Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, February 8, 2021

11,575 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 $141.22/cwt -0.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,028/hd at 728 lb · 1,035 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $146.80/cwt -0.07 vs last sale · ≈ $989/hd at 674 lb · 918 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $133.26/cwt -1.62 vs last sale · ≈ $836/hd at 627 lb · 711 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 11,575 16,598 20,291
Feeder cattle 10,428 15,704 19,574
Slaughter cattle 1,147 894 717

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers 2.00 to 3.00 higher. Feeder steers 400/449 lbs 7.00 lower, 450/799 lbs steady to 1.00 lower, 800/949 lbs 2.00 to 3.00higher. Feeder heifers 400/449 lbs 4.00 lower, 450/499 lbs 1.00 higher, 500/849 lbs steady to 3.00 lower, 850/899 lbs 2.00 higher.

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
333–335 334 5 170.00–181.00 $174.42 $583 -14.58
357–382 368 16 171.00–177.00 $173.08 $637 -16.61
400–443 419 36 165.00–187.00 $174.70 $732 -7.47
467 unweaned 467 6 164.00 $164.00 $766 —
453–498 476 188 154.50–185.25 $174.46 $830 +0.29
505 unweaned 505 8 159.00 $159.00 $803 —
503–549 526 236 146.00–178.50 $170.04 $894 -0.54
552–599 569 466 148.50–169.50 $160.39 $913 -0.11
584 unweaned 584 12 147.00 $147.00 $858 -6.25
601–649 627 614 140.00–158.60 $150.66 $945 -1.01
650–699 674 900 134.00–153.75 $147.09 $991 +0.22
674 unweaned 674 18 132.50 $132.50 $893 —
700–748 728 1,035 132.00–148.75 $141.22 $1,028 -0.05
751–799 776 670 124.00–145.50 $135.52 $1,052 -2.33
802–848 825 590 127.75–140.10 $134.68 $1,111 +2.30
850–891 871 344 122.00–136.25 $130.97 $1,141 ±0.00
901–946 910 135 110.50–129.75 $126.95 $1,155 +2.78
965–999 986 205 119.50–126.50 $125.23 $1,235 +13.73
1004 1004 54 125.50 $125.50 $1,260 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1018–1200 1060 21 101.00–109.00 $105.00 $1,113 +11.00
1040–1520 1282 24 101.00–112.50 $109.63 $1,405 —
1276–1498 1398 46 106.50–115.50 $111.95 $1,565 —
1430 1430 2 109.00 $109.00 $1,559 —
1146–1657 1450 283 110.00–118.85 $116.30 $1,686 +32.79
1500–1668 1628 38 103.00–114.75 $113.33 $1,845 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358 358 3 160.00 $160.00 $573 —
433 433 3 161.00 $161.00 $697 +2.04
457–490 479 9 157.00–161.00 $158.27 $758 +1.77
522–533 527 14 131.00–155.00 $147.14 $775 -5.44
563–594 586 91 137.25–150.50 $145.11 $850 -0.28
607–638 627 38 127.00–138.00 $133.73 $838 -2.10
655–687 680 36 125.00–138.00 $132.52 $901 -3.76
707 707 3 131.50 $131.50 $930 ±0.00
754–780 769 41 120.00–129.00 $125.86 $968 +1.89
802–822 809 18 124.00–126.00 $124.68 $1,009 +5.18
874–888 877 13 100.00–121.00 $104.91 $920 -12.66
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
816 816 5 116.75 $116.75 $953 —
1007–1027 1018 11 108.00–113.00 $110.75 $1,127 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
291 291 3 475.00 $475.00 —
353 353 4 550.00 $550.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313–342 333 12 151.00–169.00 $160.38 $534 -7.62
350–398 374 31 148.00–175.00 $160.31 $600 +0.79
412–438 427 57 137.00–162.00 $147.93 $632 -4.36
452–496 474 150 137.00–157.00 $148.92 $706 +1.40
514 unweaned 514 13 142.00 $142.00 $730 —
500–547 524 328 130.00–150.00 $142.92 $749 -3.88
550–599 574 573 128.50–145.00 $137.11 $787 -1.88
610–628 unweaned 614 34 125.00–126.00 $125.79 $772 +2.79
621 fancy 621 88 140.50 $140.50 $873 +6.50
601–648 629 589 124.00–141.50 $132.61 $834 -1.96
650–698 679 638 117.50–140.00 $129.52 $879 -0.58
700–749 726 494 118.00–132.75 $126.43 $918 -1.71
751–797 771 418 120.00–132.50 $127.16 $980 -1.37
803–849 819 95 103.50–127.00 $119.01 $975 -2.71
855–884 860 65 116.50–124.00 $122.40 $1,053 +2.57
914 914 4 115.50 $115.50 $1,056 -2.34
982 982 6 116.00 $116.00 $1,139 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1258 1047 11 94.00–106.00 $100.31 $1,050 +16.29
1145–1160 1155 3 101.00–109.00 $106.36 $1,228 +1.72
1105–1425 1200 11 105.00–112.75 $110.23 $1,323 +3.60
1250–1383 1308 26 105.00–112.00 $109.24 $1,429 —
1083–1560 1350 231 110.50–118.85 $115.14 $1,554 —
1400–1544 1495 20 105.00–113.00 $109.16 $1,632 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
371 371 9 133.00 $133.00 $493 -10.72
490 490 5 135.00 $135.00 $662 -6.00
500–541 522 16 121.00–133.00 $128.48 $671 -0.02
577–599 588 16 116.00–126.00 $123.00 $723 -2.59
610–640 632 21 115.00–128.00 $123.89 $783 +0.98
655–689 674 35 115.00–120.00 $118.68 $800 -1.85
705–745 714 18 115.00–116.00 $115.77 $827 -1.51
753–766 758 14 118.00–120.00 $118.72 $900 +0.22
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 3 125.00 $125.00 $662 —
687 687 5 118.00 $118.00 $811 —
1006 1006 15 95.00 $95.00 $956 —
1062 1062 5 107.00 $107.00 $1,136 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
326 326 5 520.00 $520.00 —
385 385 3 590.00 $590.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 488 17 159.00 $159.00 $776 -10.00
643 643 3 122.00 $122.00 $784 —
665 665 5 125.00 $125.00 $831 —
760 760 6 106.00 $106.00 $806 -19.00

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1785 1491 75-80% 26 70.00–85.00 $77.29 $1,152 +13.66
1145–2025 1526 75-80% 37 61.00–79.00 $73.17 $1,117 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885–1220 990 85-90% 5 30.00–44.00 $35.61 $353 —
960–1495 1228 85-90% 14 41.00–59.00 $52.70 $647 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1760 1287 80-85% 15 54.00–69.00 $64.37 $828 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1585 1585 65-75% 1 81.00 $81.00 $1,284 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360 1360 1 74.00 $74.00 $1,006 —
1410–2235 1768 10 69.00–99.00 $89.57 $1,584 +11.98
1720–1890 1808 3 94.00–110.00 $101.86 $1,842 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1262 1168 14 64.00–88.00 $78.30 $915 —
1280–1720 1437 11 90.00–96.00 $92.73 $1,333 —
1185–1670 1506 156 96.00–109.00 $98.79 $1,488 —
1535–1550 1540 3 82.00–83.00 $82.66 $1,273 —
1385–2178 1673 20 98.00–101.00 $100.20 $1,676 —
1626–2013 1735 11 92.00–95.50 $93.11 $1,615 —
1713–1915 1814 4 79.00 $79.00 $1,433 —

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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.