Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Russell, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 1, 2024

4,378 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $265.27/cwt +6.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,769/hd at 667 lb · 569 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $280.96/cwt -3.55 vs last sale · ≈ $2,040/hd at 726 lb · 377 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $285.53/cwt -3.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,652/hd at 579 lb · 311 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,378 3,675 3,094
Feeder cattle 4,378 3,675 3,094

Compared to the sale two weeks ago, steers sold mostly steady to 4.00 lower, except the 600 to 650 lb. steers, they sold 6.00 higher. Heifers over 600 lbs. sold 5.00 to 16.00 higher, while heifers under 600 lbs. sold on a lighter test last week with a lower undertone noted. Rain for the day helped fill the seats and demand was very good. Supply was heavy with several load lots of reputation cattle.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308 308 5 398.00 $398.00 $1,226
343 unweaned 343 8 385.00 $385.00 $1,321
357–388 377 26 355.00–380.00 $369.60 $1,393
384 unweaned 384 6 390.00 $390.00 $1,498
402–438 417 32 357.50–362.50 $358.65 $1,496 +3.38
413–429 unweaned 424 9 371.00–385.00 $375.55 $1,592
411–449 fancy 432 18 382.50–400.00 $393.91 $1,702
453–494 487 93 352.50–377.50 $365.55 $1,780 -0.88
509–549 516 75 348.00–368.00 $352.22 $1,817 +4.40
510–521 unweaned 518 51 312.00–322.50 $315.52 $1,634
562–565 fancy 564 30 360.00–371.00 $364.75 $2,057
559–597 583 131 324.00–353.00 $333.18 $1,942 -1.27
619 unweaned 619 73 321.00 $321.00 $1,987
605–641 620 120 312.00–337.50 $330.17 $2,047 +6.01
653–671 662 133 279.00–310.00 $293.53 $1,943 -4.37
701–748 726 369 267.00–299.00 $281.61 $2,044 -2.90
738 unweaned 738 8 251.00 $251.00 $1,852
756–795 778 187 246.00–277.50 $264.78 $2,060 +8.78
807–821 816 208 244.00–262.00 $257.50 $2,101 +4.00
857–869 867 83 239.00–254.00 $240.67 $2,087 -0.62
918–943 923 55 224.00–231.00 $229.57 $2,119 +2.07
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
391 391 4 315.00 $315.00 $1,232 -62.31
425–448 434 8 340.00–342.50 $340.97 $1,480 +13.43
467–495 482 15 300.00–322.50 $312.29 $1,505 -38.10
504–542 515 72 294.00–327.00 $314.61 $1,620
553–587 572 73 282.50–315.00 $302.57 $1,731 -20.03
602–634 618 94 242.50–302.00 $295.63 $1,827 -9.67
643 unweaned 643 8 275.00 $275.00 $1,768
699 699 14 273.50 $273.50 $1,912 -13.51
713–747 716 42 251.00–261.00 $254.24 $1,820 -19.76

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 unweaned 347 6 330.00 $330.00 $1,145
352–364 362 24 360.00–387.50 $378.96 $1,372 +8.96
364 unweaned 364 4 300.00 $300.00 $1,092
409 unweaned 409 6 326.00 $326.00 $1,333
405–435 428 34 322.50–335.00 $328.88 $1,408 -1.65
453–499 482 186 295.00–318.00 $307.76 $1,483 -13.24
487 unweaned 487 17 299.00 $299.00 $1,456 +25.84
507–537 521 152 273.00–308.00 $294.45 $1,534 -4.43
536 unweaned 536 5 281.00 $281.00 $1,506 +1.00
568 unweaned 568 58 279.00 $279.00 $1,585
552–597 581 253 277.00–305.00 $287.03 $1,668 -4.73
609 unweaned 609 14 268.00 $268.00 $1,632
600–649 613 197 262.00–293.00 $279.02 $1,710 +16.41
652–699 667 569 248.00–278.00 $265.27 $1,769 +5.28
712–748 725 148 243.50–255.00 $249.73 $1,811 +9.53
758–786 765 217 235.00–249.50 $245.07 $1,875 +6.20
809–848 813 84 218.00–245.00 $242.20 $1,969 +14.20
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
366–398 385 18 300.00–343.00 $315.79 $1,216 -21.32
423 423 4 275.00 $275.00 $1,163 -23.50
482–485 484 22 270.00–282.50 $273.88 $1,326 -33.30
553–598 571 27 240.00–265.00 $249.84 $1,427 -7.24
622–634 632 20 245.00–249.00 $248.41 $1,570 -2.28
798 798 4 219.00 $219.00 $1,748
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1041 1041 8 196.00 $196.00 $2,040
1179 1179 6 178.00 $178.00 $2,099

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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.