Sale reports / Kentucky / Stanford Livestock Auction / 2026-08-20

Stanford Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Stanford, Kentucky · Thu, Aug 20
● Final86 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2191
Feeder Cattle receipts
499 head
▼ 138 vs last sale 637▼ 527 vs year ago 1,026 · −51.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
49 head
▲ 17 vs last sale 32▼ 7 vs year ago 56 · −12.5%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

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.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $348.49/cwt on 24 head, down $27.17 from the prior sale. That ranks 4 of 32 comparable sales and sits −59.52 against this barn's trailing median of $408.01.
Average price
$348.49
▼ 27.17 vs prior sale
24 head · 554 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,932
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$171
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$25.18/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−4.23
vs KY average
−2.43 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2556352.691,96120
Medium and Large 2547327.511,7904thin
One grade step is worth $25.18/cwt here — about $171 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

32 sales
461407352298median 408.0101/1503/2605/2107/2309/10
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $447.15, low $311.99, median $408.01 across 32 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale24 hd
348.49
—
KY average26 barns · 679 hd
352.73
−4.23
National average160 barns · 5,295 hd
350.92
−2.43
This barn, trailing median32 sales
408.01
−59.52
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—High1,699217.233,6909thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,352154.482,08911
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,637147.452,4136thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,054131.611,38714
Dairy HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,305174.002,2712thin
SteersSelectAverage1,165272.503,1751thin

