Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Mondays

Sale of Monday, October 12, 2026

4,705 head sold ·Official USDA report · Price history in the app

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $429.48/cwt +11.18 vs last sale · ≈ $2,451/hd at 571 lb · 338 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $343.19/cwt +7.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,842/hd at 828 lb · 266 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $353.98/cwt +16.29 vs last sale · ≈ $2,729/hd at 771 lb · 225 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,705 4,563 6,459
Feeder cattle 3,702 2,703 5,199
Slaughter cattle 1,003 1,860 1,260

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, calves and yearlings sold steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter steers and heifers sold steady. Slaughter cows sold steady to 5.00 lower and bulls sold 3.00 lower. Demand was moderate to good for calves and feeder cattle with light to moderate demand for slaughter cattle.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318–336 334 38 523.00–636.00 $624.68 $2,086 —
392 392 25 560.00 $560.00 $2,195 —
414–426 unweaned 420 13 447.50–515.00 $488.79 $2,053 -19.90
400–447 432 132 504.00–565.00 $535.68 $2,314 +12.64
451–485 465 76 400.00–510.00 $495.08 $2,302 +4.82
458–497 unweaned 482 14 444.00–505.00 $465.03 $2,241 +18.17
502–548 529 165 427.50–474.00 $450.80 $2,385 -13.49
528–535 unweaned 532 11 427.00–431.00 $428.81 $2,281 -7.89
552–580 567 267 424.50–446.00 $432.88 $2,454 -9.89
566–595 unweaned 585 71 386.00–431.00 $416.70 $2,438 +1.55
603–619 unweaned 607 51 384.00–425.00 $417.44 $2,534 +12.89
601–648 626 101 377.00–425.00 $403.47 $2,526 +14.99
657–696 667 83 351.00–392.00 $379.54 $2,532 —
651–684 unweaned 671 57 380.00–396.00 $388.00 $2,603 +32.00
700–747 721 122 343.00–390.00 $379.61 $2,737 +11.74
767 unweaned 767 5 310.00 $310.00 $2,378 —
751–793 771 220 345.75–366.00 $354.98 $2,737 +17.29
800–848 828 266 333.00–354.00 $343.19 $2,842 +7.57
880–890 885 88 329.00–336.00 $333.89 $2,955 -1.69
958–989 981 30 304.50–307.50 $305.28 $2,995 -11.16
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1105 1051 5 192.00–230.00 $210.72 $2,215 —
1210–1335 1282 14 206.00–229.50 $222.26 $2,849 +9.26
1140–1615 1367 36 211.00–219.50 $215.90 $2,951 -0.85
1382 1382 3 219.00 $219.00 $3,027 +2.25
1318–1495 1413 36 218.25–223.00 $220.53 $3,116 +4.00
1290–1697 1489 114 219.00–228.00 $222.52 $3,313 +3.52
1533–1595 1556 34 219.00–222.00 $219.39 $3,414 +2.49
1630–1740 1661 31 219.00–226.00 $221.54 $3,680 —
1835 1835 2 221.50 $221.50 $4,065 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 unweaned 360 4 410.00 $410.00 $1,476 —
364 364 8 506.00 $506.00 $1,842 —
419 419 13 472.50 $472.50 $1,980 —
517–549 523 41 346.00–425.00 $403.38 $2,110 —
635–642 637 10 340.00–402.00 $383.26 $2,441 +11.06
670 670 7 325.00 $325.00 $2,178 -14.10
690 unweaned 690 6 343.00 $343.00 $2,367 —
771 771 5 340.00 $340.00 $2,621 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 4 490.00 $490.00 $1,421 —
333 333 19 499.00 $499.00 $1,662 —
368–394 383 100 450.00–483.00 $473.64 $1,814 +8.64
366–397 unweaned 389 36 407.50–462.50 $447.38 $1,740 —
401–441 unweaned 427 40 406.00–485.00 $424.14 $1,811 +1.52
464–469 unweaned 467 13 401.00–423.00 $407.72 $1,904 +0.88
451–496 474 127 387.50–448.50 $414.29 $1,964 -6.02
502–547 527 77 368.00–402.00 $386.07 $2,035 -16.43
523–548 unweaned 529 19 347.50–391.00 $372.65 $1,971 -2.22
550–584 unweaned 564 38 358.00–379.00 $370.93 $2,092 +3.24
558–587 581 89 340.00–408.50 $363.58 $2,112 -19.42
