Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 1, 2021

18,712 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 $144.85/cwt -0.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,050/hd at 725 lb · 1,650 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $134.24/cwt -1.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,110/hd at 827 lb · 1,325 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $138.19/cwt +0.25 vs last sale · ≈ $861/hd at 623 lb · 1,178 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 18,712 23,551 8,056
Feeder cattle 16,526 21,267 6,684
Slaughter cattle 2,186 2,284 1,372

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers steady. Feeder steers 400/499 lbs 3.00 to 6.00 lower, 500/599 lbs 1.00 to 2.00 higher, 600/999 lbs 1.00 lower to 1.00 higher, Feeder heifers 400/599 lbs steady to 4.00 higher, 600/799 lbs steady to to firm, 800/949 lbs steady to 3.00 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
327–337 332 27 170.00–202.00 $181.05 $601 -11.08
351–395 373 68 173.00–197.50 $185.74 $693 +3.00
409–444 426 56 166.00–190.00 $181.29 $772 -6.19
450–498 478 250 150.00–196.00 $174.17 $833 -3.15
503–547 527 361 150.00–183.00 $171.45 $904 +1.75
535 unweaned 535 5 159.00 $159.00 $851 -8.89
551 fancy 551 24 176.00 $176.00 $970 -1.94
552–580 unweaned 575 28 155.50–164.00 $156.96 $903 +8.96
550–596 577 451 149.00–170.25 $163.72 $945 +1.47
600–649 623 1,045 140.00–165.00 $155.86 $971 -0.73
637–646 unweaned 643 18 148.50–149.00 $148.83 $957 +3.89
650–698 675 1,128 136.50–159.00 $150.57 $1,016 +0.01
676–687 unweaned 679 11 135.00–137.50 $136.81 $929 —
718 unweaned 718 12 140.00 $140.00 $1,005 +9.00
701–749 725 1,638 131.00–154.50 $144.89 $1,050 -0.41
750–798 767 1,101 124.00–149.00 $141.36 $1,084 +1.05
800–848 827 1,325 123.25–139.00 $134.24 $1,110 -1.04
851–894 873 574 118.50–138.00 $130.71 $1,141 -0.06
901–937 914 381 116.50–134.00 $127.08 $1,162 -1.43
950–984 964 202 115.50–132.00 $124.32 $1,198 +0.49
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1286 1165 63 85.00–112.00 $105.53 $1,229 —
1193–1295 1255 12 103.00–105.00 $104.44 $1,311 —
1195–1330 1259 11 110.50–114.00 $112.30 $1,414 —
1280 1280 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,318 —
1055–1550 1320 75 103.00–112.00 $109.20 $1,441 +0.17
1325–1485 1414 33 100.00–114.00 $105.91 $1,498 -8.18
1193–1701 1444 500 108.25–118.75 $114.62 $1,655 +0.53
1475 1475 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,357 —
1444–1630 1557 75 100.00–114.00 $109.74 $1,709 —
1666–1812 1730 16 101.50–109.00 $104.79 $1,813 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
306–330 311 8 137.50–163.00 $159.23 $495 +3.95
376 376 5 168.00 $168.00 $632 +29.45
425–446 434 17 140.00–173.00 $164.08 $712 +18.24
455–493 473 52 132.00–173.00 $160.19 $758 +20.94
498 unweaned 498 8 150.00 $150.00 $747 —
510–543 533 68 130.00–160.00 $154.33 $823 +2.74
556–596 582 58 144.00–154.00 $149.19 $868 +7.19
592 unweaned 592 6 143.00 $143.00 $847 -4.23
600–647 623 150 139.00–149.25 $145.75 $908 +11.44
660–699 681 64 131.00–144.50 $138.47 $943 +0.61
700–749 732 53 129.00–138.00 $133.00 $974 +0.84
755–798 769 54 116.00–132.00 $130.44 $1,003 +4.51
830 830 1 119.00 $119.00 $988 +10.68
855–885 883 15 116.00–123.50 $123.02 $1,086 +0.02
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020 1020 3 121.00 $121.00 $1,234 +0.50
1061 1061 5 116.00 $116.00 $1,231 +1.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276 276 4 147.00 $147.00 $406 —
310–346 324 17 151.00–185.00 $172.59 $559 +3.45
351–398 370 54 140.00–173.00 $152.95 $566 -1.59
401–448 425 179 140.00–167.00 $154.17 $655 +4.18
431 fancy 431 18 165.00 $165.00 $711 —
456–498 479 200 136.00–160.00 $149.64 $717 -0.20
480–497 unweaned 489 19 149.00–159.00 $153.65 $751 —
510 unweaned 510 6 142.00 $142.00 $724 -3.00
