Cattle Market Pulse

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

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 15, 2026

984 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 $342.90/cwt +18.95 vs last sale · ≈ $3,052/hd at 890 lb · 124 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $348.57/cwt +66.08 vs last sale · ≈ $2,426/hd at 696 lb · 66 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $393.76/cwt -6.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,712/hd at 435 lb · 56 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 984 983 923
Feeder cattle 917 954 807
Slaughter cattle 60 20 109
Replacement cattle 7 9 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder steers under 500 lbs sharply higher, over 500 lbs steady to 5.00 higher, Feeder heifers under 300 lbs sharply higher, 0ver 300 lbs steady, Good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 higher, Slaughter 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
200–241 fancy 234 8 550.00–625.00 $613.12 $1,435 —
250 fancy 250 1 560.00 $560.00 $1,400 —
270 270 1 457.50 $457.50 $1,235 —
303–342 fancy 310 18 530.00–605.00 $585.29 $1,814 +15.42
360–377 371 3 477.50–480.00 $478.31 $1,775 +60.81
371 fancy 371 27 512.50 $512.50 $1,901 +35.16
453–470 456 5 430.00–457.50 $451.84 $2,060 +25.61
461 fancy 461 30 491.00 $491.00 $2,264 —
502–538 value added 523 29 407.50–430.00 $421.99 $2,207 -4.75
553–570 557 4 352.50–370.00 $356.98 $1,988 -17.61
571–583 value added 578 10 380.00–392.50 $385.77 $2,230 -11.61
601–640 620 11 327.50–353.00 $348.68 $2,162 +1.57
603–641 value added 622 38 372.50–392.50 $376.55 $2,342 +9.05
655–665 658 3 335.00–345.00 $338.37 $2,226 +9.38
705–727 712 7 326.00–345.00 $334.49 $2,382 +18.70
750–788 777 5 322.50–344.00 $336.07 $2,611 +13.76
820 820 6 330.00 $330.00 $2,706 +10.00
890 value added 890 124 342.90 $342.90 $3,052 +18.90
960 960 9 308.00 $308.00 $2,957 +29.00
1041 value added 1041 32 307.00 $307.00 $3,196 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427 427 2 410.00 $410.00 $1,751 +10.00
492 492 2 422.50 $422.50 $2,079 +32.92
550 550 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,801 —
645 645 1 302.50 $302.50 $1,951 -8.93
720 720 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,196 +8.49
760 760 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,356 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 432.50 $432.50 $1,016 —
239 fancy 239 6 555.00 $555.00 $1,326 —
280 fancy 280 9 525.00 $525.00 $1,470 +75.00
290 290 2 412.50 $412.50 $1,196 —
300 300 1 402.50 $402.50 $1,208 —
332 fancy 332 15 442.50 $442.50 $1,469 -7.50
368 fancy 368 28 432.50 $432.50 $1,592 —
350–395 374 9 395.00–427.50 $413.44 $1,546 -0.40
415–438 fancy 434 48 387.50–422.50 $397.10 $1,723 -15.84
438–440 439 8 372.50–375.00 $373.75 $1,641 +8.12
455–495 476 16 347.50–377.50 $358.01 $1,704 -0.94
505 value added 505 5 355.00 $355.00 $1,793 -7.39
505–547 522 32 320.00–347.50 $332.77 $1,737 -4.87
556–595 576 37 317.00–329.00 $322.32 $1,857 -1.13
605–640 627 7 307.50–328.00 $321.13 $2,013 +7.73
667–695 679 4 280.00–290.00 $283.79 $1,927 +1.30
697 value added 697 62 352.75 $352.75 $2,459 —
710–715 713 2 275.00–280.00 $277.51 $1,979 -9.62
765–771 770 11 280.00–305.00 $302.74 $2,331 +17.74
810–845 828 2 280.00–287.50 $283.67 $2,349 +13.67
913–935 931 15 267.50–280.00 $277.55 $2,584 —
965 965 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,364 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–397 388 3 352.50–370.00 $358.06 $1,389 —
460–470 465 2 337.50–345.00 $341.29 $1,587 +6.33
515 515 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,622 —
560–594 589 9 280.00–306.00 $301.28 $1,775 +8.91
610–625 621 5 285.00–297.50 $293.99 $1,826 +8.34
675 675 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,789 -10.00
745 745 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,067 —
880 880 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,200 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 270.00 $270.00 $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
235 fancy 235 1 595.00 $595.00 $1,398 —
275–285 280 2 450.00–480.00 $464.73 $1,301 —
300–315 fancy 306 4 540.00–560.00 $547.63 $1,676 —
400–445 424 8 415.00–435.00 $426.23 $1,807 -4.26
460–480 475 4 422.50–442.50 $433.82 $2,061 +25.02
505 505 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,768 -20.32
505–545 fancy 532 16 380.00–427.50 $396.61 $2,110 -2.88
560–565 fancy 562 6 392.50–397.50 $395.82 $2,225 +13.84
550–595 586 16 345.00–370.00 $361.17 $2,116 -11.01
600–615 fancy 608 2 355.00–357.50 $356.23 $2,166 +4.97
600–647 628 14 322.50–347.50 $338.15 $2,124 +9.16
655–680 670 3 310.00–320.00 $316.62 $2,121 +14.09
715–748 735 6 280.00–295.00 $289.28 $2,126 -7.68
786 786 4 305.00 $305.00 $2,397 ±0.00
915 915 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,242 -14.99
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–490 478 2 385.00–392.50 $388.85 $1,859 +17.35
610–620 617 3 280.00–300.00 $293.41 $1,810 -7.58
655 655 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,965 +24.41
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710 710 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,864 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1465 1307 80-85% 9 105.00–119.00 $114.57 $1,497 -40.43
1315 1315 80-85% 1 80.00 $80.00 $1,052 -75.00
1180–1475 1334 80-85% 16 121.00–132.00 $128.90 $1,720 -26.10
1190–1485 1342 80-85% 9 134.00–150.00 $138.10 $1,853 -16.90
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1170 1015 85-90% 6 80.00–104.00 $93.27 $947 —
1050–1185 1145 85-90% 4 121.00–130.00 $125.87 $1,441 —
1130–1170 1150 85-90% 2 113.00–118.00 $115.54 $1,329 —
1105–1200 1153 85-90% 2 140.00–145.00 $142.40 $1,642 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1525–1610 1553 75-80% 6 125.00–132.00 $128.80 $2,000 +17.44
1655 1655 75-80% 1 136.00 $136.00 $2,251 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1650 1560 2 175.00–178.00 $176.59 $2,755 —
1780 1780 1 194.00 $194.00 $3,453 —
1960 1960 1 183.00 $183.00 $3,587 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
970–1315 1143 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 162.50–200.00 $178.42 $2,039
1140–1435 1262 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 157.00–167.50 $161.87 $2,043

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1305 1305 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,300.00 $3,300.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1015 1015 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,200.00 $3,200.00

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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.