Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 26, 2021

11,708 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $136.44/cwt +1.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,062/hd at 778 lb · 638 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $150.70/cwt -11.91 vs last sale · ≈ $944/hd at 626 lb · 521 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $129.38/cwt -4.15 vs last sale · ≈ $929/hd at 718 lb · 515 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 11,708 8,017 8,408
Feeder cattle 9,897 6,246 8,224
Slaughter cattle 1,811 1,771 184

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers 3.00 to 4.00 lower. Feeder steers 400 lbs to 749 lbs 5.00to 12.00 lower, 750 lbs to 799 lbs steady, 800 lbs to 849 lbs 3.00 lower, 850 lbs to 949 lbs steady to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers 400 lbs to 749 lbs 4.0 to 12.00 lower, 750 lbs 849 lbs steady to 4.00 higher, 850 lbs to 899 lbs 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
324 unweaned 324 5 195.00 $195.00 $632 —
320–348 328 9 170.00–200.00 $189.63 $622 -27.37
360–396 378 87 168.00–200.00 $184.46 $697 -15.99
402–448 432 112 165.00–194.00 $181.03 $782 -13.16
463 unweaned 463 9 162.00 $162.00 $750 -9.92
453–495 480 155 158.00–190.00 $175.90 $844 -12.47
505–523 unweaned 512 19 171.00–174.00 $172.87 $885 -8.13
500–549 523 425 155.00–181.00 $172.22 $901 -4.96
551–599 573 310 147.00–179.00 $162.84 $933 -6.92
568–584 unweaned 575 23 153.50–157.00 $155.45 $894 —
603–648 626 492 135.00–160.00 $150.99 $945 -11.62
614–643 unweaned 632 29 141.00–150.50 $145.86 $922 —
669 unweaned 669 8 145.00 $145.00 $970 —
650–698 676 353 135.00–158.25 $147.10 $994 -6.19
700–746 723 398 125.00–150.00 $140.25 $1,014 -7.04
734 unweaned 734 5 129.00 $129.00 $947 —
741 741 4 130.00 $130.00 $963 -17.29
750–798 778 638 125.00–144.10 $136.44 $1,062 +0.64
806–842 826 224 122.00–137.00 $130.59 $1,079 -2.81
850–899 870 513 106.00–149.00 $129.74 $1,129 +0.18
905–932 920 382 117.50–127.25 $125.03 $1,150 +5.12
954–996 964 74 110.00–121.50 $120.46 $1,161 -4.04
1045 1045 9 109.50 $109.50 $1,144 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1200 977 17 104.50–120.00 $116.27 $1,136 —
985–1260 1119 18 88.00–109.00 $100.30 $1,122 —
1010–1266 1186 14 107.50–113.50 $111.52 $1,323 —
1200–1473 1300 8 71.00–81.00 $75.57 $982 -15.70
1100–1545 1341 213 91.00–118.50 $116.07 $1,556 —
1415–1421 1418 9 107.00–114.00 $110.10 $1,561 -14.95
1315–1480 1435 19 117.50–124.50 $120.56 $1,730 -4.49
1178–1748 1448 261 115.50–126.00 $121.13 $1,754 +3.85
1543–1587 1556 43 119.50–124.75 $122.66 $1,909 —
1521–1754 1565 23 109.00–117.00 $114.51 $1,792 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
258–289 268 13 169.00–172.50 $170.16 $456 —
340–343 341 8 165.00–175.00 $168.77 $576 -11.23
352–380 363 5 164.00–165.00 $164.42 $597 —
410–441 431 18 160.00–166.00 $163.06 $703 -13.94
438 unweaned 438 3 156.00 $156.00 $683 —
455–499 478 45 140.00–168.00 $157.16 $751 -6.55
505–549 530 57 120.00–162.00 $151.77 $804 -15.16
580–586 unweaned 583 30 129.50–150.50 $139.73 $815 -5.27
550–599 586 103 132.00–158.50 $151.91 $890 -1.37
590 590 4 133.00 $133.00 $785 -20.28
600–647 629 45 120.00–138.00 $135.24 $851 -15.03
685–692 690 29 115.00–139.50 $133.36 $920 -2.62
710–725 724 12 113.00–128.50 $126.59 $917 -3.58
758–798 770 38 115.00–131.25 $127.30 $980 +6.15