516 fancy 516 7 162.00 $162.00 $836 —
502–548 530 400 130.00–156.00 $148.36 $786 +3.16
555–559 unweaned 557 24 140.00–145.00 $142.09 $791 +5.69
550–599 578 853 126.00–149.50 $142.27 $822 +1.36
600–648 623 1,163 121.00–146.00 $138.36 $862 +0.51
631 unweaned 631 15 125.00 $125.00 $789 —
650–698 676 876 120.00–141.00 $135.09 $913 +0.80
703–748 719 740 122.00–138.00 $130.02 $935 +0.73
750–795 768 470 119.50–133.50 $127.06 $976 +0.36
786 786 43 137.25 $137.25 $1,079 +10.55
801–848 816 151 118.25–124.85 $123.42 $1,007 -3.85
832–848 839 30 124.00–126.50 $125.40 $1,052 -3.60
850–891 875 155 110.00–124.00 $120.11 $1,051 -1.67
920–939 924 55 110.00–118.00 $115.67 $1,069 -0.26
955 955 2 110.00–116.00 $113.00 $1,079 —
1033 1033 11 104.00 $104.00 $1,074 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
808–1328 1020 14 91.50–101.50 $98.36 $1,003 -3.76
863–1245 1077 35 76.00–122.50 $97.97 $1,055 —
865–1325 1079 20 106.25–114.00 $110.20 $1,189 —
1040–1590 1260 129 98.50–112.25 $110.27 $1,389 —
1215–1388 1297 42 101.00–112.00 $105.12 $1,363 -3.63
1040–1580 1346 337 110.00–118.25 $114.48 $1,541 —
1407–1528 1464 72 103.00–113.00 $108.92 $1,595 -0.90
1400–1630 1474 7 80.00–86.00 $81.10 $1,195 -28.72
1670–1693 1685 3 104.00–110.00 $108.02 $1,820 —
1740 1740 1 104.50 $104.50 $1,818 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335–344 340 8 144.00–155.00 $149.43 $508 —
351–395 372 15 130.00–148.50 $140.48 $523 -1.65
403–444 430 53 128.00–146.00 $141.51 $608 +0.22
474 unweaned 474 8 131.00 $131.00 $621 —
452–498 475 63 120.00–144.50 $136.63 $649 +4.90
511–545 529 58 121.00–141.50 $137.33 $726 +5.82
545 unweaned 545 5 133.00 $133.00 $725 +10.00
550–599 584 64 119.00–134.00 $126.42 $738 -1.39
607–644 630 75 115.00–132.00 $126.24 $795 +0.07
652–697 688 53 115.00–127.25 $125.96 $867 +2.18
700–748 727 29 114.50–120.75 $117.32 $853 -1.79
753–795 774 20 116.00–120.00 $118.53 $917 +5.05
850 850 1 110.00 $110.00 $935 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030 1030 6 109.00 $109.00 $1,123 +0.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 2 178.00 $178.00 $682 —
420–446 438 11 147.50–174.00 $168.71 $739 +26.39
457–490 468 5 132.50–152.00 $145.25 $680 —
503–525 512 17 138.00–149.50 $144.98 $742 —
590 590 1 126.00 $126.00 $743 -3.49
650–685 668 8 122.00–126.00 $122.97 $821 —
725 725 1 125.00 $125.00 $906 —
750–798 772 11 118.00–124.00 $121.28 $936 —
815 815 1 118.00 $118.00 $962 +2.04
978 978 2 92.00 $92.00 $900 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 640 1 119.00 $119.00 $762 —
673 673 2 116.00 $116.00 $781 —
753–765 759 4 110.00–116.00 $113.02 $858 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1760 1348 80-85% 133 50.00–69.00 $61.08 $823 —
1470–1750 1647 80-85% 6 53.00–56.00 $55.03 $906 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780–1460 1154 85-90% 18 35.00–49.00 $43.28 $499 +9.35
830–1705 1247 85-90% 42 43.00–59.00 $53.34 $665 +0.01
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1460 1298 75-80% 3 81.00–86.00 $83.33 $1,082 —
1150–1880 1487 75-80% 51 60.00–78.00 $68.43 $1,018 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–2085 1491 5 74.00–79.00 $75.54 $1,126 —
1180–2445 1834 30 79.00–97.00 $87.61 $1,607 -0.95
1550–2485 2176 5 103.00–108.00 $106.10 $2,309 —
YG3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1217 1215 6 80.50–87.50 $86.34 $1,049 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
916–1303 1014 31 67.00–81.00 $71.56 $726 —
1100–1767 1417 44 79.00–91.00 $86.57 $1,227 —
1375–1443 1425 8 70.50–78.00 $72.82 $1,038 —
1273–1700 1477 112 90.00–108.00 $95.74 $1,414 +6.35
1665–1965 1766 12 90.00–100.00 $95.01 $1,678 —
1754–1803 1768 8 81.00–88.00 $85.26 $1,507 —

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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.