Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 29, 2024

336 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 336 208 158
Slaughter cattle 336 208 158

Compared to last week: Choice slaughter steers 2.00 higher, steers over 1500 lbs 4.00-5.00 higher. No implant steers bringing a slight premium. Choice slaughter heifers 2.00-3.00 higher. A few load lots in the offering, along with many smaller packages. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1127–1335 1248 12 183.75–193.50 $186.89 $2,332
1285–1481 1392 66 185.00–190.25 $187.61 $2,612 +1.86
1380–1491 1456 14 188.50–190.75 $189.66 $2,761
1550–1579 1576 18 189.50–190.00 $189.55 $2,987 +5.05
1775–1780 1776 9 188.75–191.00 $189.00 $3,357

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1165 1089 7 183.00–194.50 $185.99 $2,025
1146–1220 1166 15 186.50–189.75 $187.41 $2,185
1296 1296 8 189.00 $189.00 $2,449
1260–1531 1349 48 185.00–190.00 $187.87 $2,534 +2.43

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1358 1358 82 183.00 $183.00 $2,485

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505 1505 48 184.75 $184.75 $2,780

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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.