Cattle Market Pulse

Dunlap Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Dunlap, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 17, 2024

190 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 190 214 204
Slaughter cattle 190 214 204

Compared to the sale last week: Too light a test on steers both weeks. No comparison. Choice slaughter heifers 4.00 higher today. No implant and drug free cattle bringing a premium. Reputation group of heavier steers topping the market at 200.25. Most of the sale consisted of smaller strings. 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
960–1281 1201 4 189.00–193.00 $189.80 $2,279
1140–1391 1338 10 189.00–192.00 $191.44 $2,561
1356 1356 3 199.50 $199.50 $2,705 +7.10
1365 1365 2 191.25 $191.25 $2,611 -1.15
1300–1418 1370 6 193.00–197.00 $193.89 $2,656 +1.49
1455 1455 3 198.50 $198.50 $2,888
1539 1539 5 197.50 $197.50 $3,040
1579 1579 10 200.25 $200.25 $3,162 +9.83
1512–1765 1596 3 190.00–195.50 $193.47 $3,088 +3.05
1605–1625 1612 3 189.50–194.00 $191.01 $3,079

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
987–1210 1085 33 184.00–211.50 $195.74 $2,124
1135–1291 1213 16 187.00–190.50 $188.64 $2,288
1260 1260 3 197.50 $197.50 $2,488
1261–1506 1318 13 193.00–197.00 $194.06 $2,558 +12.31
1290–1530 1402 50 191.50–196.25 $194.20 $2,723 +1.50
1240–1525 1407 10 184.00–189.50 $187.18 $2,634 -5.52
1511–1672 1583 6 178.00–180.50 $179.83 $2,847

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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.