Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 3, 2024

264 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 264 142 277
Slaughter cattle 264 142 277

Compared to the sale two weeks ago: Not enough steers in the previous sale for comparison. Choice slaughter heifers 3.00-4.00 higher. No implant heifers bringing a slight premium. Most of the sale consisted of smaller packages. Good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1052 1052 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,988
1245–1495 1385 40 182.50–187.75 $185.72 $2,572 +4.44
1369–1499 1423 30 185.50–187.50 $186.46 $2,653 +5.20
1530–1580 1543 6 183.50–188.00 $187.05 $2,886
1505–1592 1558 18 186.75–188.00 $187.53 $2,922
1601–1657 1636 15 186.00–187.75 $187.31 $3,064 +7.31

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1165 1124 5 185.50–199.00 $191.44 $2,152
1085–1193 1153 7 187.25–191.00 $187.86 $2,166 +6.29
1331–1527 1399 83 183.00–188.00 $186.22 $2,605 +3.98
1240–1480 1401 27 184.50–188.50 $186.91 $2,619 +4.22
1560–1620 1568 8 183.50–187.75 $187.20 $2,935

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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.