Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Russell, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 15, 2024

3,035 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $330.14/cwt -7.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,723/hd at 522 lb · 271 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $284.87/cwt -0.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,626/hd at 571 lb · 204 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $299.50/cwt -27.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,856/hd at 620 lb · 202 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,035 4,378 2,380
Feeder cattle 3,035 4,378 2,380

Compared to the sale two weeks ago, feeder steers under 450 lbs. sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Steers 450 lbs. and heavier sold mostly 10.00 to 15.00 lower with instances of 20.00 to 30.00 lower seen at times. Feeder heifers under 650 lbs. sold mostly steady to firm. Heifers over 650 lbs. sold mostly 10.00 lower. Demand was moderate to good for moderate to heavy offering. Light weight offerings sold with the best demand. Market activity was active with an average size audience on hand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–346 337 10 395.00–402.50 $397.10 $1,338 -0.90
345 unweaned 345 6 415.00 $415.00 $1,432 +30.00
386 386 19 395.00 $395.00 $1,525 +25.40
383–399 unweaned 388 13 394.00–412.50 $406.65 $1,578 +16.65
402 thin fleshed 402 10 416.00 $416.00 $1,672
413–439 unweaned 430 24 368.00–397.50 $377.31 $1,622 +1.76
423–438 431 23 360.00–369.00 $364.23 $1,570 +5.58
454–499 471 151 330.00–365.00 $354.03 $1,667 -11.52
466–491 unweaned 471 24 349.00–363.00 $359.96 $1,695
501–544 522 143 317.50–337.00 $329.63 $1,721 -22.59
502–548 unweaned 522 128 311.50–339.00 $330.72 $1,726 +15.20
552–582 560 56 310.00–327.50 $319.32 $1,788 -13.86
572–595 unweaned 581 31 293.00–310.00 $304.02 $1,766
604–606 thin fleshed 606 39 317.00–319.75 $319.40 $1,936
602–641 620 139 290.00–312.00 $296.78 $1,840 -33.39
630–640 unweaned 638 8 267.50–293.00 $286.70 $1,829 -34.30
642 642 16 281.00 $281.00 $1,804 -49.17
650–669 664 11 254.00–264.00 $256.67 $1,704 -36.86
655–677 unweaned 669 29 253.25–267.00 $255.51 $1,709
653–692 675 36 270.00–287.50 $278.20 $1,878 -15.33
710–738 723 21 261.00–270.00 $265.37 $1,919 -16.24
757–784 771 24 254.50–266.50 $260.39 $2,008 -4.39
805–843 809 45 242.00–249.00 $248.19 $2,008 -9.31
855 855 21 240.00 $240.00 $2,052 -0.67
953 953 13 222.00 $222.00 $2,116
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 357 7 367.00 $367.00 $1,310 +52.00
420–435 427 29 336.00–357.50 $345.75 $1,476 +4.78
455–495 486 47 319.00–324.00 $322.09 $1,565 +9.80
487 unweaned 487 5 310.00 $310.00 $1,510
509–521 unweaned 514 12 287.50–305.00 $297.61 $1,530
500–544 525 27 299.00–313.00 $303.94 $1,596 -10.67
594–599 597 49 298.00–305.00 $300.50 $1,794 -2.07
601–649 628 12 258.00–281.00 $270.85 $1,701 -24.78
703 703 29 258.00 $258.00 $1,814 +3.76
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
309 309 6 390.00 $390.00 $1,205
386 386 18 387.00 $387.00 $1,494
521 521 9 319.00 $319.00 $1,662
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
531 531 9 293.00 $293.00 $1,556

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
329–347 344 33 360.00–365.00 $361.99 $1,245
350–381 376 12 356.00–365.00 $357.40 $1,344 -21.56
353–388 unweaned 378 26 337.50–346.00 $343.86 $1,300 +43.86
410–448 428 77 315.00–341.00 $322.40 $1,380 -6.48
420–447 unweaned 432 48 307.00–336.00 $322.10 $1,391 -3.90
450–494 475 47 301.00–322.50 $312.95 $1,487 +5.19
478–499 unweaned 492 67 297.50–310.00 $302.27 $1,487 +3.27
503–549 521 93 287.50–300.00 $294.68 $1,535 +0.23
514–545 unweaned 533 25 268.00–304.00 $281.04 $1,498 +0.04
532–549 thin fleshed 540 19 305.00–314.00 $309.67 $1,672
554–574 thin fleshed 563 9 297.50–298.00 $297.77 $1,676
550–583 unweaned 566 55 264.00–270.00 $266.62 $1,509 -12.38
553–596 573 140 284.00–297.50 $291.21 $1,669 +4.18
608 unweaned 608 6 245.00 $245.00 $1,490 -23.00
601–631 613 69 260.00–288.00 $279.69 $1,714 +0.67
659–684 673 88 245.00–262.00 $254.40 $1,712 -10.87
708–732 728 13 233.00–239.50 $238.53 $1,736 -11.20
796 796 22 225.00 $225.00 $1,791 -20.07
800–833 815 47 216.50–221.75 $219.24 $1,787 -22.96
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
338 338 6 352.50 $352.50 $1,191
342 unweaned 342 5 337.50 $337.50 $1,154
389–397 393 18 310.00–335.00 $321.11 $1,262 +5.32
421–443 432 46 300.00–316.00 $312.23 $1,349 +37.23
451–468 unweaned 457 20 282.50–310.00 $300.80 $1,375
487–497 491 16 275.00–297.50 $289.73 $1,423 +15.85
505–534 527 22 262.50–276.00 $273.06 $1,439
557–593 567 35 250.00–262.00 $259.26 $1,470 +9.42
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
571–574 572 12 258.00–260.00 $259.16 $1,482
671 671 6 245.00 $245.00 $1,644
720 720 5 216.00 $216.00 $1,555
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
486 486 8 280.00 $280.00 $1,361

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
547 547 6 280.00 $280.00 $1,532
597 597 6 272.00 $272.00 $1,624
794 794 6 209.00 $209.00 $1,659
886 886 7 200.00 $200.00 $1,772
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 10 315.00 $315.00 $1,386
578 578 6 287.50 $287.50 $1,662

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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.