Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 10, 2024

214 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 214 264 271
Slaughter cattle 214 264 271

Compared to the sale last week: Choice slaughter steers and heifers 4.00 higher. No implant cattle bringing a premium. Most of the sale consisted of smaller strings, along with a couple half loads. 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
1225–1305 1245 4 188.00 $188.00 $2,341
1320–1455 1390 15 189.50–193.25 $192.40 $2,674 +6.68
1365–1425 1391 11 187.50–191.50 $190.02 $2,643 +4.30
1315–1465 1441 37 180.00–185.00 $184.29 $2,656 -2.17
1535–1575 1563 11 189.50–192.25 $190.42 $2,976 +2.89
1565–1722 1691 5 187.00–190.00 $189.44 $3,203

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1198 1173 23 185.00–189.00 $188.09 $2,206 +0.23
1250–1385 1303 6 179.50–184.00 $181.75 $2,368
1276–1474 1417 35 191.10–193.25 $192.70 $2,731 +5.79
1275–1570 1429 25 187.50–192.25 $190.59 $2,724 +3.68
1665 1665 2 180.50 $180.50 $3,005

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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.