Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Co. Stockyard Market Report

Russell Springs, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 4, 2024

622 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $285.89/cwt +33.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,483/hd at 519 lb · 89 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $263.21/cwt +24.19 vs last sale · ≈ $2,092/hd at 795 lb · 74 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $291.04/cwt -2.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,676/hd at 576 lb · 36 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 622 644 556
Feeder cattle 525 589 473
Slaughter cattle 78 43 62
Replacement cattle 19 12 21

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparisons due to market closure last week for the Thanksgiving holiday. There was much stronger demand today for all classes of feeder calves especially for the cattle under 600 lbs. than in previous sales. Slaughter cattle demand remained very good.

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
370 fancy 370 2 377.50 $377.50 $1,397 +2.50
380 380 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,282 +26.70
420 420 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,376 +26.54
445 fancy 445 7 344.00–345.00 $344.71 $1,534 +26.71
462–482 fancy 476 9 331.00–337.00 $334.71 $1,593 +23.59
455–497 477 10 312.00–328.00 $320.91 $1,531 +27.21
520 fancy 520 1 318.00 $318.00 $1,654 —
507–542 530 22 290.00–302.00 $296.44 $1,571 +8.93
563 fancy 563 3 311.00 $311.00 $1,751 —
550–585 577 33 280.00–300.00 $289.23 $1,669 +18.71
602–622 612 4 275.00–290.00 $282.62 $1,730 +14.68
670 670 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,742 -10.36
701–720 712 8 244.00–252.00 $248.88 $1,772 +11.73
770 770 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,863 +2.98
795 value added 795 73 263.50 $263.50 $2,095 —
865–870 868 2 224.00–227.00 $225.50 $1,957 -2.50
990 990 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,079 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,176 +10.00
465–490 475 3 278.00–292.50 $286.91 $1,363 +12.50
505–535 518 3 240.00–250.00 $246.56 $1,277 -8.59
590 590 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,593 —
600–640 628 5 250.00–266.00 $262.57 $1,649 +28.57
670–692 680 5 210.00–240.00 $232.46 $1,581 +1.76
800 800 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,680 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 300.00 $300.00 $750 +30.00
327 fancy 327 2 330.00 $330.00 $1,079 —
310–337 330 6 290.00–307.00 $296.07 $977 —
390 390 1 294.00 $294.00 $1,147 +16.61
408–417 fancy 410 8 305.00–313.00 $307.03 $1,259 +15.03
400–445 422 3 281.00–289.00 $284.19 $1,199 +18.23
460–475 fancy 470 13 294.00–299.00 $298.39 $1,402 —
472–482 479 10 276.00–290.00 $281.20 $1,347 +17.84
510–519 value added 511 58 289.00–295.00 $294.26 $1,504 —
500–543 533 31 260.00–275.00 $270.23 $1,440 +17.42
551–582 value added 554 20 269.00–272.00 $269.32 $1,492 —
550–597 580 10 250.00–263.00 $257.08 $1,491 +18.55
600–628 613 9 243.00–262.00 $253.55 $1,554 +7.79
674–675 674 7 220.00–238.00 $225.15 $1,518 -11.35
707 707 2 219.00 $219.00 $1,548 —
765 765 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,599 -7.90
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 280.00 $280.00 $784 +35.53
426–445 433 7 245.00–267.50 $252.67 $1,094 +10.38
452–485 462 14 261.00–270.00 $264.45 $1,222 +35.12
510–515 513 2 235.00–255.00 $245.05 $1,257 +20.20
565–590 578 2 247.50 $247.50 $1,431 —
600–647 630 6 224.00–235.00 $228.74 $1,441 +8.11
780 780 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,513 +10.90
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,125 —
595 595 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,250 —
700 700 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,382 —
Medium 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,276 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 375.00 $375.00 $994 —
330 fancy 330 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,122 —
325–347 341 4 302.00–325.00 $315.61 $1,076 +7.57
395 395 1 324.00 $324.00 $1,280 +17.64
400 fancy 400 3 331.00 $331.00 $1,324 —
410–423 414 3 300.00–325.00 $308.51 $1,277 +13.82
460 460 4 307.00–317.00 $312.00 $1,435 +26.36
515–525 519 7 293.00–304.00 $299.23 $1,553 +25.33
550–570 562 6 267.00–276.00 $272.50 $1,531 +13.50
600–645 608 9 237.00–256.00 $253.09 $1,539 +11.61
655–695 670 10 230.00–245.50 $240.77 $1,613 —
705–730 718 2 214.00–234.00 $223.83 $1,607 —
757–772 765 4 214.00–232.00 $222.91 $1,705 +9.91
865 865 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,799 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 312.00 $312.00 $889 —
520–535 528 2 275.00–282.00 $278.55 $1,471 +50.55
570 570 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,454 —
640 640 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,472 —
675 675 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,451 -1.00
825 825 1 194.00 $194.00 $1,600 +14.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1360 1360 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1750 1429 75-80% 25 112.00–122.00 $116.82 $1,669 —
1310–1675 1459 75-80% 18 123.50–130.00 $125.80 $1,835 +8.71
1460–1680 1570 75-80% 2 105.00–109.50 $107.09 $1,681 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1000 900 85-90% 3 100.00–109.00 $102.98 $927 -13.02
825–1145 1021 85-90% 5 80.00–95.00 $90.24 $921 —
1025–1195 1107 85-90% 3 113.00–116.00 $114.71 $1,270 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1325 1201 80-85% 4 115.00–120.00 $117.55 $1,412 +0.67
1165–1270 1218 80-85% 2 80.00–94.00 $86.70 $1,056 -30.18
1235–1265 1250 80-85% 2 128.00–134.00 $131.04 $1,638 —
1260–1315 1287 80-85% 3 100.00–110.00 $106.74 $1,374 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1860–1915 1896 4 150.00–158.00 $153.52 $2,911 —
1895–1915 1905 2 132.00–134.00 $132.99 $2,533 —
1995 1995 1 147.50 $147.50 $2,943 —

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Stock Cows

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1165 1165 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00
1225 1225 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00
1110–1300 1227 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,750.00–1,800.00 $1,781.39
1330 1330 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,775.00 $1,775.00
1160–1440 1349 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,975.00–2,375.00 $2,179.41

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1305 1305 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,975.00 $1,975.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1245 1245 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00 —
1275 1275 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00 —

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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.