Cattle Market Pulse

Creston Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Creston, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 8, 2026

1,420 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $348.39/cwt +11.52 vs last sale · ≈ $3,188/hd at 915 lb · 162 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $333.79/cwt ≈ $2,867/hd at 859 lb · 149 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $473.99/cwt +5.36 vs last sale · ≈ $2,744/hd at 579 lb · 116 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,420 1,190 0
Feeder cattle 1,420 1,190 0

Compared to feeder calf / yearling auction 2 weeks ago, 500 -600 lb feeder steers were fully steady to 4.00 higher, 700 -750 lb were steady with a lower undertone and heavier yearling steers (900 lb) were 8.00 - 12.00 higher. Heifer feeder calf trade was fully steady with heavier yearling cattle as much as 15.00 higher. Load lots of yearling cattle were available today. Internet bidding very active. Demand was very good for today's moderate supply. The next scheduled "Back to Grass" cattle auction is April 29.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 5 615.00 $615.00 $2,460
451 unweaned 451 8 573.00 $573.00 $2,584
459–489 477 36 539.00–567.00 $550.24 $2,625
507 507 26 539.00 $539.00 $2,733 +2.32
552 unweaned 552 15 483.00 $483.00 $2,666
582–584 583 101 467.00–480.00 $472.65 $2,756 +4.02
615–633 625 25 425.00–441.00 $431.93 $2,700 -22.28
666–694 684 24 411.00–438.00 $419.16 $2,867 -18.78
720–741 724 18 385.00–406.50 $402.83 $2,916 +5.58
753–780 763 72 349.50–386.75 $363.78 $2,776 -22.31
841 841 24 357.25 $357.25 $3,004 -8.91
909–930 915 162 329.50–357.25 $348.39 $3,188 +11.52
980 980 62 344.50 $344.50 $3,376
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
493–496 495 7 530.00–537.50 $533.20 $2,639
703 703 5 370.00 $370.00 $2,601
777 777 16 340.00 $340.00 $2,642 -35.23

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–395 382 19 482.50–515.00 $493.78 $1,886
455–459 458 31 495.00–507.50 $503.09 $2,304 +31.09
507–541 534 35 447.00–472.50 $451.84 $2,413 -7.87
572–588 578 24 394.00–413.00 $406.30 $2,348 -11.15
630–643 633 95 399.50–403.50 $402.60 $2,548 +2.60
750–762 760 74 347.00–349.50 $349.10 $2,653 +8.61
809 809 12 329.00 $329.00 $2,662 +0.16
852–892 859 149 327.25–335.75 $333.79 $2,867
909 909 70 326.75 $326.75 $2,970
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
491 491 14 471.00 $471.00 $2,313 +46.65
525 525 4 435.00 $435.00 $2,284 +11.00
606–623 618 11 375.00–376.00 $375.73 $2,322

↑ Back to top

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.