Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Russell, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 4, 2023

2,325 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Russell Livestock Feeder Cattle report →

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $252.66/cwt -3.68 vs last sale · ≈ $1,569/hd at 621 lb · 308 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $281.32/cwt -5.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,466/hd at 521 lb · 250 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $245.25/cwt +2.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,265/hd at 516 lb · 238 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,325 2,308 2,001
Feeder cattle 2,325 2,308 2,001

Compared to last week, steers 500 to 600 lbs. sold steady to 6.00 higher, while steers over 600 lbs. sold mostly 7.00 lower. Heifers 450 to 650 lbs. sold 5.00 to sharply higher, while heifers over 650 lbs. were steady. Demand was good today. Supply was heavy and included several load lots with good quality cattle.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
316 unweaned 316 8 290.00 $290.00 $916
353 unweaned 353 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,024 -11.84
384–396 394 37 294.00–325.00 $299.72 $1,181
411–430 417 9 309.00–330.00 $322.79 $1,346 +38.53
412–441 unweaned 422 29 301.00–329.00 $315.88 $1,333 +43.38
461–499 477 60 280.00–309.00 $292.07 $1,393 +14.57
501–542 520 178 265.00–289.75 $282.04 $1,467 -0.97
500–544 unweaned 524 72 237.50–300.00 $279.54 $1,465 -25.49
554–571 563 66 250.00–275.00 $264.71 $1,490 +5.50
569–598 unweaned 583 21 252.00–262.50 $257.74 $1,503 +2.41
600–647 619 256 235.00–266.00 $253.28 $1,568 -6.78
603–645 unweaned 630 52 234.00–262.00 $249.58 $1,572 -0.60
655–665 658 38 220.00–250.00 $238.38 $1,569 -9.73
691 unweaned 691 4 226.00 $226.00 $1,562 -3.67
708–712 711 23 217.00–223.00 $221.52 $1,575 -11.49
715 unweaned 715 3 205.00 $205.00 $1,466
753–794 774 58 204.00–222.00 $213.52 $1,653 -20.68
855 855 70 229.75 $229.75 $1,964
917 917 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,926
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 unweaned 332 3 252.50 $252.50 $838 -5.00
394 394 8 257.50 $257.50 $1,015
463–486 479 14 245.00–255.00 $251.57 $1,205 +21.57
542–546 544 9 222.50–230.00 $225.85 $1,229
577–594 587 7 224.00–237.50 $229.69 $1,348 +21.96
594 unweaned 594 4 218.00 $218.00 $1,295
613–622 615 11 220.00–227.50 $222.07 $1,366 -2.93
655 unweaned 655 3 213.00 $213.00 $1,395
687 687 9 203.00 $203.00 $1,395 -0.87
697 697 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,411 -1.37
757 757 3 195.00 $195.00 $1,476
860 860 5 177.00 $177.00 $1,522

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356–359 unweaned 358 10 265.00–285.00 $272.96 $977 +9.43
358–398 377 49 260.00–289.00 $279.37 $1,053 +12.00
418–443 433 37 237.50–260.00 $247.38 $1,071 +8.81
436 unweaned 436 4 247.50 $247.50 $1,079 +1.23
456–499 476 108 237.50–263.00 $251.49 $1,197 +18.77
473–496 unweaned 483 40 233.00–250.00 $240.64 $1,162 -1.80
501–514 fancy 513 126 252.00–259.00 $256.24 $1,315
501–532 518 106 220.00–247.50 $233.67 $1,210 -7.17
542 unweaned 542 6 219.00 $219.00 $1,187
559–587 581 146 215.00–246.00 $241.39 $1,402 +5.39
550–592 unweaned 582 28 210.00–232.00 $218.02 $1,269 -8.66
603–639 623 145 207.50–232.00 $228.17 $1,421 +5.77
621–633 unweaned 627 13 207.50–231.00 $218.46 $1,370 +16.85
656–696 685 144 196.00–226.00 $216.31 $1,482 -1.45
738 738 13 203.50 $203.50 $1,502
890 890 32 184.00 $184.00 $1,638
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308 unweaned 308 3 250.00 $250.00 $770
468 468 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,076
490 unweaned 490 3 213.00 $213.00 $1,044
526–538 unweaned 532 10 203.00–211.00 $206.95 $1,101
568–583 576 8 212.50 $212.50 $1,224 +15.00
595 unweaned 595 5 197.00 $197.00 $1,172
613–635 626 7 197.00–198.00 $197.58 $1,237 +11.40

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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.