Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 22, 2021

8,014 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $134.71/cwt +2.98 vs last sale · ≈ $1,177/hd at 874 lb · 728 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $137.54/cwt +6.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,011/hd at 735 lb · 567 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $140.56/cwt +7.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,161/hd at 826 lb · 395 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 8,014 9,930 2,032
Feeder cattle 6,224 8,714 1,494
Slaughter cattle 1,790 1,216 538

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers steady to 2.50 higher. Feeder steers 550/849 lbs 7.00 to 11.00 higher, over 850 lbs 4.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 550 lbs 3.00 to 4.00 higher on a light test, 550/699 lbs 7.00 to 11.00 higher, over 700 lbs 3.00-7.00 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
330–341 336 10 192.50–205.00 $198.85 $668 +8.61
424–429 428 21 196.00–199.00 $198.43 $849 +10.40
455–499 476 24 175.00–187.50 $180.98 $861 -3.89
502–548 525 131 160.00–186.00 $180.34 $947 +4.00
554–599 580 97 156.00–180.50 $169.11 $981 +6.49
601–649 630 341 153.00–178.00 $167.26 $1,054 +11.72
650–699 673 263 151.00–168.50 $159.69 $1,075 +8.33
704–744 729 361 143.50–158.50 $152.80 $1,114 +7.56
750–798 774 383 141.00–154.00 $145.35 $1,125 +4.26
803–848 826 395 134.25–144.85 $140.56 $1,161 +8.43
851–895 874 728 126.00–139.75 $134.71 $1,177 +2.98
904–935 922 54 120.00–136.00 $130.91 $1,207 +4.08
961–990 988 69 120.00–130.00 $124.33 $1,228 +1.33
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1220 1100 41 82.00–108.50 $101.91 $1,121 —
988–1250 1126 5 95.00–106.00 $100.52 $1,132 —
1160–1391 1275 23 110.00–115.25 $113.50 $1,447 —
1120–1625 1345 35 105.00–113.00 $109.77 $1,476 —
1107–1865 1459 313 112.00–120.25 $117.02 $1,707 —
1360–1495 1460 27 102.00–113.00 $106.33 $1,552 —
1330–1563 1485 3 90.00–96.50 $91.94 $1,365 —
1435–1645 1516 71 102.25–117.00 $113.24 $1,717 +2.13
1718–1735 1724 3 103.00–107.00 $105.66 $1,822 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
203–210 205 4 115.00–145.00 $129.91 $266 —
320–345 328 3 135.00–150.00 $143.38 $470 —
350–389 374 16 140.00–152.50 $147.23 $551 —
456–498 471 35 120.00–147.50 $130.61 $615 —
535–544 539 11 136.00–153.00 $145.20 $783 —
550–580 567 20 121.00–145.00 $139.14 $789 —
600–618 609 4 120.00–138.00 $128.74 $784 —
840 840 3 107.00 $107.00 $899 —
850 850 2 100.00 $100.00 $850 —
900 900 1 100.00 $100.00 $900 —
1032–1045 1036 51 91.50–100.00 $94.41 $978 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 3 155.00 $155.00 $721 —
549 unweaned 549 9 164.00 $164.00 $900 —
590 590 3 152.00 $152.00 $897 -3.37
648 648 6 155.00 $155.00 $1,004 +16.45
662–697 675 22 140.00–147.50 $144.79 $977 +10.49
720–726 722 14 140.00–141.00 $140.71 $1,016 —
762–797 781 13 134.00–139.00 $136.35 $1,065 +6.35
838–841 840 12 124.75–127.50 $126.59 $1,063 —
945 945 3 121.00 $121.00 $1,143 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1072–1083 1075 11 110.00–121.50 $118.34 $1,272 —
1122 1122 7 113.00 $113.00 $1,268 —
1193 1193 3 109.50 $109.50 $1,306 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
346 346 4 164.00 $164.00 $567 -2.02
401–414 408 26 153.00–169.00 $162.96 $665 +4.82
464–485 477 27 153.00–161.00 $157.14 $750 +3.63
505–549 531 93 143.25–159.00 $150.56 $799 +1.03
551–597 580 136 140.00–156.75 $148.66 $862 +7.25
601–649 623 154 137.00–154.50 $146.42 $912 +10.38
655–696 679 303 133.50–145.50 $138.21 $938 +3.20
713 fancy 713 68 140.00 $140.00 $998 —
700–748 737 466 126.00–141.00 $136.51 $1,006 +5.83
747 747 33 147.00 $147.00 $1,098 +16.32
757–786 771 145 124.50–137.50 $131.54 $1,014 +2.08
796 796 26 150.00 $150.00 $1,194 +20.54
802–847 812 160 121.50–133.50 $130.17 $1,057 +5.69
855–876 865 154 119.25–127.50 $121.71 $1,053 +4.07
901–941 914 17 114.00–123.00 $119.14 $1,089 +3.14
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1260 1080 31 69.00–111.00 $95.73 $1,034 —
