Cattle Market Pulse

Russell Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Russell, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 16, 2026

1,278 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $399.75/cwt -2.42 vs last sale · ≈ $2,902/hd at 726 lb · 123 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $379.46/cwt -1.22 vs last sale · ≈ $2,512/hd at 662 lb · 114 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $388.77/cwt +13.05 vs last sale · ≈ $2,959/hd at 761 lb · 114 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,278 3,611 0
Feeder cattle 1,278 3,611 0

Compared to the sale two weeks ago, steers sold mostly steady to 15.00 higher. Heifers sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Demand was good today. Supply was light and included a few load lots. The majority of the cattle sold were 7-weight steers and 6-weight heifers.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
311 311 5 615.00 $615.00 $1,913
375–393 383 28 570.00–605.00 $589.51 $2,258 -4.87
411–449 444 45 546.00–585.00 $550.80 $2,446 -31.70
452–478 469 29 525.00–532.00 $529.04 $2,481 -6.94
478 unweaned 478 7 500.00 $500.00 $2,390
501–545 530 86 498.00–534.00 $508.77 $2,696 +15.32
586–598 593 29 460.00–480.00 $469.69 $2,785 +7.63
597 unweaned 597 3 407.50 $407.50 $2,433
604 unweaned 604 5 395.00 $395.00 $2,386
606–637 628 99 450.00–466.00 $454.52 $2,854 +5.37
650–697 662 76 405.00–434.00 $427.13 $2,828 +0.55
702–748 726 123 386.00–415.00 $399.75 $2,902 -2.42
755–768 761 114 384.00–393.00 $388.77 $2,959 +13.05
807–840 825 25 355.00–367.00 $360.16 $2,971 -1.89
872 872 3 330.00 $330.00 $2,878 -14.34
913–918 916 11 325.00–339.00 $331.34 $3,035 -2.60
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 4 565.00 $565.00 $1,938
386 386 12 506.00 $506.00 $1,953 +16.16
401–448 425 8 470.00–505.00 $486.53 $2,068
450–453 452 13 481.00–517.50 $489.38 $2,212 -18.71
550–587 567 25 415.00–440.00 $429.43 $2,435 +16.81
710 710 3 325.00 $325.00 $2,308 -39.98
843 843 4 298.00 $298.00 $2,512

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362–398 390 13 540.00–545.00 $541.07 $2,110 -44.25
444 444 7 497.50 $497.50 $2,209 +2.28
485 unweaned 485 8 428.00 $428.00 $2,076
450–495 486 25 443.00–462.50 $448.49 $2,180 -2.37
506–536 525 49 427.50–450.00 $432.79 $2,272 -4.52
533 unweaned 533 4 405.00 $405.00 $2,159
556–576 560 30 417.00–437.00 $432.89 $2,424 +21.68
644 644 83 397.50 $397.50 $2,560 -5.43
651–679 662 114 366.00–393.00 $379.46 $2,512 -1.22
710–731 722 26 336.00–371.00 $358.78 $2,590 +9.43
813–817 815 9 310.00–312.50 $311.39 $2,538 -7.14
940 940 5 265.00 $265.00 $2,491
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
379–392 389 15 490.00–497.50 $496.04 $1,930
472–498 484 30 420.00–432.00 $426.63 $2,065 -5.87
625 625 3 370.00 $370.00 $2,312 -2.08
722 722 6 335.00 $335.00 $2,419 +16.38

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
912 912 5 290.00 $290.00 $2,645

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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.