Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 13, 2024

1,127 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 $256.07/cwt +3.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,869/hd at 730 lb · 199 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $266.00/cwt -14.77 vs last sale · ≈ $1,955/hd at 735 lb · 103 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $277.37/cwt -12.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,894/hd at 683 lb · 102 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,127 3,570 2,300
Feeder cattle 1,127 3,570 2,300

Special Calf & Yearling Sale. No comparison, as the last sale was Precondition. Many unweaned calves today. Most of the sale consisted of feeder calves 700 lbs and under. Several load lots, along with plenty of smaller packages in the offering. Good demand, with plenty of buyers looking for light cattle.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 4 450.00 $450.00 $1,467 +30.20
388 388 5 415.00 $415.00 $1,610 +34.86
410 410 12 417.50 $417.50 $1,712 +32.50
454–475 465 31 338.00–369.00 $356.76 $1,659 +23.15
507–531 522 34 300.00–322.00 $311.69 $1,627 -9.97
565–579 577 31 286.00–316.00 $294.68 $1,700 -27.40
604–635 620 54 290.00–312.00 $301.95 $1,872 -3.15
641 unweaned 641 13 289.00 $289.00 $1,852
669 unweaned 669 9 269.00 $269.00 $1,800
656–688 684 93 275.50–288.00 $278.18 $1,903 -11.64
708–744 735 103 260.00–278.75 $266.00 $1,955 -14.77
810 810 11 253.50 $253.50 $2,053 +1.69
858–873 861 31 250.75–251.00 $250.81 $2,159 -3.75
973–988 984 16 210.00–228.00 $223.55 $2,200 -16.95
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 unweaned 425 5 360.00 $360.00 $1,530
486–491 489 7 320.00–324.00 $321.70 $1,573
548 548 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,534
564 564 7 282.00 $282.00 $1,590 -18.51
621 621 21 277.00 $277.00 $1,720
698 698 4 254.00 $254.00 $1,773
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
191 191 3 1,250.00 $1,250.00
256–259 258 10 1,225.00–1,300.00 $1,277.68

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
294 294 8 410.00 $410.00 $1,205
390–398 394 6 337.50–350.00 $343.69 $1,354 -0.42
412–440 429 22 316.50–344.50 $333.26 $1,430 +10.46
465–494 488 21 295.00–322.00 $302.34 $1,475 -17.61
491 unweaned 491 4 288.00 $288.00 $1,414
501–544 532 51 290.00–307.00 $299.06 $1,591 -0.13
558–595 575 64 273.00–298.00 $285.06 $1,639 -2.59
610–615 unweaned 614 27 240.00–262.00 $255.41 $1,568
637 637 9 273.00 $273.00 $1,739 -4.77
656 656 8 263.00 $263.00 $1,725 -1.09
659 659 23 271.00 $271.00 $1,786 +6.91
728–735 730 199 254.25–257.00 $256.07 $1,869 +3.94
753 753 14 249.25 $249.25 $1,877 -3.51
901 901 28 205.00 $205.00 $1,847
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
543 543 5 275.00 $275.00 $1,493
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
268 268 3 1,250.00 $1,250.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406 unweaned 406 3 348.00 $348.00 $1,413
596 unweaned 596 4 271.00 $271.00 $1,615
718 unweaned 718 4 246.00 $246.00 $1,766

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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.