Name: Russell Livestock Auction - Iowa livestock auction prices — 2026-05-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to the sale a week ago, steers under 550 lbs. sold mostly 5.00 to 11.00 lower, while steers 550 lbs. and heavier sold 3.00 to 10.00 higher, except the 650 to 700 lb. steers which sold 11.00 lower. Heifers sold sharply higher. Demand was good today. Significant over-night rain brought a heavy supply of cattle and included many smaller packages. Ten consignors brought nearly 1,400 head.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $497.29/cwt on 698 head, up $2.13 from the prior sale. That ranks 12 of 15 comparable sales and sits +10.40 against this barn's trailing median of $486.89.

Average price

$497.29

▲ 2.13 vs prior sale

698 head · 555 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,759

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$160

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2

$32.25/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.04

vs IA average

+22.81 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	554	504.04	2,792	552
Medium and Large 1-2	558	471.79	2,632	146

One grade step is worth $32.25/cwt here — about $160 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

15 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $512.91, low $455.97, median $486.89 across 15 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale698 hd

497.29

—

IA average3 barns · 801 hd

495.26

+2.04

National average171 barns · 13,387 hd

474.48

+22.81

This barn, trailing median15 sales

486.89

+10.40

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

56 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	465.53/cwt	447.50–477.50	2,272	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	630	397.41/cwt	377.50–410.00	2,504	125
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	583	419.14/cwt	410.00–425.00	2,444	77
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	709	338.36/cwt	330.00–357.00	2,399	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	490.60/cwt	475.00–500.00	2,590	62
Heifers	Large 1	600–650	617	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,375	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	404	670.00/cwt	670.00–670.00	2,707	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	550	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,888	25
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	610	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,952	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	693	386.00/cwt	386.00–386.00	2,675	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	385	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	2,098	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	779	346.30/cwt	340.00–362.00	2,698	125
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	816	323.23/cwt	315.00–330.00	2,638	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	474	492.66/cwt	480.00–515.00	2,335	138
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	619	426.90/cwt	420.00–446.00	2,643	87
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	258	615.00/cwt	615.00–615.00	1,587	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	921	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	3,039	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	666	398.01/cwt	383.00–415.00	2,651	77
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	711	375.39/cwt	366.00–382.50	2,669	113
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,077	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,800	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	582	450.29/cwt	428.00–462.00	2,621	233
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	372	591.22/cwt	565.00–605.00	2,199	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	527	475.19/cwt	452.50–485.00	2,504	301
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	493.54/cwt	471.00–513.50	2,833	287
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	767	392.72/cwt	381.00–400.00	3,012	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	713	423.23/cwt	404.00–433.00	3,018	91
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	679	430.98/cwt	424.00–459.00	2,926	198
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	529	519.00/cwt	510.00–533.00	2,746	217
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	538	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,991	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	381	633.09/cwt	625.00–640.00	2,412	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	525.68/cwt	515.00–555.00	2,255	119
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	971	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	3,263	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	467	576.13/cwt	550.00–600.00	2,691	98
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	621	467.32/cwt	453.00–483.00	2,902	266
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	561	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,749	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	344	653.06/cwt	652.50–655.00	2,247	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	828	381.44/cwt	379.50–389.75	3,158	87
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	440	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,760	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	465	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,302	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	462	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,241	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	580	457.90/cwt	450.00–466.00	2,656	84
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	481	524.24/cwt	505.00–545.00	2,522	98
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	435	618.12/cwt	612.50–620.00	2,689	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	626	442.38/cwt	425.00–457.00	2,769	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	742	387.51/cwt	385.00–390.00	2,875	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	535	459.00/cwt	459.00–459.00	2,456	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	350	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	1,908	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	671	350.28/cwt	332.50–360.00	2,350	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	680	404.37/cwt	395.00–430.00	2,750	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	322	595.00/cwt	595.00–595.00	1,916	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	380	590.61/cwt	560.00–605.00	2,244	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	694	411.54/cwt	410.00–419.00	2,856	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	441	498.22/cwt	485.00–515.00	2,197	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	435.89/cwt	427.50–450.00	2,301	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	442	565.81/cwt	530.00–580.00	2,501	31
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	504	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,470	29

How this sale compares

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.

Iowa feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Russell Livestock Feeder Cattle - Russell, IA

Mon May 18, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Des Moines, IA (LS-NW)

Receipts 3,994Last week 1,382Year ago 5,003

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	300–350	322	595.00	595.00
11	350–400	350	545.00	545.00
32	400–450	441	485.00–515.00	498.22
50	450–500	488	447.50–477.50	465.53
50	500–550	528	427.50–450.00	435.89
77	550–600	583	410.00–425.00	419.14
125	600–650	630	377.50–410.00	397.41
11	650–700	671	332.50–360.00	350.28
14	700–750	709	330.00–357.00	338.36
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
9	600–650	617	385.00	385.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	250–300	258	615.00	615.00
50	350–400	372	565.00–605.00	591.22
119	400–450	429	515.00–555.00	525.68
138	450–500	474	480.00–515.00	492.66
301	500–550	527	452.50–485.00	475.19
233	550–600	582	428.00–462.00	450.29
87	600–650	619	420.00–446.00	426.90
77	650–700	666	383.00–415.00	398.01
113	700–750	711	366.00–382.50	375.39
125	750–800	779	340.00–362.00	346.30
19	800–850	816	315.00–330.00	323.23
6	900–950	921	330.00	330.00
4	1050–1100	1,077	260.00	260.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
11	400–450	440	400.00	400.00
12	450–500	465	495.00	495.00
6	500–550	538	370.00	370.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
40	350–400	380	560.00–605.00	590.61
31	400–450	442	530.00–580.00	565.81
98	450–500	481	505.00–545.00	524.24
62	500–550	528	475.00–500.00	490.60
84	550–600	580	450.00–466.00	457.90
31	600–650	626	425.00–457.00	442.38
80	650–700	694	410.00–419.00	411.54
31	700–750	742	385.00–390.00	387.51
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	404	670.00	670.00
25	550–600	550	525.00	525.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
13	300–350	344	652.50–655.00	653.06
22	350–400	381	625.00–640.00	633.09
23	400–450	435	612.50–620.00	618.12
98	450–500	467	550.00–600.00	576.13
217	500–550	529	510.00–533.00	519.00
287	550–600	574	471.00–513.50	493.54
266	600–650	621	453.00–483.00	467.32
198	650–700	679	424.00–459.00	430.98
91	700–750	713	404.00–433.00	423.23
36	750–800	767	381.00–400.00	392.72
87	800–850	828	379.50–389.75	381.44
6	950–1000	971	336.00	336.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
10	450–500	462	485.00	485.00
14	500–550	535	459.00	459.00
9	550–600	561	490.00	490.00
11	650–700	680	395.00–430.00	404.37
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	350–400	385	545.00	545.00
29	500–550	504	490.00	490.00
5	600–650	610	320.00	320.00
8	650–700	693	386.00	386.00

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

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Russell Livestock Auction - Iowa