Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, February 1, 2021

16,598 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $141.27/cwt -1.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,024/hd at 725 lb · 1,660 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $146.87/cwt -2.06 vs last sale · ≈ $990/hd at 674 lb · 1,351 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $137.85/cwt -0.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,067/hd at 774 lb · 1,301 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 16,598 10,280 14,510
Feeder cattle 15,704 9,131 13,342
Slaughter cattle 894 1,149 1,168

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week : Choice steers and heifers steady. Feeder steers 400/599 lbs 1.00 to 11.00 higher, 600/949 lbs 1.00 to 9.00 lower. Feeder heifers 400/449 lbs 4.00 higher, 450/499 lbs 4.00 lower, 500/549 lbs 3.00 higher, 550/749 lbs 1.00 to 6.00 lower, 750/799 lbs 2.00 higher, 800/949 lbs 1.00 to 4.00 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
282 unweaned 282 3 203.00 $203.00 $572 —
302 302 5 189.00 $189.00 $571 +8.00
355–390 371 30 178.00–198.00 $189.69 $704 +11.92
373 unweaned 373 4 185.00 $185.00 $690 +1.00
400–449 422 91 170.50–193.50 $182.17 $769 +11.22
451–498 474 113 165.00–188.00 $174.17 $826 +2.49
501–549 528 306 159.00–188.50 $170.58 $901 +4.72
555 fancy 555 3 171.00 $171.00 $949 —
566 unweaned 566 17 153.25 $153.25 $867 —
551–599 575 570 146.00–176.25 $160.50 $923 +0.82
600–649 622 928 140.50–163.75 $151.67 $943 -2.30
650–699 674 1,351 136.50–157.00 $146.87 $990 -2.06
700–748 725 1,660 130.00–150.75 $141.27 $1,024 -1.67
750–798 774 1,301 129.50–144.10 $137.85 $1,067 -0.63
800–849 827 767 120.00–136.85 $132.38 $1,095 -1.27
852–893 869 542 120.00–135.30 $130.97 $1,138 -1.88
903–940 928 90 114.50–130.00 $124.17 $1,152 -9.29
981 981 8 111.50 $111.50 $1,094 -10.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
304 304 5 165.00 $165.00 $502 -5.00
398 398 3 169.00 $169.00 $673 —
403–449 434 28 152.00–170.00 $158.96 $690 +15.96
471 unweaned 471 4 152.50 $152.50 $718 —
450–491 475 20 151.00–171.00 $156.50 $743 +16.55
511 unweaned 511 4 156.00 $156.00 $797 —
506–548 523 63 142.00–166.50 $152.58 $798 +3.17
554–599 583 114 131.00–159.50 $145.39 $848 -1.99
612–645 631 55 120.00–147.00 $135.83 $857 -1.07
625–643 unweaned 638 11 135.00–143.00 $137.14 $875 —
650–699 684 108 129.00–142.00 $136.28 $932 +2.78
710–745 730 45 120.00–135.75 $131.50 $960 +1.50
755–795 777 39 115.50–129.25 $123.97 $963 -4.53
824 824 9 119.50 $119.50 $985 —
872–889 880 26 116.00–119.75 $117.57 $1,035 +0.07
904 904 4 119.50 $119.50 $1,080 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060 1060 1 94.00 $94.00 $996 —
1091–1373 1185 47 104.00–111.50 $107.35 $1,272 —
1180–1305 1243 3 79.00–88.00 $82.70 $1,028 -24.65
1155–1550 1346 16 100.00–109.00 $104.53 $1,407 —
1455–1470 1463 2 81.50–85.50 $83.51 $1,222 -30.06
1173–1708 1480 235 107.35–116.75 $113.60 $1,681 +0.03
1625–1875 1686 12 102.00–109.00 $106.34 $1,793 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
