Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 12, 2023

271 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 271 277 155
Slaughter cattle 271 277 155

Compared with the sale two weeks ago; CME cattle futures have been in the decline, leaving the market weak. Choice slaughter steers were 8.00 lower. Choice slaughter heifers 6.00 lower. Good demand today.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1185 1183 2 141.00–150.00 $145.51 $1,721
1045–1290 1190 18 155.00–165.75 $161.49 $1,922
1321–1455 1347 17 161.00–164.50 $163.82 $2,207
1305–1438 1377 5 150.50–157.00 $155.46 $2,141 -15.97
1388–1493 1434 39 160.50–165.50 $163.19 $2,340 +6.98
1445–1465 1455 2 140.00–145.00 $142.48 $2,073
1500 1500 1 154.00 $154.00 $2,310
1500–1557 1543 50 160.00–165.60 $164.03 $2,531
1620–1748 1693 14 162.00–165.35 $164.89 $2,792
1620–1905 1787 3 150.00–154.00 $152.03 $2,717

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1295 1169 9 160.00–167.00 $163.54 $1,912 -8.38
1207 1207 5 151.00 $151.00 $1,823
1275–1448 1367 7 156.00–160.00 $159.47 $2,180 -7.17
1385 1385 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,967 -24.64
1264–1525 1391 77 162.00–166.75 $165.22 $2,298 -1.42
1615–1895 1755 2 140.00 $140.00 $2,457

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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.