Cattle Market Pulse

Denison Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Denison, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 2, 2025

1,897 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $290.67/cwt +6.27 vs last sale · ≈ $2,104/hd at 724 lb · 254 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $305.63/cwt +6.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,929/hd at 631 lb · 170 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $271.99/cwt +4.78 vs last sale · ≈ $2,252/hd at 828 lb · 158 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,897 2,161 2,219
Feeder cattle 1,897 2,161 2,219

Market comments — USDA reporter

Western Iowa Preconditioned Sale. Compared to the sale two weeks ago: Steers 600-700 lbs 6.00-7.00 higher, 750 lbs steady to 1.00 higher, 800 lbs steady to 5.00 higher. Heifers 500-600 heifers mostly 13.00-16.00 higher, 650 lbs 1.00 lower, 700 lbs steady. Limited number of heavier heifers. Many green cattle today. Most of the sale consisted of half loads and smaller strings, along with a couple load lots. Good demand throughout the sale.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
408 408 4 395.00 $395.00 $1,612 +31.10
465–483 473 17 330.00–357.50 $341.34 $1,615 -14.33
506–545 524 37 333.00–356.00 $346.75 $1,817 +8.70
550–596 565 28 310.00–342.50 $325.11 $1,837 +1.00
610–645 631 170 296.00–311.00 $305.63 $1,929 +6.10
651–692 670 123 285.00–312.00 $292.81 $1,962 +4.12
708–746 724 254 270.00–295.50 $290.67 $2,104 +6.27
751–791 782 106 254.00–274.00 $266.40 $2,083 +0.01
812–846 828 158 257.00–277.00 $271.99 $2,252 +4.78
855–890 872 47 253.00–273.50 $264.18 $2,304 +13.54
921–923 922 15 246.00–255.00 $249.60 $2,301 -1.65
950 950 41 250.00 $250.00 $2,375 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570–592 575 20 280.00–292.00 $289.23 $1,663 -2.37
685 685 8 275.00 $275.00 $1,884 +17.98
895 895 5 244.00 $244.00 $2,184 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 6 349.00 $349.00 $1,389 —
431–432 432 8 320.00–341.00 $333.14 $1,439 +0.57
480–490 486 10 301.00–319.00 $309.04 $1,502 -15.19
502–539 512 55 293.00–322.00 $309.26 $1,583 +3.73
552–598 577 57 289.00–319.50 $303.99 $1,754 +16.34
600–630 617 133 286.00–296.00 $292.43 $1,804 +12.75
655–688 673 110 251.00–271.00 $262.98 $1,770 -1.24
704–746 714 93 246.00–267.50 $257.30 $1,837 -1.39
757–796 775 97 244.50–266.00 $254.06 $1,969 +5.37
810 810 9 247.25 $247.25 $2,003 +6.41
870–880 877 46 231.00–234.00 $231.78 $2,033 —
923 923 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,846 -32.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433 433 5 305.00 $305.00 $1,321 —
573–582 579 8 281.00–284.00 $282.89 $1,638 —
718–725 722 18 230.00–239.50 $234.35 $1,692 —

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Reading this report

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.