Sale reports / Kentucky / Russell Springs Livestock Auction / 2025-12-17

Russell Springs Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Russell Springs, Kentucky · Wed, Dec 17
● Final93 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2208
Feeder Cattle receipts
416 head
▼ 258 vs last sale 674▲ 29 vs year ago 387 · +7.5%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
34 head
▼ 26 vs last sale 60▲ 6 vs year ago 28 · +21.4%
Replacement Cattle receipts
26 head
▼ 48 vs last sale 74▲ 5 vs year ago 21 · +23.8%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder steers sold 7.00-9.00 higher. Feeder heifers traded 2.00-4.00 lower. The quality today varied greatly throughout the feeders. The better male calves saw good demand. The plain, unweaned feeders faced moderate discounts. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $340.68/cwt on 23 head. That ranks 5 of 34 comparable sales and sits −63.97 against this barn's trailing median of $404.65.
Average price
$340.68
23 head · 538 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,834
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$232
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3
$37.27/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−9.92
vs KY average
−49.23 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2542353.641,91515thin
Medium and Large 2-3532316.371,6838thin
One grade step is worth $37.27/cwt here — about $232 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale23 hd
340.68
—
KY average26 barns · 1,122 hd
350.59
−9.92
National average175 barns · 15,310 hd
389.91
−49.23
This barn, trailing median34 sales
404.65
−63.97
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

34 sales
484426368310median 404.6503/0404/2907/0809/0210/28
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.65, low $324.12, median $404.65 across 34 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Low1,442181.272,6143thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,456159.552,3237thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,288150.221,9344thin
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,135132.191,5008thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,540$2,8001thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,150$2,4502thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)935$1,9501thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,300$1,9251thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,070$3,0001thin
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)(<2 yrs)865$2,4573thin
Bred Heifers1st Stage (1-3 mo)(<2 yrs)813$2,1503thin
BullsN/AYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,675$2,9751thin
BullsN/AYoung (2-4 yrs)1,500$2,8482thin
BullsN/A(<2 yrs)1,205$2,4751thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)930$2,2501thin
Stock CowsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,270$2,1251thin

Every lot

93 lots · USDA AMS · Russell Co. Stockyard - Russell Springs, KY
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 · Steers23 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 2-3320422.38/cwt415.00–430.001,3522
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2335465.00/cwt465.00–465.001,5581
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2367487.00/cwt487.00–487.001,7872
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2420402.50/cwt402.50–402.501,6911
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2-3433372.37/cwt365.00–380.001,6122
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2-3468367.59/cwt365.00–370.001,7202
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2470390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,8331
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2-3529337.56/cwt317.00–360.001,7866
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2546404.00/cwt404.00–404.002,2064
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2572399.64/cwt399.00–400.002,28611
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2630371.18/cwt368.00–378.002,3389
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2-3678321.00/cwt321.00–321.002,1763
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2695356.00/cwt356.00–356.002,4741
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2Value Added700355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,4857
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2727341.45/cwt333.00–347.002,4825
Steers700–750Medium and Large 2-3737310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,2854
Steers800–850Medium and Large 2-3810290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,3491
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2820330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,7062
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2885324.00/cwt324.00–324.002,8671
Steers850–900Medium and Large 2-3898275.00/cwt275.00–275.002,4703
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2959305.99/cwt304.00–314.002,9345
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 2995290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,8861
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,010292.00/cwt292.00–292.002,9491
Feeder Cattle · Heifers27 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 2-3278388.20/cwt375.00–400.001,0793
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2285420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,1971
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2322419.83/cwt410.00–437.501,3523
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2-3340385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,3091
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2375420.53/cwt410.00–435.001,5776
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2380392.50/cwt392.50–392.501,4921
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3383367.96/cwt365.00–370.001,4097
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2408379.26/cwt379.00–380.001,5474
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2421368.87/cwt360.00–370.001,5539
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2453367.50/cwt367.50–367.501,6653
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2485388.45/cwt387.00–395.001,88425
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2522367.65/cwt350.00–373.001,9199
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3526320.16/cwt295.00–331.001,6846
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2-3550305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,6782
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2571332.63/cwt324.00–339.001,8996
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2611330.03/cwt326.00–333.002,0167
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2635307.00/cwt307.00–307.001,9491
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2658318.74/cwt305.00–321.002,0977
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2-3663270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,7903
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 2-3710271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,9241
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2730302.00/cwt302.00–302.002,2051
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2820270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,2141
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2Value Added835296.00/cwt296.00–296.002,4727
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2860275.00/cwt275.00–275.002,3651
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 2930255.00/cwt255.00–255.002,3721
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2965259.00/cwt259.00–259.002,4991
Heifers1050–1100Medium and Large 1-21,080235.00/cwt235.00–235.002,5381
Feeder Cattle · Bulls19 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1-2221582.61/cwt575.00–600.001,2886
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2265494.34/cwt460.00–530.001,3102
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2Fancy306540.00/cwt540.00–540.001,6523
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2337452.00/cwt452.00–452.001,5232
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2-3340400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,3601
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2-3365403.20/cwt390.00–410.001,4726
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2Fancy366492.00/cwt492.00–492.001,8016
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2376432.95/cwt428.00–442.501,6286
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3400350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,4001
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2424423.91/cwt410.00–427.501,7978
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2461381.85/cwt380.00–387.501,7607
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2536362.37/cwt355.00–373.001,94211
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2565342.12/cwt335.00–345.001,9337
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2-3565300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,6951
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2640323.00/cwt323.00–323.002,0672
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2685320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,1922
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2700305.00/cwt305.00–305.002,1351
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 2-3720265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,9081
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 2-3915235.00/cwt235.00–235.002,1501
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls——1,442181.27/cwt178.00–183.002,6143
Slaughter Cattle · Cows9 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,055151.00/cwt151.00–151.001,5931
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,125124.88/cwt120.00–130.001,4054
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,153139.44/cwt135.50–143.001,6082
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,175135.67/cwt135.00–136.001,5943
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,310157.00/cwt157.00–157.002,0571
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,375142.50/cwt142.50–142.501,9591
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,468169.67/cwt164.00–174.502,4915
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,475126.00/cwt126.00–126.001,8591
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,535165.00/cwt165.00–165.002,5331
Replacement Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-21,2052,475.00/head2,475.00–2,475.002,4751
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-21,5002,847.79/head2,675.00–3,000.002,8482
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-21,6752,975.00/head2,975.00–2,975.002,9751
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Small and Medium 1-29302,250.00/head2,250.00–2,250.002,2501
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows5 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium 1-29351,950.00/head1,950.00–1,950.001,9501
Bred Cows—Medium 1-21,0052,200.00/head2,200.00–2,200.002,2001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2952,700.00/head2,700.00–2,700.002,7001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3001,925.00/head1,925.00–1,925.001,9251
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,5402,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8001
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers4 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium 1-28132,150.00/head2,150.00–2,150.002,1503
Bred Heifers—Medium 1-28202,234.83/head2,150.00–2,325.002,2352
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-29552,900.00/head2,900.00–2,900.002,9001
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-21,0703,000.00/head3,000.00–3,000.003,0001
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows1 lot · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2702,125.00/head2,125.00–2,125.002,1251

This sale against other markets

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