Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Co. Stockyard Market Report

Russell Springs, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 21, 2026

746 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $352.25/cwt +7.18 vs last sale · ≈ $2,861/hd at 812 lb · 75 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $362.56/cwt -11.03 vs last sale · ≈ $2,607/hd at 719 lb · 46 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $426.91/cwt -5.20 vs last sale · ≈ $2,433/hd at 570 lb · 39 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 746 1,018 1,053
Feeder cattle 706 960 1,027
Slaughter cattle 29 42 22
Replacement cattle 11 16 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder steers sold unevenly steady. Feeder heifer traded 5.00-7.00 lower. The plainer quality offering and the lack of larger packages along with the severe winter weather in the forecast softened demand a bit. The higher quality, pre-conditioned calves are seeing premiums. A low quality slaughter cow offering sold 6.00-8.00 lower and no test on slaughter 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
205 205 1 650.00 $650.00 $1,332 +90.00
265–290 278 2 550.00–555.00 $552.39 $1,536 -47.61
305–330 318 2 555.00–570.00 $562.80 $1,790 +42.80
351–385 366 6 505.00–535.00 $512.52 $1,876 +2.63
417 fancy 417 2 515.00 $515.00 $2,148 +1.27
425–435 430 3 454.00–485.00 $464.78 $1,999 +1.62
450–489 471 24 449.00–469.00 $459.56 $2,165 -7.32
501–505 fancy 502 5 459.00–462.50 $459.70 $2,308 —
505–542 526 17 428.00–453.00 $438.09 $2,304 +10.75
555 value added 555 19 439.00 $439.00 $2,436 -12.00
560–595 584 20 405.00–429.00 $415.43 $2,426 -15.57
602–635 616 25 393.00–413.00 $407.47 $2,510 +4.48
652–675 fancy 662 7 399.00–405.00 $402.38 $2,664 —
650–695 675 26 373.00–395.00 $386.00 $2,606 -18.14
700–745 719 46 352.00–369.00 $362.56 $2,607 -5.21
750–780 value added 774 15 350.00–352.00 $350.39 $2,712 -1.32
755–798 791 6 337.00–337.50 $337.08 $2,666 —
811 value added 811 65 355.00 $355.00 $2,879 +8.57
815–820 819 10 328.00–336.00 $334.41 $2,739 +6.91
854–885 858 8 314.00–323.00 $321.84 $2,761 —
940 940 1 308.00 $308.00 $2,895 +0.50
965 965 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,943 —
1075 1075 6 278.00 $278.00 $2,988 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,354 —
360–395 373 7 467.50–495.00 $484.43 $1,807 -5.57
405–445 435 6 415.00–449.00 $434.63 $1,891 +14.63
470 470 3 430.00 $430.00 $2,021 -2.62
515–520 518 8 410.00–421.00 $416.37 $2,157 +12.09
550 550 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,090 -11.17
610 610 2 350.00 $350.00 $2,135 -13.54
662–687 674 5 323.00–350.00 $336.50 $2,268 -42.21
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555–595 575 2 395.00–400.00 $397.59 $2,286 —
655–690 677 14 357.00–363.00 $358.22 $2,425 —
780 780 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,535 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 1 395.00 $395.00 $2,054 —
590 590 1 342.50 $342.50 $2,021 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–235 222 3 480.00–500.00 $491.32 $1,091 —
275 fancy 275 4 512.00 $512.00 $1,408 —
305–345 322 6 430.00–442.50 $436.39 $1,405 -3.61
355–385 371 6 415.00–444.00 $428.69 $1,590 -6.12
400–437 419 19 420.00–437.50 $424.12 $1,777 +4.16
450–491 475 7 394.00–417.50 $402.85 $1,914 -12.67
525–545 533 19 372.00–393.50 $390.24 $2,080 -12.73
550–585 570 21 374.00–380.00 $377.01 $2,149 -1.12
602–640 613 8 340.00–360.00 $353.65 $2,168 -9.14
655–698 689 22 317.00–340.00 $333.66 $2,299 -11.67
716–746 736 9 309.00–321.00 $312.89 $2,303 -12.60
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–375 365 2 387.50–395.00 $391.35 $1,428 -8.65
400–420 408 6 365.00–395.00 $379.87 $1,550 +12.01
455–495 479 7 355.00–387.00 $375.93 $1,801 +4.70
507–535 524 6 335.00–348.00 $342.60 $1,795 +2.63
591 591 7 350.00 $350.00 $2,068 +12.61
610–630 617 3 333.00–335.00 $333.68 $2,059 +13.68
795 795 2 281.00 $281.00 $2,234 +1.00
820 820 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,255 +2.50
857 857 2 253.00 $253.00 $2,168 -4.50
1047 1047 2 235.00 $235.00 $2,460 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
442 442 2 380.00 $380.00 $1,680 —
560 560 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,848 —
685 685 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,055 —
825 825 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,021 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,274 —
320 320 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,472 -40.00
370 370 1 445.00 $445.00 $1,646 -39.97
410–445 425 9 432.00–450.00 $446.84 $1,899 +12.40
470–490 479 9 425.00–447.50 $432.59 $2,072 +7.59
505 505 2 440.00 $440.00 $2,222 +10.10
557 557 2 372.00 $372.00 $2,072 -25.50
665 665 1 352.00 $352.00 $2,341 —
750 750 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,362 -12.50
920 920 1 234.00 $234.00 $2,153 —
1082 1082 2 218.00 $218.00 $2,359 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–375 373 2 410.00–412.50 $411.24 $1,534 -28.76
400–446 435 4 420.00 $420.00 $1,827 +90.00
515 515 3 385.00 $385.00 $1,983 +10.31
615 615 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,968 +6.95

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1305 1255 80-85% 2 115.00–125.00 $119.80 $1,503 —
1300–1415 1342 80-85% 3 130.00–138.00 $134.75 $1,808 -10.12
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325 1325 75-80% 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,749 —
1330–1360 1345 75-80% 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,748 —
1515–1580 1548 75-80% 2 154.00 $154.00 $2,384 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 85-90% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,313 +11.69
1080–1280 1183 85-90% 3 113.00–122.00 $118.59 $1,403 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510 1510 1 186.00 $186.00 $2,809 —
2025 2025 1 197.00 $197.00 $3,989 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
885 885 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,125.00 $2,125.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1200–1275 1238 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,800.00–2,075.00 $1,941.67
1400 1400 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00
1405 1405 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00

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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.