Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, January 31, 2025

3,063 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $305.34/cwt +4.09 vs last sale · ≈ $2,171/hd at 711 lb · 349 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $263.76/cwt +1.79 vs last sale · ≈ $2,018/hd at 765 lb · 320 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $280.93/cwt +0.68 vs last sale · ≈ $2,304/hd at 820 lb · 237 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,063 2,577 3,370
Feeder cattle 3,063 2,577 3,370

Western Iowa Precondition Sale. No comparison, as the last sale was not Precondition. CME feeder cattle futures up 3.00 today. Prices continue to rise, especially on yearling cattle. Many load lots of both calves and yearlings, along with plenty of smaller strings in the offering. Many buyers in the arena today. The market was very active throughout the sale.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383–397 389 9 408.00–418.00 $413.47 $1,608 -14.03
453–485 467 66 364.00–392.00 $377.92 $1,765 -0.69
505–549 523 122 359.50–381.00 $370.27 $1,937
550–593 581 183 333.00–360.50 $350.34 $2,035 -9.95
601–648 627 115 312.50–341.50 $327.32 $2,052
650–695 677 170 293.00–320.25 $309.12 $2,093 -14.63
700–715 711 349 290.00–312.00 $305.34 $2,171 +4.09
751–781 770 95 272.50–288.00 $279.17 $2,150
804–835 820 237 269.00–289.00 $280.93 $2,304 +0.68
853–870 856 199 255.50–282.75 $279.15 $2,390 +13.44
959–964 960 100 260.50–269.00 $267.29 $2,566
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481 481 5 335.00 $335.00 $1,611
647 647 4 307.50 $307.50 $1,990

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
354–386 366 14 380.00–397.50 $387.98 $1,420
404–440 416 13 358.00–383.00 $368.30 $1,532 +4.67
470–492 479 56 247.00–358.00 $338.80 $1,623 -2.24
503–547 524 89 311.50–336.00 $325.07 $1,703 +9.00
550–585 576 78 296.00–321.00 $308.22 $1,775 -8.72
608–636 626 158 289.00–304.00 $297.65 $1,863 +10.20
657–697 665 192 270.00–288.75 $285.02 $1,895 +5.23
702–706 703 23 261.00–280.00 $277.51 $1,951
718 718 33 292.00 $292.00 $2,097 +23.27
752 752 24 273.50 $273.50 $2,057 +11.53
750–783 766 296 250.00–272.50 $262.97 $2,014 +1.00
800–808 804 139 250.00–268.25 $259.89 $2,090 -3.46
867 867 73 263.50 $263.50 $2,285 +25.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
683 683 24 260.00 $260.00 $1,776 +10.00
748 748 4 250.00 $250.00 $1,870
805 805 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,932 +5.00

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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.