Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Co. Stockyard Market Report

Russell Springs, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 21, 2025

543 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $315.90/cwt ≈ $2,477/hd at 784 lb · 94 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $402.57/cwt +9.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,938/hd at 481 lb · 37 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $372.03/cwt -17.43 vs last sale · ≈ $2,176/hd at 585 lb · 27 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 543 458 442
Feeder cattle 512 385 354
Slaughter cattle 20 50 72
Replacement cattle 11 23 16

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder steers sold steady to 2.00 lower. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs. sold 5.00-6.00 higher and those over 600 lbs. were steady to 2.00 lower. Today's quality varied greatly throughout the offering and the buyers discounted those inferior quality calves more so than in previous weeks. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower and slaughter bulls were steady to 2.00 lower on a very light test across both cows and bulls.

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
305–326 321 4 470.00–480.00 $472.38 $1,516 —
416 416 5 459.00 $459.00 $1,909 +19.00
458 fancy 458 5 442.00 $442.00 $2,024 —
460–490 485 32 388.00–398.50 $396.41 $1,923 +3.41
506–537 520 15 380.00–397.50 $382.76 $1,990 +2.56
550–590 585 27 361.00–380.00 $372.03 $2,176 -14.10
650–686 672 24 330.00–340.00 $336.77 $2,263 -11.23
777–795 783 3 288.00–291.00 $289.98 $2,271 —
766–790 value added 784 91 316.00–317.00 $316.75 $2,483 —
800 value added 800 18 300.00 $300.00 $2,400 —
855–876 875 17 278.00–287.00 $286.07 $2,503 +12.79
920–945 926 8 276.00–281.00 $279.72 $2,590 —
956–985 962 5 256.00–261.00 $257.02 $2,473 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,260 —
400 400 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,380 —
480 480 6 368.50 $368.50 $1,769 +21.00
500–545 520 3 330.00–370.00 $347.18 $1,805 -7.82
555 555 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,748 —
655 655 1 302.00 $302.00 $1,978 -16.00
840 840 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,974 —
885 885 1 254.00 $254.00 $2,248 —
1175 1175 1 197.00 $197.00 $2,315 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367 367 2 435.00 $435.00 $1,596 —
610–631 626 4 325.00–335.00 $332.56 $2,082 —
720 720 2 305.00 $305.00 $2,196 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1432 1432 2 165.00 $165.00 $2,363 —
1510 1510 1 195.00 $195.00 $2,944 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500 500 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,600 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–370 363 3 390.00–400.00 $393.39 $1,428 +4.76
420–426 424 6 364.00–385.00 $380.05 $1,611 +26.16
475 475 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,710 +8.97
500 500 3 341.00 $341.00 $1,705 +1.42
585–592 590 3 315.00–322.00 $319.69 $1,886 -10.11
607–635 610 10 285.00–290.00 $285.52 $1,742 -18.67
652–670 value added 663 11 309.00 $309.00 $2,049 —
670 670 1 282.00 $282.00 $1,889 +6.00
725 725 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,892 -8.00
817–835 821 5 244.00–254.00 $251.96 $2,069 +16.75
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 380.00 $380.00 $817 —
255 255 1 382.50 $382.50 $975 -12.50
355–397 383 5 360.00–374.00 $369.00 $1,413 +17.92
437 437 2 355.00 $355.00 $1,551 +25.00
477–490 481 4 335.00–340.00 $336.90 $1,620 +8.90
545 545 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,553 —
585 585 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,550 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 303.00 $303.00 $1,803 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,462 -9.21
465–493 484 6 362.00–367.50 $363.76 $1,761 -1.29
660 660 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,881 —
910–930 920 2 210.00–224.00 $216.92 $1,996 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–380 370 2 422.00–430.00 $426.11 $1,577 +3.61
405 405 1 398.00 $398.00 $1,612 -34.38
462–495 473 3 380.00–387.50 $382.62 $1,810 -5.04
595 595 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,053 -16.64
610 610 1 338.00 $338.00 $2,062 +22.22
730 730 1 309.00 $309.00 $2,256 -8.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1280 1280 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–900 880 85-90% 2 100.00 $100.00 $880 -29.17
1195–1240 1218 85-90% 2 115.00–134.00 $124.32 $1,514 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1295 1255 80-85% 2 162.00–164.00 $163.03 $2,046 —
1260 1260 80-85% 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,764 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1560 1473 75-80% 2 142.00–144.00 $143.06 $2,107 -31.27

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1640–1815 1728 2 195.50–198.00 $196.69 $3,399 +22.14
1495–2015 1755 2 184.00 $184.00 $3,229 —
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1550–1950 1750 2 210.00–220.00 $215.57 $3,772 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00
1040 1040 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
1065 1065 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100 thin fleshed 1100 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
1235 1235 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,985.00 $1,985.00
1340 1340 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,275.00 $2,275.00

↑ Back to top

Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 2 287.50 $287.50 $1,193 —
540 540 5 293.00 $293.00 $1,582 —

↑ Back to top

Beef Dairy Steers

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 2 287.50 $287.50 $1,394 —
640–646 645 4 254.00–260.00 $258.51 $1,667 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
608 608 3 272.00 $272.00 $1,654 —

↑ Back to top

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.