596 596 10 131.00 $131.00 $781 —
790 790 4 117.00 $117.00 $924 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 unweaned 320 4 173.00 $173.00 $554 —
322 322 5 168.00 $168.00 $541 —
350–396 372 45 146.00–176.50 $159.52 $593 -0.58
403–447 429 87 136.00–167.00 $152.29 $653 +4.41
443 unweaned 443 4 146.50 $146.50 $649 —
451–495 474 115 137.00–170.00 $147.52 $699 -4.71
499 unweaned 499 4 136.00 $136.00 $679 —
505–549 532 512 132.00–155.75 $146.80 $781 +3.11
550–598 576 903 128.50–148.00 $138.99 $801 -6.36
608 608 20 153.00 $153.00 $930 +17.13
600–649 627 840 122.00–144.50 $134.57 $844 -1.30
638 unweaned 638 6 123.00 $123.00 $785 +3.50
645 fancy 645 39 134.00 $134.00 $864 —
664–675 fancy 673 111 136.00–139.50 $138.91 $935 —
650–699 676 1,108 120.50–137.00 $130.10 $879 -2.21
677–691 684 48 140.00–143.00 $141.13 $965 +8.82
713 fancy 713 15 133.35 $133.35 $951 —
702–746 715 73 135.00–158.00 $147.39 $1,054 +18.41
700–749 722 543 113.50–138.50 $128.14 $925 -0.84
748 unweaned 748 5 119.50 $119.50 $894 —
757 757 18 135.00 $135.00 $1,022 +8.29
751–795 773 527 120.00–133.50 $128.53 $994 +1.82
801–848 819 103 114.50–125.75 $121.72 $997 -4.56
850–876 872 69 114.00–127.00 $119.83 $1,045 -4.58
900–945 916 29 111.00–122.75 $117.84 $1,079 -1.15
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–344 323 15 133.00–160.00 $145.73 $471 —
375 unweaned 375 5 126.00 $126.00 $472 —
365–381 378 14 135.00–146.00 $143.72 $543 +9.16
410–435 421 40 127.00–160.00 $142.61 $600 +4.92
455–468 unweaned 462 6 124.00–130.00 $126.96 $587 —
460–490 479 68 130.00–154.50 $141.00 $675 +4.68
505–549 530 105 122.00–141.00 $128.50 $681 -1.66
550–598 575 110 115.00–132.50 $125.59 $722 -1.91
604–648 627 108 116.00–131.00 $122.91 $771 -1.59
660–690 677 54 117.00–125.00 $120.53 $816 -2.30
717–735 729 27 115.50–120.75 $117.28 $855 —
787 787 17 118.50 $118.50 $933 -6.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1050 1045 2 80.00–88.00 $84.02 $878 -23.09
1005–1320 1183 22 100.00–108.75 $104.64 $1,238 —
1065–1545 1206 22 102.00–109.75 $106.63 $1,286 —
1220–1290 1276 5 91.00–95.00 $93.89 $1,198 -12.04
1321–1530 1347 8 81.50–86.00 $82.14 $1,106 -26.26
1130–1707 1392 326 105.25–117.10 $113.44 $1,579 -0.27

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
438 unweaned 438 6 166.00 $166.00 $727 —
486 486 4 169.00 $169.00 $821 —
539 539 5 140.50 $140.50 $757 -5.50
572 572 9 152.00 $152.00 $869 —
755 755 13 125.00 $125.00 $944 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1415 1378 75-80% 2 70.00–76.00 $72.92 $1,005 —
1225–1905 1459 75-80% 30 60.00–69.00 $63.63 $928 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1755 1365 80-85% 25 51.00–59.00 $56.25 $768 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890–1355 1128 85-90% 13 21.00–38.00 $30.86 $348 -17.60
1090–1480 1253 85-90% 9 39.00–49.00 $43.62 $547 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1625 1445 3 66.00–68.00 $67.32 $973 —
1255–2170 1788 12 71.00–87.00 $77.59 $1,387 —

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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.