Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 9, 2024

131 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 131 90 143
Slaughter cattle 131 90 143

Compared to last week, choice slaughter steers were 3.00 to 4.00 lower. Choice slaughter heifer trade saw the market today 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Even with today's light offering, demand was good for finished cattle. Again today some of the lighter weight cattle returned to feed.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1162–1242 1212 13 176.00–181.50 $178.73 $2,166 -6.27
1320–1382 1334 36 181.50–185.00 $182.34 $2,432
1340–1501 1423 10 181.50–183.00 $182.13 $2,592

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1016–1328 1160 13 175.00–178.00 $176.00 $2,042 -5.58
1260–1482 1368 31 180.00–185.00 $182.49 $2,496 -2.92
1270–1500 1410 15 181.00–183.00 $181.97 $2,566

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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.