Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 7, 2020

18,538 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $146.41/cwt -0.72 vs last sale · ≈ $992/hd at 678 lb · 1,425 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $152.34/cwt -1.31 vs last sale · ≈ $955/hd at 627 lb · 1,177 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $141.97/cwt -0.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,021/hd at 719 lb · 1,139 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 18,538 18,889 15,381
Feeder cattle 15,622 15,562 13,256
Slaughter cattle 2,916 3,327 2,125

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, Choice steers and heifers sold 4.00 lower. Feeder steers 400/999 lbs steady to 7.00 lower. Feeder heifers 400/ 849 lbs 1.00 to 5.00 lower.

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
333 333 2 182.00 $182.00 $606 -7.16
350–395 380 54 170.00–198.00 $180.34 $685 -10.63
358–399 unweaned 382 12 172.00–177.50 $174.15 $665 —
400–448 433 112 161.00–189.00 $176.10 $763 -6.31
423–449 unweaned 442 23 172.00–184.00 $179.77 $795 -4.66
450–494 478 209 150.00–183.50 $168.86 $807 -6.14
451–496 unweaned 482 74 160.00–176.00 $163.69 $789 -9.32
500–549 526 485 150.00–183.50 $168.55 $887 -3.49
506–549 unweaned 535 113 156.00–180.00 $165.49 $885 -3.81
545 545 12 157.00 $157.00 $856 -15.04
566 fancy 566 24 172.00 $172.00 $974 —
552–599 580 609 149.00–173.00 $159.63 $926 -0.02
573–598 unweaned 585 155 151.00–160.50 $155.67 $911 -0.15
600 thin fleshed 600 29 161.75 $161.75 $970 —
601–639 unweaned 621 111 141.50–155.00 $147.46 $916 -2.42
601–649 628 1,037 143.00–167.00 $152.60 $958 -2.51
653–689 unweaned 669 87 132.00–142.75 $138.33 $925 -1.62
650–699 678 1,321 136.25–156.50 $147.06 $997 -1.53
681–689 687 17 130.00–140.00 $137.67 $946 +7.07
702–729 unweaned 708 55 127.00–144.00 $133.49 $945 -4.01
701–748 720 1,084 130.00–150.50 $142.40 $1,025 -0.54
750–798 768 967 126.75–148.00 $138.68 $1,065 -2.52
798 unweaned 798 6 126.25 $126.25 $1,007 -3.76
800–843 820 641 125.00–143.50 $137.84 $1,130 -0.47
851–883 863 110 125.50–140.25 $134.16 $1,158 -7.67
905–938 911 75 124.00–134.50 $131.93 $1,202 -5.96
959–974 965 20 120.00–125.00 $122.02 $1,177 -12.09
1031 1031 6 115.00 $115.00 $1,186 —
1185 1185 10 100.00 $100.00 $1,185 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150 1150 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,116 —
1005–1350 1214 38 75.00–106.50 $96.46 $1,171 -1.22
1180–1383 1301 42 101.00–106.00 $103.07 $1,341 —
1040–1575 1315 112 90.00–101.50 $98.44 $1,294 —
1130–1700 1463 784 100.00–107.50 $104.20 $1,524 +8.92
1140–1605 1523 19 86.00–94.50 $91.18 $1,389 —
1600–1760 1668 26 91.00–101.25 $99.38 $1,658 —
1735 1735 1 72.00 $72.00 $1,249 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 322 12 160.00–176.00 $167.70 $540 +44.78
363 unweaned 363 6 163.00 $163.00 $592 —
362–390 377 21 140.00–177.00 $160.60 $605 -19.40
421–446 432 28 147.00–172.50 $161.27 $697 +14.07
451 unweaned 451 4 144.00 $144.00 $649 -13.00
466–495 478 87 145.00–171.00 $156.91 $750 +2.20
504–544 527 129 136.00–158.25 $151.59 $799 -1.00
504–545 unweaned 533 25 144.00–148.00 $146.74 $782 -5.76
552 unweaned 552 5 142.00 $142.00 $784 +0.28
553–599 582 144 133.00–154.50 $147.55 $859 -1.31
605 605 10 140.00 $140.00 $847 +0.05
610–648 637 110 136.00–148.00 $141.52 $901 +1.57
620–644 unweaned 637 29 132.75–134.00 $133.66 $851 -4.84
655–699 682 121 129.00–143.50 $136.62 $932 -0.04
688 unweaned 688 6 136.00 $136.00 $936 -2.23
705–732 716 13 125.00–135.50 $134.05 $960 +14.51
713–727 unweaned 719 17 125.00–128.00 $126.75 $911 -1.97
780–789 787 11 125.00–130.00 $125.45 $987 -1.04
802–824 819 29 125.50–130.00 $126.41 $1,035 -9.33

