Sale reports / Kentucky / Russell Springs Livestock Auction / 2026-01-21

Russell Springs Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Russell Springs, Kentucky · Wed, Jan 21
● Final90 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2208
Feeder Cattle receipts
706 head
▼ 254 vs last sale 960▼ 321 vs year ago 1,027 · −31.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
29 head
▼ 13 vs last sale 42▲ 7 vs year ago 22 · +31.8%
Replacement Cattle receipts
11 head
▼ 5 vs last sale 16▲ 7 vs year ago 4 · +175.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday: Feeder steers sold unevenly steady. Feeder heifer traded 5.00-7.00 lower. The plainer quality offering and the lack of larger packages along with the severe winter weather in the forecast softened demand a bit. The higher quality, pre-conditioned calves are seeing premiums. A low quality slaughter cow offering sold 6.00-8.00 lower and no test on slaughter bulls.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $427.56/cwt on 74 head. That ranks 12 of 33 comparable sales and sits −47.94 against this barn's trailing median of $475.50.
Average price
$427.56
74 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,348
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$342
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium 1-2
$63.97/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−13.69
vs KY average
−37.77 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2552432.722,38961
Medium and Large 2-3522412.332,1519thin
Medium and Large 2575397.592,2862thin
Medium 1-2555368.752,0472thin
One grade step is worth $63.97/cwt here — about $342 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale74 hd
427.56
—
KY average24 barns · 1,251 hd
441.25
−13.69
National average169 barns · 18,411 hd
465.33
−37.77
This barn, trailing median33 sales
475.50
−47.94
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

33 sales
538480423365median 475.5003/0404/2906/2408/2610/28
Steers 500–600 lb: high $524.17, low $378.81, median $475.50 across 33 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—High1,768191.503,3852thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,422140.001,9915thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Very Low1,307128.771,6835thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,140121.441,3844thin

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)1,400$2,6001thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,405$2,4501thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,238$1,9422thin
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,000$2,3501thin
Stock CowsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)885$2,1251thin

Every lot

90 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 · Steers36 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1-2205650.00/cwt650.00–650.001,3331
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1-2278552.39/cwt550.00–555.001,5362
Steers300–350Medium and Large 2-3315430.00/cwt430.00–430.001,3551
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2318562.80/cwt555.00–570.001,7902
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2366512.52/cwt505.00–535.001,8766
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2-3373484.43/cwt467.50–495.001,8077
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Fancy417515.00/cwt515.00–515.002,1482
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2430464.78/cwt454.00–485.001,9993
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2-3435434.63/cwt415.00–449.001,8916
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2-3470430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,0213
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2471459.56/cwt449.00–469.002,16524
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Fancy502459.70/cwt459.00–462.502,3085
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2-3518416.37/cwt410.00–421.002,1578
Steers500–550Medium 1-2520395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,0541
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2526438.09/cwt428.00–453.002,30417
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2-3550380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,0901
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Value Added555439.00/cwt439.00–439.002,43619
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2575397.59/cwt395.00–400.002,2862
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2584415.43/cwt405.00–429.002,42620
Steers550–600Medium 1-2590342.50/cwt342.50–342.502,0211
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2-3610350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,1352
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2616407.47/cwt393.00–413.002,51025
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Fancy662402.38/cwt399.00–405.002,6647
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2-3674336.50/cwt323.00–350.002,2685
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2675386.00/cwt373.00–395.002,60626
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2677358.22/cwt357.00–363.002,42514
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2719362.56/cwt352.00–369.002,60746
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2Value Added774350.39/cwt350.00–352.002,71215
Steers750–800Medium and Large 2780325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,5351
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2791337.08/cwt337.00–337.502,6666
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2Value Added811355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,87965
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2819334.41/cwt328.00–336.002,73910
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2858321.84/cwt314.00–323.002,7618
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2940308.00/cwt308.00–308.002,8951
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2965305.00/cwt305.00–305.002,9431
Steers1050–1100Medium and Large 1-21,075278.00/cwt278.00–278.002,9896
Feeder Cattle · Heifers25 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1-2222491.32/cwt480.00–500.001,0913
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2Fancy275512.00/cwt512.00–512.001,4084
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2322436.39/cwt430.00–442.501,4056
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2-3365391.35/cwt387.50–395.001,4282
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2371428.69/cwt415.00–444.001,5906
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2-3408379.87/cwt365.00–395.001,5506
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2419424.12/cwt420.00–437.501,77719
Heifers400–450Medium 1-2442380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,6802
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2475402.85/cwt394.00–417.501,9147
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2-3479375.93/cwt355.00–387.001,8017
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2-3524342.60/cwt335.00–348.001,7956
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2533390.24/cwt372.00–393.502,08019
Heifers550–600Medium 1-2560330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,8481
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2570377.01/cwt374.00–380.002,14921
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2-3591350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,0697
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2613353.65/cwt340.00–360.002,1688
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2-3617333.68/cwt333.00–335.002,0593
Heifers650–700Medium 1-2685300.00/cwt300.00–300.002,0551
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2689333.66/cwt317.00–340.002,29922
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2736312.89/cwt309.00–321.002,3039
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2-3795281.00/cwt281.00–281.002,2342
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 2-3820275.00/cwt275.00–275.002,2551
Heifers800–850Medium 1-2825245.00/cwt245.00–245.002,0211
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 2-3857253.00/cwt253.00–253.002,1682
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 2-31,047235.00/cwt235.00–235.002,4602
Feeder Cattle · Bulls15 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1-2260490.00/cwt490.00–490.001,2741
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2320460.00/cwt460.00–460.001,4721
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2370445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,6471
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2-3373411.24/cwt410.00–412.501,5342
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2425446.84/cwt432.00–450.001,8999
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2-3435420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,8274
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2479432.59/cwt425.00–447.502,0729
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2505440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,2222
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2-3515385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,9833
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2557372.00/cwt372.00–372.002,0722
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2-3615320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,9681
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2665352.00/cwt352.00–352.002,3411
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2750315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,3631
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1-2920234.00/cwt234.00–234.002,1531
Bulls1050–1100Medium and Large 1-21,082218.00/cwt218.00–218.002,3592
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,510186.00/cwt186.00–186.002,8091
Bulls——2,025197.00/cwt197.00–197.003,9891
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,010130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,3131
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,183118.59/cwt113.00–122.001,4033
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,255119.80/cwt115.00–125.001,5032
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,325132.00/cwt132.00–132.001,7491
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,342134.75/cwt130.00–138.001,8083
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,345130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,7492
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,548154.00/cwt154.00–154.002,3842
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows1 lot · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-28852,125.00/head2,125.00–2,125.002,1251
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-21,0002,350.00/head2,350.00–2,350.002,3501
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2381,941.67/head1,800.00–2,075.001,9422
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,4002,600.00/head2,600.00–2,600.002,6001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,4052,450.00/head2,450.00–2,450.002,4501

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.