Cattle Market Pulse

Creston Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Creston, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 6, 2023

2,504 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $219.28/cwt -13.98 vs last sale · ≈ $1,602/hd at 731 lb · 255 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $227.73/cwt -11.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,539/hd at 676 lb · 226 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $210.12/cwt -18.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,308/hd at 622 lb · 223 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,504 2,319 2,920
Feeder cattle 2,504 2,319 2,920

SPECIAL "ALL VACC CALF & YEARLING" AUCTION TODAY - No comparison made as the previous auction was 3 weeks ago. Available today were many load lots of quality, reputation, LTW, double vaccinated feeder cattle. Demand was very good. Trade was active for today's moderate supply.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 unweaned 332 4 292.00 $292.00 $969
406–445 unweaned 434 24 276.00–298.00 $287.27 $1,247 -3.24
452 452 15 286.00 $286.00 $1,293 +12.13
492 unweaned 492 11 247.00 $247.00 $1,215 -55.43
519 unweaned 519 13 279.50 $279.50 $1,451 -1.82
506–548 528 55 240.00–295.00 $265.73 $1,403 +11.31
550–579 unweaned 569 71 240.00–284.50 $265.13 $1,509 -16.79
556–596 582 98 230.00–267.00 $249.54 $1,452 -32.28
610–648 629 156 239.00–257.50 $247.81 $1,559 +0.39
648 unweaned 648 11 231.00 $231.00 $1,497 -15.62
656–697 unweaned 668 98 219.00–238.50 $233.81 $1,562 -0.16
650–699 682 128 194.50–240.50 $223.07 $1,521 -22.39
703 unweaned 703 11 225.00 $225.00 $1,582 -11.00
705–746 732 244 204.50–234.50 $219.02 $1,603 -12.60
760 unweaned 760 6 202.50 $202.50 $1,539
752–783 775 114 190.00–218.00 $200.60 $1,555 -9.40
800–841 819 145 195.00–200.00 $197.56 $1,618 -34.78
941 941 64 194.50 $194.50 $1,830
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665 665 4 190.00 $190.00 $1,264
791 791 6 180.00 $180.00 $1,424

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 unweaned 385 7 253.00 $253.00 $974 -9.50
395 395 6 221.00 $221.00 $873 -26.95
436 436 3 223.00 $223.00 $972 -16.94
432–443 unweaned 440 32 230.00–250.00 $247.55 $1,089 -11.64
480 unweaned 480 10 240.00 $240.00 $1,152 -12.53
482–491 485 39 216.00–246.00 $235.39 $1,142 -15.12
512–544 528 80 219.50–235.00 $226.22 $1,194 -5.92
518–541 unweaned 534 29 232.00–237.50 $235.65 $1,258 -1.41
553–581 unweaned 558 68 214.00–233.50 $228.08 $1,273 -5.18
553–596 581 100 197.50–234.50 $216.87 $1,260 -21.60
605–634 unweaned 621 74 200.00–222.00 $209.41 $1,300 -17.71
601–647 623 149 194.50–218.50 $210.48 $1,311 -26.25
657 unweaned 657 11 204.00 $204.00 $1,340 -7.00
652–677 658 57 199.00–204.00 $201.62 $1,327 -21.12
705–741 727 219 186.00–204.00 $195.26 $1,420 -12.74
756 756 24 189.50 $189.50 $1,433
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 3 201.00 $201.00 $1,065

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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.