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313–338 328 6 153.00–177.50 $164.42 $539 -12.37
351–398 376 72 143.00–175.00 $153.68 $578 -18.12
412–435 unweaned 425 33 136.00–152.00 $141.06 $600 -12.47
406–449 fancy 428 8 162.00–162.50 $162.24 $694 —
400–448 429 101 140.00–165.00 $149.70 $642 -14.27
450–499 475 362 133.00–166.00 $150.27 $714 -3.61
458–494 unweaned 486 86 140.00–147.50 $144.38 $702 -7.29
502–536 unweaned 512 62 137.00–147.00 $141.88 $726 -1.85
500–549 525 515 132.00–158.00 $146.14 $767 -3.14
534 534 14 139.00 $139.00 $742 -10.28
551–592 unweaned 574 128 121.00–138.50 $132.97 $763 -1.61
550–599 575 791 122.00–156.00 $138.11 $794 -1.59
587 thin fleshed 587 8 155.00 $155.00 $910 —
600–620 unweaned 608 84 121.00–132.75 $128.72 $783 +1.23
600–648 626 971 120.00–145.00 $133.45 $835 -1.65
647 647 28 143.50 $143.50 $928 +8.40
650–664 unweaned 656 11 120.00–124.00 $122.16 $801 -3.51
658 658 21 146.00 $146.00 $961 +13.28
650–698 670 825 119.00–141.00 $131.75 $883 -0.97
700–749 718 416 122.50–141.00 $129.56 $930 -1.60
757 757 19 135.50 $135.50 $1,026 +4.12
751–799 772 289 118.00–131.50 $126.57 $977 -4.81
800–820 806 28 115.00–127.00 $126.09 $1,016 -4.66
863–875 865 37 105.00–128.25 $125.07 $1,082 +3.07
918–921 921 44 113.50–122.10 $121.32 $1,117 +2.82
960–978 969 8 118.00 $118.00 $1,143 +8.49
1007–1024 1015 15 107.50–110.00 $108.82 $1,105 —
1053 1053 4 97.00 $97.00 $1,021 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1220 1140 12 80.00–99.00 $88.79 $1,012 —
1060–1280 1219 6 95.00–98.00 $96.78 $1,180 —
1025–1331 1261 133 100.00–104.50 $101.78 $1,283 -4.70
1058–1510 1286 90 93.00–102.50 $98.33 $1,265 +1.08
1085–1570 1345 698 100.00–108.00 $104.09 $1,400 —
1516–1600 1533 5 93.00–100.50 $98.93 $1,517 —
1205–1934 1765 38 92.00–95.00 $94.46 $1,667 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328–342 337 9 142.50–160.00 $152.97 $516 -3.03
358–398 378 6 145.00–155.00 $146.74 $555 -13.71
400–438 418 36 131.00–147.00 $140.13 $586 -4.57
451–498 475 65 124.00–148.50 $134.47 $639 -10.72
500–539 unweaned 521 25 117.00–126.00 $121.87 $635 -10.89
509–546 533 75 125.00–144.00 $135.79 $724 -0.81
565–597 unweaned 578 22 119.00–125.00 $122.12 $706 —
550–599 582 112 120.00–140.00 $130.32 $758 +1.49
615–644 628 32 116.00–132.00 $125.77 $790 -1.10
628–641 unweaned 636 12 115.00–120.00 $117.94 $750 —
659–693 672 38 110.00–123.00 $117.96 $793 -2.36
735–748 744 38 115.00–120.00 $118.87 $884 +2.18
766–790 773 7 111.00–115.00 $114.13 $882 -6.01
908–948 928 6 110.00–111.00 $110.51 $1,026 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
428 unweaned 428 10 135.00 $135.00 $578 —
490 unweaned 490 14 127.50 $127.50 $625 —
570 unweaned 570 6 122.00 $122.00 $695 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 3 127.50 $127.50 $688 —
573–584 577 12 120.00–127.00 $124.64 $719 -17.46
728 728 4 101.00 $101.00 $735 —
788 788 3 93.50 $93.50 $737 -8.70
874 874 8 107.00 $107.00 $935 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1800 1351 80-85% 160 47.00–59.00 $52.83 $714 +0.08
1130–1780 1468 80-85% 10 38.00–46.00 $43.12 $633 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–1380 1167 85-90% 34 23.00–37.00 $30.51 $356 —
925–1585 1240 85-90% 60 37.00–46.00 $43.31 $537 +0.06
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295–1595 1445 75-80% 2 70.00–71.00 $70.55 $1,019 —
1255–1930 1598 75-80% 49 60.00–69.00 $63.55 $1,016 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1515–1825 1663 7 47.00–67.00 $61.20 $1,018 —
1140–2185 1727 23 69.00–83.00 $75.20 $1,299 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1118–1311 1235 12 70.00–75.00 $73.78 $911 -1.26
1240–1600 1402 55 80.00–89.50 $84.42 $1,184 -2.65
1165–1538 1419 7 64.00–79.00 $74.84 $1,062 -12.23
1215–1630 1483 88 87.00–100.50 $91.50 $1,357 -1.05

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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.