Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 18, 2024

520 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $249.25/cwt ≈ $2,144/hd at 860 lb · 78 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $258.96/cwt +8.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,002/hd at 773 lb · 68 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $227.25/cwt ≈ $2,270/hd at 999 lb · 64 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 520 1,732 1,669
Feeder cattle 520 1,732 1,669

Compared to the sale two weeks ago: Mostly heavier steers today. Previous sale consisted of mainly light steers. Too light a test on heifers. No comparison today. Two load lots of yearling steers, along with a nice offering of smaller packages in the offering today. Light crowd in the arena. Moderate to good demand online and in the seats. Next sale Western Iowa Precondition October 25th.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–475 461 9 337.50–345.00 $341.57 $1,575 +15.82
501–545 526 25 300.00–306.00 $302.58 $1,592 -3.35
553–590 570 17 270.00–283.00 $276.67 $1,577 -15.07
626–644 641 32 273.00–280.50 $279.36 $1,791 -4.42
652 652 5 275.00 $275.00 $1,793 +7.95
710 710 3 260.00 $260.00 $1,846 +10.42
756–797 773 68 256.00–260.50 $258.96 $2,002 +8.96
808–848 834 25 254.00 $254.00 $2,118
851–893 860 78 232.00–252.50 $249.25 $2,144
999 999 64 227.25 $227.25 $2,270
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1053 1053 19 213.00 $213.00 $2,243
1127 1127 5 172.00 $172.00 $1,938
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
628 628 4 257.00 $257.00 $1,614

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
437 437 5 298.00 $298.00 $1,302 -11.10
468–483 479 10 274.00–295.00 $288.84 $1,384 +4.06
518 518 6 280.00 $280.00 $1,450 -1.09
607 607 4 247.00 $247.00 $1,499 -24.00
701 701 11 242.00 $242.00 $1,696 -3.25
753 753 17 239.50 $239.50 $1,803
830 830 18 235.00 $235.00 $1,950
853–880 857 49 216.00–232.75 $230.82 $1,978
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1136 1136 5 174.00 $174.00 $1,977

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
871 871 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,829

↑ 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.