Every lot, as filed

86 lots · USDA AMS · Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) - Stanford, KY
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
HeifersMedium and Large 2750–800790277.50/cwt277.50–277.502,1921
HeifersMedium and Large 2350–400355375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,3312
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450400355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,4201
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2350–400370427.50/cwt427.50–427.501,5821
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2300–350318479.88/cwt475.00–485.001,5262
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2450–500469377.55/cwt365.00–397.501,77116
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2400–450417391.60/cwt390.00–397.501,6335
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2600–650622328.39/cwt321.00–340.002,0435
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2900–950945245.00/cwt245.00–245.002,3151
HeifersMedium and Large 2-3450–500495325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,6091
HeifersMedium and Large 2450–500462352.77/cwt350.00–357.501,63010
HeifersMedium and Large 2550–600558323.77/cwt320.00–327.501,8072
HeifersMedium and Large 2500–550535331.25/cwt330.00–332.501,7722
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Value Added550–600565417.50/cwt417.50–417.502,3591
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Fancy400–450446458.34/cwt435.00–460.002,04414
SteersMedium and Large 1-2850–900885309.00/cwt309.00–309.002,7351
HeifersMedium and Large 2600–650612305.54/cwt300.00–307.501,8704
HeifersMedium and Large 2300–350300405.00/cwt405.00–405.001,2151
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2700–750708301.23/cwt287.50–303.002,13315
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2550–600579352.04/cwt340.00–357.502,03813
SteersMedium and Large 1-2650–700655357.50/cwt357.50–357.502,3421
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Value Added800–850817341.00/cwt341.00–341.002,7868
SteersMedium and Large 1-2450–500479376.28/cwt375.00–380.001,8024
SteersMedium and Large 2350–400365380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,3871
SteersMedium and Large 2450–500490367.50/cwt355.00–380.001,8012
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Value Added500–550526433.47/cwt392.50–445.002,28020
SteersMedium and Large 1-2250–300283512.52/cwt510.00–515.001,4502
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Value Added600–650620400.87/cwt392.50–402.502,48512
SteersMedium and Large 1-2400–450425392.50/cwt392.50–392.501,6681
SteersMedium and Large 1-2300–350340450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,5301
SteersMedium and Large 1-2550–600585382.50/cwt382.50–382.502,2381
SteersMedium and Large 1-2350–400383442.45/cwt435.00–450.001,6952
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Value Added900–950933313.75/cwt313.75–313.752,92759
SteersMedium and Large 2400–450410372.50/cwt372.50–372.501,5271
SteersMedium and Large 1-2500–550542345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,8702
SteersMedium and Large 2650–700665327.50/cwt327.50–327.502,1781
SteersMedium and Large 1-2600–650600357.50/cwt357.50–357.502,1451
BullsMedium and Large 2650–700668298.80/cwt285.00–312.501,9962
BullsMedium and Large 2350–400375417.50/cwt417.50–417.501,5664
BullsMedium and Large 1-2Fancy550–600565387.46/cwt382.50–392.502,1892
BullsMedium and Large 1-2Fancy450–500458425.43/cwt421.00–430.001,9482
BullsMedium and Large 1-2Fancy400–450420435.00/cwt435.00–435.001,8272
BullsMedium and Large 1-2Fancy600–650610373.15/cwt361.00–392.502,2768
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,618167.56/cwt165.00–172.002,7113
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,73590.00/cwt90.00–90.001,5621
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,390128.94/cwt127.00–131.001,7922
CowsLean 85-90%—1,078156.63/cwt146.00–162.001,6884
CowsLean 85-90%—1,053101.93/cwt90.00–110.001,0734
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,700130.00/cwt130.00–130.002,2101
Dairy HeifersSelect and Choice—1,305174.00/cwt174.00–174.002,2712
SteersSelect—1,165272.50/cwt272.50–272.503,1751
CowsLean 85-90%—1,038134.71/cwt130.00–140.001,3986
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,530162.00/cwt162.00–162.002,4791
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,360154.42/cwt145.00–160.002,1005
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,495114.00/cwt114.00–114.001,7041
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,267185.11/cwt173.00–204.002,3453
Bulls——1,789228.08/cwt221.00–242.004,0806
Bulls——1,855216.00/cwt216.00–216.004,0071
Bulls——1,350185.28/cwt181.00–190.002,5012
BullsMedium and Large 2600–650605300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,8151
BullsMedium and Large 1-2450–500473395.47/cwt377.50–415.001,8716
BullsMedium and Large 1-2900–950926275.00/cwt275.00–275.002,5473
BullsMedium and Large 1-2200–250235550.00/cwt550.00–550.001,2931
BullsLarge 1700–750710295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,0951
BullsMedium and Large 2-3450–500490334.85/cwt320.00–350.001,6412
BullsMedium and Large 1-2800–850815287.50/cwt287.50–287.502,3431
BullsLarge 1450–500465302.50/cwt302.50–302.501,4071
BullsLarge 1400–450435332.50/cwt332.50–332.501,4461
BullsMedium and Large 2450–500471365.62/cwt352.50–372.501,72213
BullsMedium and Large 1-2750–800768316.24/cwt315.00–320.002,4294
BullsMedium and Large 2750–800785295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,3161
BullsMedium and Large 1-2650–700670347.50/cwt347.50–347.502,3281
BullsMedium and Large 1-2400–450415422.50/cwt422.50–422.501,7531
BullsMedium and Large 1-2350–400360460.00/cwt460.00–460.001,6561
BullsMedium and Large 1-2550–600568348.95/cwt345.00–350.001,9825
BullsMedium and Large 1-2600–650620340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,10811
BullsMedium and Large 1-2700–750713310.87/cwt305.00–320.002,2176
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2250–300275520.00/cwt520.00–520.001,4301
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2650–700688313.58/cwt310.00–315.002,1577
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Value Added750–800753319.50/cwt319.50–319.502,406137
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Fancy400–450415417.50/cwt417.50–417.501,7331
BullsMedium and Large 1-2500–550527345.43/cwt340.00–355.001,8209
BullsMedium and Large 2700–750701289.99/cwt285.00–300.002,0333
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2500–550513353.89/cwt337.50–360.001,8157
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2950–1000965261.00/cwt261.00–261.002,5191
HeifersMedium and Large 2-3600–650625250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,5631

How this sale compares

Kentucky weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Kentucky auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.