Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Direct Cattle Report

Iowa · USDA-reported Direct Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 23, 2026

240 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $346.00/cwt ≈ $2,630/hd at 760 lb · 128 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $355.00/cwt +3.83 vs last sale · ≈ $3,053/hd at 860 lb · 112 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 240

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860 860 112 355.00 $355.00 $3,053 +3.83

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760 760 128 346.00 $346.00 $2,630

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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.