Sale reports / Iowa / Russell Livestock Auction - Iowa / 2026-02-16

Russell Livestock Auction - Iowa

Feeder Cattle · Russell, Iowa · Mon, Feb 16
● Final54 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2159
Receipts
5,855 head
▲ 1,807 vs last sale 4,048▲ 1,971 vs year ago 3,884 · +50.7%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to the sale two weeks ago, steers 550 lbs. and under sold sharply lower, while steers over 550 lbs. sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher. Heifers sold 12.00 to 21.00 higher, except 650 to 700 lb. heifers which sold 2.00 lower. Demand was very good today. Supply was heavy and included several load lots. Six consignors brought 1,600 head today.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $492.04/cwt on 453 head. That ranks 10 of 14 comparable sales and sits +15.45 against this barn's trailing median of $476.59.
Average price
$492.04
453 head · 556 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,735
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$251
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$22.68/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+3.85
vs IA average
+4.69 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1561497.002,791354
Medium and Large 1-2535474.322,53999
One grade step is worth $22.68/cwt here — about $251 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale453 hd
492.04
—
IA average9 barns · 1,470 hd
488.20
+3.85
National average178 barns · 13,390 hd
487.35
+4.69
This barn, trailing median14 sales
476.59
+15.45
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

14 sales
527481435388median 476.5903/0204/2706/2209/1410/26
Steers 500–600 lb: high $512.91, low $402.35, median $476.59 across 14 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Every lot

54 lots · USDA AMS · Russell Livestock Feeder Cattle - Russell, IA
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers25 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2340535.00/cwt535.00–535.001,81913
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1363596.15/cwt587.50–625.002,16424
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1403549.24/cwt545.00–560.002,21316
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1478512.67/cwt490.00–532.502,45162
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned483467.50/cwt467.50–467.502,25812
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2496450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,2327
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2524479.79/cwt470.00–488.002,51477
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1531513.68/cwt492.50–528.002,728117
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Fancy532535.00/cwt535.00–535.002,84626
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2575455.16/cwt430.00–467.502,61722
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1582483.07/cwt464.50–497.002,811211
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2626435.39/cwt410.00–447.002,726145
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1634461.36/cwt449.00–473.502,925308
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1676437.63/cwt421.00–466.002,958519
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2678408.00/cwt365.00–415.002,76648
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1727404.60/cwt387.00–424.002,941552
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2740381.40/cwt380.00–382.002,82210
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1776384.21/cwt369.00–392.002,981401
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2782365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,85415
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1Fancy810389.75/cwt389.75–389.753,15778
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1823369.47/cwt353.00–386.003,041186
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2846335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,8349
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1875350.69/cwt348.50–364.003,069201
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1918342.38/cwt331.00–345.003,14384
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1986319.19/cwt313.00–319.503,14763
Feeder Cattle · Heifers24 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2337485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,6345
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2377510.00/cwt510.00–510.001,9237
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Fancy408567.50/cwt567.50–567.502,3157
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1409537.23/cwt530.00–562.502,19727
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2440500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,2004
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2473466.75/cwt457.50–480.002,20818
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1475485.47/cwt465.00–515.002,30668
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned499440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,19624
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Fancy520511.73/cwt482.00–532.502,66126
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1520449.99/cwt435.00–466.002,340187
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2533427.05/cwt412.50–445.002,27680
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1576424.02/cwt410.00–451.002,442239
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2581407.08/cwt402.50–409.002,36553
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1627402.66/cwt387.50–415.002,525551
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2637378.34/cwt358.00–393.002,41042
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2666347.48/cwt337.50–375.002,31421
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1673383.51/cwt367.00–398.002,581290
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1Fancy699415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,9018
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1720364.95/cwt352.50–371.002,628159
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Fancy758405.01/cwt396.00–424.003,07063
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1772353.66/cwt334.00–373.002,730292
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1831330.63/cwt318.00–342.002,74817
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1Fancy887367.00/cwt367.00–367.003,25516
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,036280.00/cwt280.00–280.002,9014
Feeder Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1375480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,8007
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1400517.50/cwt517.50–517.502,07013
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1627400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,50817
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1696358.90/cwt350.00–370.002,4989
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1965280.00/cwt280.00–280.002,7025

This sale against other markets

Iowa weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Iowa auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.