895–1215 1085 7 94.50–104.00 $100.31 $1,088 —
1110–1335 1262 31 106.00–117.50 $111.05 $1,401 +0.90
1283 1283 4 113.00 $113.00 $1,450 +2.85
1020–1525 1311 30 100.00–113.75 $111.23 $1,458 -4.47
1332–1396 1347 30 106.00–112.50 $111.94 $1,508 -3.76
1115–1695 1353 311 108.00–120.50 $117.67 $1,592 —
1385–1482 1437 7 64.50–76.00 $70.83 $1,018 —
1413–1545 1469 48 101.00–118.00 $111.09 $1,632 +0.13
1500–1630 1581 4 82.00–90.00 $84.75 $1,340 —
1605 1605 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,621 —
1560–1665 1625 4 66.00–78.50 $73.72 $1,198 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 3 155.00 $155.00 $617 —
492 492 4 141.00 $141.00 $694 -0.24
494 unweaned 494 8 140.00 $140.00 $692 —
518 518 3 140.00 $140.00 $725 +9.45
568 568 5 139.25 $139.25 $791 +9.70
632–637 634 30 135.00–139.00 $136.87 $868 —
667 667 7 131.00 $131.00 $874 —
792–796 794 10 119.00–123.00 $120.99 $961 —
820 820 3 121.00 $121.00 $992 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1003–1043 1023 12 106.75–121.25 $113.86 $1,165 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
497 497 3 161.00 $161.00 $800 +1.60
666 666 8 140.50 $140.50 $936 +13.50
736 736 3 125.00 $125.00 $920 —
758–768 764 5 119.00–124.00 $122.02 $932 +10.02
840 840 5 117.00 $117.00 $983 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1585 1358 80-85% 11 61.00–73.00 $69.20 $940 —
1015–2070 1364 80-85% 124 52.00–69.00 $65.24 $890 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1505 1445 75-80% 3 70.00–87.00 $79.86 $1,154 —
1200–1895 1517 75-80% 101 61.00–79.00 $70.36 $1,067 -9.83
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725–1335 1007 85-90% 11 35.00–48.00 $41.30 $416 —
715–1530 1138 85-90% 27 41.00–61.00 $53.49 $609 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1560 1493 65-75% 2 85.00–92.00 $88.34 $1,319 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1795 1670 3 72.00–75.00 $73.64 $1,230 —
1195–2475 1779 25 79.00–95.00 $88.03 $1,566 —
YG3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 1 90.00 $90.00 $994 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
353–394 361 25 117.50–120.00 $119.45 $431 —
423–428 426 5 110.00–115.00 $111.99 $477 —
456–495 466 150 110.00–115.00 $111.32 $519 —
545 545 2 114.00 $114.00 $621 —
585 585 6 93.50 $93.50 $547 —
657–691 670 38 90.00–91.00 $90.38 $606 —
705–745 743 30 92.00–95.50 $94.47 $702 —
757–790 769 11 89.00–93.00 $90.49 $696 —
805–824 806 80 86.00–98.50 $97.54 $786 —
863–868 864 11 89.00–96.50 $95.13 $822 —
940 940 4 90.00 $90.00 $846 —
975 975 1 81.00 $81.00 $790 —
1013–1040 1030 13 75.00–90.00 $86.19 $888 —
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
163–185 167 12 92.50–100.00 $98.61 $165 —
280 280 1 105.00 $105.00 $294 —
330 330 2 112.50 $112.50 $371 —
378–382 381 13 105.00–106.00 $105.69 $403 —
439 439 17 102.50–107.50 $104.56 $459 —
450–464 459 23 105.00–107.50 $106.32 $488 —
505–534 523 30 100.00–104.00 $102.22 $535 —
556–563 559 28 100.00–110.00 $103.24 $577 —
655–697 689 21 80.00–89.50 $86.72 $598 —
720–729 725 15 87.00–89.50 $88.51 $642 —
Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
164–195 thin fleshed 177 10 50.00–71.00 $66.06 $117 —
227 thin fleshed 227 17 80.00 $80.00 $182 —
303–344 thin fleshed 317 28 80.00–95.00 $90.96 $288 —
378–395 thin fleshed 384 10 75.00–95.00 $89.01 $342 —
420–444 441 8 70.00–80.00 $78.81 $348 —
469 469 7 60.00 $60.00 $281 —
539–542 541 19 72.50–92.50 $81.95 $443 —
563–598 592 21 52.50–95.00 $83.12 $492 —
625–636 630 17 60.00–90.00 $78.61 $495 —
650–691 677 12 45.00–57.50 $55.44 $375 —
708 708 3 35.00 $35.00 $248 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
923–1155 1047 13 66.00–82.00 $78.81 $825 —
1084–1725 1315 20 70.00–94.50 $85.43 $1,123 —
1210–1625 1450 96 96.00–107.00 $98.80 $1,433 -0.68
1327–1678 value added 1598 19 101.00–104.50 $101.72 $1,625 —
1728 1728 2 93.00 $93.00 $1,607 —

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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.