Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 29, 2023

1,550 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $217.37/cwt +9.12 vs last sale · ≈ $1,587/hd at 730 lb · 266 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $222.16/cwt +7.96 vs last sale · ≈ $1,828/hd at 823 lb · 179 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $228.65/cwt -3.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,413/hd at 618 lb · 136 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,550 2,300 2,251
Feeder cattle 1,550 2,300 2,251

Western Iowa Precondition Sale. Compared to the sale two weeks ago, light steers 550-650 lbs were mostly steady. Steers 700-800 lbs were 5.00-8.00 higher. Light heifers 500-600 lbs were mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Heifers 700 lbs mostly 4.00-7.00 higher. Several load lots of heifer calves and yearling steers in the offering today, along with many smaller groups of mostly calves. Demand was good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383–388 385 7 289.00–320.00 $306.62 $1,180 +22.50
471–498 485 10 271.00–277.00 $274.08 $1,329 -10.19
501–545 525 33 270.00–278.00 $272.39 $1,430 -12.59
555–590 571 76 259.00–274.50 $269.38 $1,538 -0.59
603–633 621 81 254.00–266.00 $260.08 $1,615 +0.15
656–687 670 60 242.00–257.75 $251.28 $1,684 -1.67
700–718 704 93 232.00–244.75 $240.36 $1,692 +5.44
763–794 774 46 227.25–228.00 $227.73 $1,763 +3.88
803–840 823 179 210.00–227.00 $222.16 $1,828 +7.96
852–892 867 29 203.50–214.50 $210.21 $1,823 +1.46
934 934 58 219.25 $219.25 $2,048 +25.83
966 966 6 185.00 $185.00 $1,787
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1088 1088 22 180.75 $180.75 $1,967
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
542 542 3 251.00 $251.00 $1,360 -4.05
659 659 7 225.00 $225.00 $1,483 +10.00
740 740 3 215.00 $215.00 $1,591 +5.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
417–436 425 17 245.00–262.50 $255.33 $1,085 +6.66
457–494 482 40 240.00–257.50 $250.70 $1,208 -2.70
515–549 534 67 242.00–250.00 $245.68 $1,312 +2.96
551–585 564 51 227.00–252.50 $237.89 $1,342 -3.62
602–641 618 136 218.00–238.75 $228.65 $1,413 -3.55
655–667 663 75 215.00–220.00 $218.35 $1,448 -10.87
702–737 730 266 204.00–218.00 $217.37 $1,587 +9.12
756–779 769 52 195.00–200.75 $197.31 $1,517 -0.80
846 846 4 199.00 $199.00 $1,684 +15.36
934 934 10 175.75 $175.75 $1,642

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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.