Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Co. Stockyard Market Report

Russell Springs, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 21, 2024

813 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $289.66/cwt -15.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,490/hd at 514 lb · 56 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $251.06/cwt +0.24 vs last sale · ≈ $1,459/hd at 581 lb · 40 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $291.83/cwt -14.68 vs last sale · ≈ $1,364/hd at 467 lb · 39 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 813 669 124
Feeder cattle 733 576 113
Slaughter cattle 62 65 11
Replacement cattle 18 28 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder steers and heifers sold 6.00-8.00 lower with a few being sharply lower. With the constant uncertainty of cattle futures trading and the late summer slump arriving buyers showed much lighter demand today. Slaughter cows traded 4.00-6.00 lower on a more plain quality offering and slaughter bulls steady to 2.00 lower on a light test.

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
343 343 7 321.00 $321.00 $1,101 -14.00
357 357 2 312.00 $312.00 $1,114 —
452–455 fancy 453 8 303.00–306.00 $305.25 $1,383 -4.46
461–488 471 31 279.00–297.50 $288.37 $1,358 -3.78
500 value added 500 26 298.00 $298.00 $1,490 -12.00
518–545 527 30 279.00–287.00 $282.43 $1,488 -20.56
552–597 570 37 272.00–290.00 $280.18 $1,597 -11.35
616–633 625 20 274.00–287.00 $278.85 $1,743 -7.39
682–691 687 5 249.00–253.00 $250.59 $1,722 -32.62
701 value added 701 19 249.00 $249.00 $1,745 -9.75
700–730 711 4 239.00–245.00 $243.03 $1,728 -9.97
760–773 768 6 234.00–237.00 $236.51 $1,816 -1.84
813 value added 813 21 234.50 $234.50 $1,906 -5.50
835 835 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,820 -12.00
855 855 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,881 —
975–990 983 2 189.00–191.00 $189.99 $1,868 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
411 411 3 286.00 $286.00 $1,175 —
475 475 4 276.00 $276.00 $1,311 -5.00
503–535 517 7 264.00–272.00 $267.68 $1,384 -8.32
550 550 3 264.00 $264.00 $1,452 -11.60
627–641 631 16 259.00–264.50 $262.88 $1,659 -2.12
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 272.00 $272.00 $870 —
395 395 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,106 —
420 420 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,155 —
455–495 473 6 255.00–265.00 $261.73 $1,238 +2.73
500–535 522 3 235.00–240.00 $236.71 $1,236 -16.29
560–591 583 4 245.00–256.00 $253.36 $1,477 —
605–635 623 4 235.00–255.00 $244.41 $1,523 —
655–660 658 2 220.00–243.00 $231.46 $1,523 +2.46
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,235 —
655 655 1 233.00 $233.00 $1,526 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272–293 285 5 290.00–300.00 $296.18 $844 +1.18
351–395 376 15 280.00–288.00 $282.50 $1,062 +1.35
400–445 426 8 263.00–278.00 $272.92 $1,163 -6.91
455–495 468 21 261.00–271.00 $267.94 $1,254 -16.13
500–541 528 31 244.00–262.00 $252.42 $1,333 -18.05
550–597 581 40 237.00–258.00 $251.06 $1,459 +0.24
607–640 619 18 224.00–239.00 $232.56 $1,440 -11.03
655–692 674 7 217.50–231.00 $225.76 $1,522 -10.43
708 708 5 228.75 $228.75 $1,620 -1.04
753 753 3 228.00 $228.00 $1,717 -1.00
810–835 823 2 204.00–208.00 $206.03 $1,696 -8.97
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–390 388 4 264.00–271.00 $269.28 $1,045 +1.28
405 405 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,053 ±0.00
450–490 471 21 245.00–255.00 $250.24 $1,179 -13.73
500–535 522 7 240.00–241.00 $240.29 $1,254 -11.86
552–570 555 7 229.00–234.00 $232.01 $1,288 —
620–625 623 5 220.00 $220.00 $1,371 —
665 665 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,410 -2.00
765 765 2 206.00 $206.00 $1,576 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 2 260.00 $260.00 $637 —
275 275 1 275.00 $275.00 $756 -5.00
300 300 1 240.00 $240.00 $720 —
350–395 386 10 242.50–260.00 $254.67 $983 +8.00
445 445 3 245.00–249.00 $246.33 $1,096 +6.27
475–495 485 2 230.00–235.00 $232.45 $1,127 -22.55
530–545 535 3 225.00–230.00 $226.70 $1,213 -16.82
640 640 2 207.00–210.00 $208.50 $1,334 -2.03
660 660 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,320 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–330 325 2 310.00–320.00 $315.08 $1,024 -0.03
360 fancy 360 2 317.00 $317.00 $1,141 —
365–385 376 7 287.50–301.00 $292.38 $1,099 —
455–460 457 3 280.00–294.00 $289.30 $1,322 +0.10
515–535 528 7 260.00–275.00 $262.09 $1,384 -20.66
552–585 564 4 252.00–262.50 $255.12 $1,439 -17.43
600–625 613 21 230.00–245.00 $238.31 $1,461 -16.44
660–696 687 4 215.00–222.00 $216.68 $1,489 -21.32
700 700 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,512 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 305.00 $305.00 $884 —
322–340 328 3 272.50–288.00 $282.64 $927 —
370–394 390 6 280.00–281.00 $280.84 $1,095 —
425–430 428 3 274.00–277.50 $275.49 $1,179 —
500–545 523 5 255.00–256.00 $255.20 $1,335 —
630 630 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,449 —
750 750 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,500 —
845 845 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,436 —
860 860 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,479 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 265.00 $265.00 $649 —
375 375 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,003 -12.50
405–445 422 3 247.00–265.00 $257.07 $1,085 -10.45
452–480 461 3 240.00–255.00 $245.20 $1,130 —
505–545 526 4 230.00–245.00 $235.67 $1,240 —
580–585 583 2 227.50–235.00 $231.23 $1,348 +2.78
600–645 617 3 210.00–222.00 $216.71 $1,337 —
670–690 680 2 210.00–213.00 $211.52 $1,438 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
597 597 2 232.00 $232.00 $1,385 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–850 838 85-90% 2 104.00–107.00 $105.52 $884 -11.79
800–1055 919 85-90% 6 110.00–126.00 $119.44 $1,098 —
975–1135 1051 85-90% 5 141.50–150.00 $146.40 $1,539 —
910–1290 1083 85-90% 14 127.00–140.00 $132.48 $1,435 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1600 1342 75-80% 7 147.50–158.00 $151.42 $2,032 +0.50
1145–1735 1346 75-80% 14 135.00–146.00 $142.10 $1,913 -8.82
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1255 1177 80-85% 6 135.00–143.00 $139.52 $1,642 —
1145–1270 1198 80-85% 3 145.00–154.50 $149.18 $1,787 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1650 1518 2 172.00–178.00 $175.26 $2,660 —
1895 1895 1 184.00 $184.00 $3,487 —

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Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
940 thin fleshed 940 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,585.00 $1,585.00
950 950 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00
980–1010 995 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,800.00–1,875.00 $1,836.93
1065 1065 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1175 1175 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00
1295 1295 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1335 1335 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,925.00–1,935.00 $1,930.00
1435 1435 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,050.00 $2,050.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
785 thin fleshed 785 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,210.00 $1,210.00
855 thin fleshed 855 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00

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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
1255–1345 1300 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 2,075.00–2,125.00 $2,100.87 —

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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.