Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 19, 2020

1,962 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,962 4,459 1,987
Feeder cattle 2,823
Slaughter cattle 1,962 1,636 1,987

Compared to last week, Choice steers and heifers sold 3.00 lower. No feeder cattle reported this week.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
988–1285 1115 39 91.00–112.00 $98.87 $1,102 -1.96
1135–1755 1358 103 95.50–102.25 $99.15 $1,346
1020–1640 1428 25 91.00–95.75 $94.93 $1,356 +1.13
1083–1684 1450 613 100.00–108.00 $104.27 $1,512
1680–1805 1764 7 97.50–99.35 $98.47 $1,737 +3.34

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1245 1105 22 83.00–103.00 $92.96 $1,027
1088–1375 1201 10 90.00–95.00 $92.91 $1,116 -7.43
1015–1570 1297 91 95.50–102.00 $98.54 $1,278 -2.46
1095–1605 1312 439 100.00–108.50 $104.59 $1,372 -1.89

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1510 1225 85-90% 19 22.00–41.00 $31.42 $385 -15.93
985–1710 1289 85-90% 11 43.00–46.00 $44.71 $576
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1900 1539 75-80% 15 60.00–69.00 $63.69 $980
1500–2005 1729 75-80% 8 71.00–74.00 $72.40 $1,252
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–2035 1395 80-85% 22 50.00–59.00 $55.00 $767 -0.14

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1790 1473 2 61.00–68.00 $65.25 $961
1245–2285 1793 16 73.00–85.00 $79.81 $1,431

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1210 1135 16 66.00–80.00 $77.38 $878
1040–1402 1248 41 70.00–79.00 $74.61 $931 -5.39
1125–1540 1334 61 80.00–89.00 $86.20 $1,150
1208–1624 1495 235 90.50–98.50 $93.81 $1,402

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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.