, Slaughter bulls 2.00-3.00 lower, 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
295 fancy 295 1 565.00 $565.00 $1,667 -15.00
310–335 fancy 323 3 565.00–575.00 $569.87 $1,841 —
356–385 fancy 362 5 467.50–480.00 $477.34 $1,728 —
395 395 2 417.50 $417.50 $1,649 -3.36
431 fancy 431 3 450.00 $450.00 $1,940 —
440–447 444 7 412.50–422.50 $416.75 $1,850 +6.75
455–490 467 10 415.00–440.00 $426.23 $1,990 -3.77
500–540 value added 520 15 402.50–440.00 $426.74 $2,219 +2.67
510–540 525 2 347.50–352.50 $349.93 $1,837 -20.07
553–593 value added 569 39 382.50–410.00 $397.38 $2,261 —
560–598 588 27 372.50–379.00 $374.59 $2,203 +4.56
615–620 value added 617 3 360.00–375.00 $367.50 $2,267 +0.51
600–648 624 31 337.50–355.00 $347.11 $2,166 +13.74
652–663 657 10 320.00–335.00 $328.99 $2,161 -8.34
704–726 value added 711 31 330.00–344.00 $339.39 $2,413 —
720–740 731 6 310.00–320.00 $315.79 $2,308 -6.92
755–785 775 5 312.00–328.00 $322.31 $2,498 +1.66
784 value added 784 12 339.50 $339.50 $2,662 —
827 value added 827 67 339.00 $339.00 $2,804 +4.50
840 840 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,688 -1.73
891 value added 891 112 324.00 $324.00 $2,887 -6.00
895 895 1 318.00 $318.00 $2,846 +9.00
902 value added 902 108 323.00 $323.00 $2,913 —
993 993 3 279.00 $279.00 $2,770 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
422 422 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,688 +24.98
465–495 487 6 355.00–410.00 $389.58 $1,897 -7.53
505 505 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,616 —
590 590 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,888 —
625–645 635 2 300.00–322.50 $311.43 $1,978 —
650–685 659 11 280.00–316.00 $307.90 $2,029 +14.29
700–725 710 5 275.00–307.50 $296.51 $2,105 +24.01
815 815 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,384 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 fancy 290 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,305 —
335 fancy 335 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,508 —
365–370 368 2 400.00–427.50 $413.84 $1,523 +29.96
400–435 fancy 411 14 390.00–422.50 $412.94 $1,697 +23.54
430–440 438 5 355.00–371.00 $365.63 $1,601 +0.83
468–488 478 20 345.00–369.00 $358.95 $1,716 -0.07
500–535 value added 517 30 355.00–377.50 $362.39 $1,874 -12.36
515–532 525 5 327.50–342.50 $337.64 $1,773 -9.06
550–595 586 16 315.00–335.00 $323.45 $1,895 -8.86
600–622 611 22 304.00–321.00 $313.40 $1,915 +5.72
670–675 673 2 280.00–285.00 $282.49 $1,901 -9.66
717–745 728 9 272.50–297.50 $287.13 $2,090 +18.48
760 760 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,166 +6.81
810 810 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,187 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 340.00 $340.00 $833 —
425 425 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,318 -22.44
465–490 481 4 330.00–340.00 $334.96 $1,611 —
575–595 585 2 285.00–300.00 $292.37 $1,710 -20.19
610–632 626 4 282.50–290.00 $285.65 $1,788 +9.07
660 660 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,815 +15.25
755 755 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,963 +20.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110 1110 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,787 —
1220–1270 1245 2 170.00–190.00 $180.20 $2,243 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,162 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 fancy 355 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,846 -25.00
405 fancy 405 2 457.50 $457.50 $1,853 -17.50
415–446 435 7 415.00–437.50 $430.49 $1,873 +9.37
450–495 478 3 407.50–410.00 $408.80 $1,954 -13.71
505–535 fancy 526 17 390.00–411.00 $399.49 $2,101 +1.67
512–542 533 12 350.00–377.50 $370.32 $1,974 +29.93
550–565 fancy 557 5 380.00–390.00 $381.98 $2,128 +2.15
559–573 566 16 362.50–375.00 $372.18 $2,107 +16.29
601–607 fancy 604 8 347.50–357.50 $351.26 $2,122 +1.26
615–630 624 10 312.50–332.50 $328.99 $2,053 -3.07
650–695 673 4 300.00–310.00 $302.53 $2,036 -23.32
700–745 718 3 285.00–307.50 $296.96 $2,132 -23.30
795 795 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,425 —
810–845 828 2 257.00–275.00 $265.81 $2,201 -30.43
915–920 918 2 255.00–265.00 $259.99 $2,387 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,120 —
380 380 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,349 -50.62
400–440 418 4 380.00–400.00 $394.12 $1,647 +16.13
475–495 485 5 367.50–377.50 $371.50 $1,802 -30.38
520–530 528 4 340.00–342.50 $340.63 $1,799 +25.63
555–595 565 8 302.50–347.50 $329.32 $1,861 +24.30
600–645 622 5 300.00–302.50 $300.99 $1,872 -5.60
660–693 684 5 260.00–285.00 $275.59 $1,885 -37.41
740 740 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,850 -30.75
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,522 —
575 575 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,610 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685 685 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,507 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960 960 85-90% 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,373 —
935–1130 1055 85-90% 5 103.00–115.00 $107.56 $1,135 -23.91
1030–1135 1089 85-90% 5 119.00–129.00 $123.92 $1,349 -7.55
1045–1205 1096 85-90% 5 65.00–97.50 $89.90 $985 -41.57
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1310 1300 80-85% 2 96.00–99.00 $97.49 $1,267 -7.46
1310 1310 80-85% 1 155.00 $155.00 $2,030 +50.05
1150–1495 1365 80-85% 9 120.00–131.00 $125.61 $1,715 —
1345–1465 1397 80-85% 3 105.00–114.00 $108.55 $1,516 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510 1510 75-80% 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,450 -13.00
1495–1650 1575 75-80% 3 110.00–113.00 $111.36 $1,754 -21.40
1565–1925 1713 75-80% 3 116.00–125.00 $121.20 $2,076 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1875 1603 4 174.00–179.00 $176.95 $2,837 —
1685–2065 1893 6 181.00–186.00 $183.32 $3,470 —
1895 1895 1 198.00 $198.00 $3,752 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1040–1335 1189 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 6 153.00–205.00 $172.62 $2,052
1235 1235 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,890

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1120–1550 1335 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,050.00–3,000.00 $2,601.50

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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.