Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Co. Stockyard Market Report

Russell Springs, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 13, 2023

445 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Russell Co. Stockyard report →

light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $225.00/cwt +0.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,637/hd at 728 lb · 81 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $217.00/cwt +17.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,068/hd at 492 lb · 29 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $228.14/cwt +3.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,316/hd at 577 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 445 556 513
Feeder cattle 384 473 465
Slaughter cattle 49 62 39
Replacement cattle 12 21 9

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder steers sold 8.00-10.00 higher. The 450-600 lb. feeder heifers traded sharply higher and all other heifers were steady. Today's feeder quality was very good and the buyers showed much higher demand for all feeder calves. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower and slaughter bulls were steady.

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
410–425 418 2 265.00–269.00 $266.96 $1,116 +36.96
451 fancy 451 3 266.00 $266.00 $1,200 +11.67
480–490 483 7 235.00–255.00 $246.34 $1,190 +16.84
500–548 533 7 224.50–250.00 $237.20 $1,264 +8.52
550–599 577 22 226.00–248.00 $228.14 $1,316 +20.14
612–645 627 5 210.00–226.00 $218.10 $1,367 —
665 665 12 218.00 $218.00 $1,450 —
727 value added 727 74 226.50 $226.50 $1,647 +0.56
702–745 733 7 207.00–210.00 $209.18 $1,533 -6.82
750 750 2 202.00 $202.00 $1,515 —
811–845 815 8 185.00–190.00 $189.35 $1,543 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,003 +37.00
490 490 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,029 —
535 535 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,124 +30.00
560 560 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,148 +1.01
605–645 625 4 190.00–196.00 $193.10 $1,207 -6.35
655–670 663 2 182.00–184.00 $183.01 $1,213 —
790 790 1 179.00 $179.00 $1,414 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
582 582 2 169.00 $169.00 $984 —
613 613 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,011 —
700 700 2 164.00 $164.00 $1,148 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 227.00 $227.00 $590 +0.54
335 335 1 227.50 $227.50 $762 +0.50
405–423 418 10 208.00–224.00 $221.24 $925 +7.37
450–499 492 29 208.00–220.00 $217.00 $1,068 +17.17
500–524 519 7 205.50–210.00 $206.47 $1,072 +14.12
585 585 5 197.00–212.00 $206.00 $1,205 +17.63
606–607 value added 606 10 206.00–207.50 $207.20 $1,256 —
605–625 614 6 194.00–198.00 $194.83 $1,196 +15.83
687–695 688 8 171.00–179.00 $177.99 $1,225 -3.23
720 720 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,267 -6.25
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 190.00 $190.00 $532 —
300–332 317 4 180.00–201.00 $187.66 $595 —
355–365 360 3 180.00–200.00 $192.35 $692 —
445 445 1 200.00 $200.00 $890 +30.00
460–485 470 3 180.00–200.00 $191.76 $901 +29.33
575 575 1 170.00 $170.00 $978 +19.66
635–645 638 3 167.00–170.00 $168.99 $1,078 +33.99
655–672 664 4 160.00–163.00 $161.52 $1,072 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
706–735 713 4 160.00–163.00 $160.77 $1,146 -9.23
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250 1250 1 147.50 $147.50 $1,844 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–230 218 2 265.00 $265.00 $578 —
290 290 1 242.50 $242.50 $703 +2.50
315 315 1 251.00 $251.00 $791 +9.09
330 fancy 330 1 280.00 $280.00 $924 —
350–365 360 3 237.50–252.00 $247.30 $890 -13.26
390 fancy 390 1 276.00 $276.00 $1,076 +5.00
422–425 423 3 245.00–258.00 $253.65 $1,073 +19.65
460–492 487 8 238.00–248.00 $241.83 $1,178 +15.41
505–535 527 11 224.00–238.00 $233.17 $1,229 +9.23
562 562 2 228.00 $228.00 $1,281 +37.00
665 665 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,430 +33.08
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 212.00 $212.00 $827 —
400 400 1 202.50 $202.50 $810 +11.50
485–487 486 3 215.00–216.00 $215.33 $1,047 +12.83
510–525 518 3 192.00–202.00 $198.05 $1,026 +7.45
550–580 562 3 198.00–202.00 $200.04 $1,124 +20.04
600–620 612 3 190.00–195.00 $192.35 $1,177 +22.35
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–370 363 2 180.00–185.00 $182.55 $663 -2.25
455 455 1 190.00 $190.00 $864 +22.44
640 640 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,104 +32.50
665–692 679 4 150.00–174.00 $162.97 $1,107 +25.99
955 955 3 126.00–128.00 $127.33 $1,216 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–925 863 85-90% 2 78.00–83.00 $80.32 $693 —
850–1070 964 85-90% 8 42.50–60.00 $53.42 $515 -17.32
855–1265 1019 85-90% 6 70.00–75.00 $72.98 $744 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145 1145 80-85% 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,099 —
1090–1395 1202 80-85% 8 80.00–85.00 $81.27 $977 -3.11
1305 1305 80-85% 1 65.00 $65.00 $848 —
1530 1530 80-85% 1 76.00 $76.00 $1,163 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1545 1412 75-80% 3 80.00–86.00 $83.38 $1,177 —
1525–1645 1585 75-80% 2 90.00 $90.00 $1,426 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1480–1620 1555 3 107.00–110.00 $108.68 $1,690 —
1295–1950 1667 8 98.00–105.00 $100.69 $1,679 —

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Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
830 thin fleshed 830 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 935.00 $935.00
890 thin fleshed 890 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,110.00 $1,110.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1220 1220 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815 815 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
795 795 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00
855 855 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00
885 885 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 935.00 $935.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1015 1015 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,285.00 $1,285.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 3 125.00 $125.00 $669 -1.00
676 676 3 110.00 $110.00 $744 —

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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.