Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Direct Cattle Report

Iowa · USDA-reported Direct Livestock

Sale of Monday, November 9, 2020

241 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Iowa Direct Cattle Report report →

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $138.60/cwt ≈ $1,150/hd at 830 lb · 123 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $136.60/cwt ≈ $1,218/hd at 892 lb · 118 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 241

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830 830 123 138.60 $138.60 $1,150
892 892 118 136.60 $136.60 $1,218

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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.