603–616 unweaned 608 66 334.00–379.00 $369.06 $2,244 +22.06
609–643 625 61 339.00–418.50 $384.24 $2,402 +3.69
655–696 677 53 327.50–389.00 $352.15 $2,384 —
677 unweaned 677 5 342.50 $342.50 $2,319 —
705 705 16 344.50 $344.50 $2,429 +12.40
700–722 708 69 320.00–352.00 $340.46 $2,410 +8.36
750–775 758 163 320.00–340.00 $328.30 $2,489 +20.18
802–849 810 72 314.00–321.50 $320.61 $2,597 +10.72
866–889 871 43 306.50–325.50 $318.08 $2,770 +15.91
883 883 4 303.00 $303.00 $2,675 +0.83
913–945 929 55 278.00–302.50 $295.53 $2,745 —
988 988 10 272.00 $272.00 $2,687 —
1008 1008 4 274.50 $274.50 $2,767 —
1095 1095 30 274.00 $274.00 $3,000 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
998–1160 1098 10 202.50–225.00 $217.10 $2,384 —
1120–1400 1259 41 210.00–219.00 $217.33 $2,736 —
1233–1313 1273 8 210.00–221.25 $215.45 $2,743 —
1315 1315 2 224.50 $224.50 $2,952 +12.50
1340 1340 1 214.00 $214.00 $2,868 +2.00
1189–1567 1356 250 219.50–224.50 $222.15 $3,012 +10.34
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 6 420.00 $420.00 $1,512 —
420 unweaned 420 24 265.00 $265.00 $1,113 —
435–441 440 52 405.00–412.00 $411.14 $1,809 —
520 520 4 350.00 $350.00 $1,820 —
590 590 10 310.00 $310.00 $1,829 —
607 unweaned 607 3 340.00 $340.00 $2,064 —
683 683 3 322.50 $322.50 $2,203 -7.50
710 710 5 319.00 $319.00 $2,265 —
784 784 11 294.00 $294.00 $2,305 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1198 1198 4 236.00 $236.00 $2,827 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
493 unweaned 493 4 455.00 $455.00 $2,243 +10.00
568 unweaned 568 4 385.00 $385.00 $2,187 —
575 575 6 375.00 $375.00 $2,156 —
645 645 4 315.00 $315.00 $2,032 —
800 800 3 282.00 $282.00 $2,256 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–990 898 80-85% 9 170.00–237.50 $210.57 $1,891 —
1015–1400 1159 80-85% 13 133.00–234.00 $161.35 $1,870 -16.67
1055–1635 1291 80-85% 47 119.00–155.00 $127.01 $1,640 -18.00
1340–1750 1480 80-85% 4 105.00–113.00 $109.47 $1,620 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–985 931 85-90% 8 100.00–123.00 $105.76 $985 -13.65
1000–1430 1156 85-90% 35 104.00–122.00 $112.57 $1,301 -8.83
970–1525 1171 85-90% 16 65.00–105.00 $91.48 $1,071 -29.92
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1570 1314 75-80% 9 140.00–211.00 $163.78 $2,152 —
1210–2040 1518 75-80% 42 128.00–149.00 $136.10 $2,066 —
1485–1985 1673 75-80% 7 101.00–124.00 $112.84 $1,888 -27.69

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–1250 1055 10 130.00–250.00 $168.04 $1,773 —
1200–1290 1256 5 150.00–189.00 $172.59 $2,168 -9.96
1380–1625 1510 4 115.00–145.00 $134.19 $2,026 —
1380–2570 1801 19 150.00–209.00 $185.55 $3,342 —
2195–2220 2208 2 213.00–223.00 $217.97 $4,813 —

↑ Back to top

Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 1 207.00 $207.00 $2,339 —
1488 1488 2 206.00 $206.00 $3,065 -7.68
1580 1580 1 200.00 $200.00 $3,160 —

↑ Back to top

Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1450–1468 1464 8 214.25–217.00 $214.93 $3,147 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1204 1204 6 182.00 $182.00 $2,191 —
1557–1575 1561 13 187.00–198.50 $195.82 $3,057 +3.96
1574 1574 6 219.50 $219.50 $3,455 +27.64

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455–1691 1648 16 200.50–221.00 $218.25 $3,597 +8.12
1507–2105 1742 23 180.00–209.50 $200.91 $3,500 —

↑ Back to top

Price trend

high 434.41 low 338.96 Oct 2025 Oct 2026

700–749 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

Reading this report

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.

← Previous sale (Sep 28, 2026)