Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 19, 2023

204 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 204 271 155
Slaughter cattle 204 271 155

Compared to the sale last Tuesday, choice slaughter steers and heifers were 4.00 higher. Cattle futures are rebounding this week, bringing better prices in the market. Demand was good today. The next fat cattle sale will be December 27.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1255 1213 2 150.00–155.00 $152.59 $1,851
1030–1380 1223 28 159.50–168.50 $162.46 $1,987
1225–1475 1408 13 165.50–171.00 $167.50 $2,358 +4.31
1485 1485 3 172.00 $172.00 $2,554 +29.52
1515 1515 11 171.25 $171.25 $2,594 +17.25
1641–1694 1668 26 160.50–170.85 $168.87 $2,817 +3.98

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1275 1181 9 150.00–156.50 $154.34 $1,823 -9.20
973–1275 1182 34 158.00–166.25 $163.04 $1,927 -0.50
1367 1367 6 172.00 $172.00 $2,351 +12.53
1255–1440 1373 4 157.00–162.50 $159.72 $2,193 +0.25
1410 1410 2 150.00 $150.00 $2,115
1259–1514 1430 60 166.25–170.50 $169.54 $2,424

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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.