810 810 7 119.00 $119.00 $964 —
870–898 888 5 112.50–118.00 $113.68 $1,009 +0.39
921 921 21 115.00 $115.00 $1,059 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
532 unweaned 532 3 161.00 $161.00 $857 —
674 unweaned 674 8 141.50 $141.50 $954 —
1000–1021 1013 64 112.00–123.50 $122.20 $1,238 +3.17
1064 1064 53 120.50 $120.50 $1,282 —
1100 1100 10 108.50 $108.50 $1,194 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
248 248 4 335.00 $335.00 —
345 345 4 460.00 $460.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278–280 279 15 180.00 $180.00 $502 —
330 330 7 165.00 $165.00 $544 -16.32
353–399 377 74 143.00–175.00 $163.36 $616 +8.36
398 unweaned 398 6 141.50 $141.50 $563 —
406–448 431 82 141.00–180.00 $161.85 $698 -10.15
431 unweaned 431 15 158.00 $158.00 $681 —
450–497 471 190 133.00–165.00 $152.65 $719 -10.85
482 unweaned 482 10 151.00 $151.00 $728 -10.25
503–545 524 328 131.50–158.00 $144.80 $759 -12.77
541 unweaned 541 8 134.00 $134.00 $725 —
559–577 unweaned 567 24 136.00 $136.00 $771 -15.50
551–599 572 385 124.00–147.50 $138.09 $790 -7.82
620 unweaned 620 21 121.00 $121.00 $750 —
627 627 5 133.00 $133.00 $834 -7.42
600–649 629 456 121.00–143.75 $134.02 $843 -6.40
654 unweaned 654 4 128.00 $128.00 $837 —
650–694 672 251 124.75–135.75 $128.65 $865 -6.39
693 693 18 120.00 $120.00 $832 -25.00
700–742 718 515 120.00–138.00 $129.38 $929 -13.64
751–799 779 314 114.50–131.00 $122.59 $955 -0.87
793 793 12 119.00 $119.00 $944 -39.49
800–846 825 358 113.50–149.00 $128.44 $1,060 -18.64
859–891 874 127 109.00–127.00 $117.90 $1,030 -2.52
915 915 20 128.00 $128.00 $1,171 -16.33
981 981 10 102.00 $102.00 $1,001 -30.00
976–995 987 17 100.00–117.00 $108.50 $1,071 -23.50
1024 1024 9 116.00 $116.00 $1,188 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
853–1315 1076 37 91.00–109.00 $104.22 $1,121 —
920–1293 1188 8 110.00–120.00 $113.53 $1,349 —
1035–1445 1214 144 108.50–119.50 $116.53 $1,415 +20.71
1230 1230 2 106.50 $106.50 $1,310 +10.68
1110–1565 1315 362 116.00–126.00 $121.89 $1,603 +1.16
1334–1335 1334 9 114.00–117.50 $116.33 $1,552 -8.37
1348–1379 1367 8 105.00–107.00 $105.74 $1,445 —
1470–1568 1536 6 112.00–114.00 $113.02 $1,736 +0.75
1555 1555 2 102.50 $102.50 $1,594 —
1569–1630 1575 10 103.00–108.00 $103.52 $1,630 —
1605 1605 1 113.00 $113.00 $1,814 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
287 287 5 170.00 $170.00 $488 +18.58
320–345 324 13 137.50–155.00 $151.39 $491 +0.39
357 unweaned 357 3 147.50 $147.50 $527 —
355–388 378 33 125.00–153.00 $146.42 $553 -3.58
405–445 430 46 122.50–157.50 $145.32 $625 -6.06
434 unweaned 434 5 144.00 $144.00 $625 —
468 unweaned 468 5 135.00 $135.00 $632 —
451–496 477 82 120.00–146.00 $140.26 $669 -1.25
513 unweaned 513 7 136.00 $136.00 $698 —
508–549 534 64 120.00–143.00 $134.91 $720 -8.67
560–588 unweaned 572 7 124.00–129.00 $126.80 $725 —
552–595 573 63 115.00–130.00 $126.27 $724 -8.13
605–638 624 15 120.00–121.00 $120.39 $751 -5.81
650–696 685 22 108.00–122.00 $114.46 $784 -8.22
705–745 732 68 111.00–122.50 $120.66 $883 +0.16
764–796 774 28 106.00–120.00 $116.09 $899 +5.09
846 846 3 108.00 $108.00 $914 -7.00
945 945 17 109.50 $109.50 $1,035 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
662–693 682 37 121.00–123.00 $122.23 $834 +5.23
955 955 12 105.00 $105.00 $1,003 —
1052 1052 8 89.00 $89.00 $936 —
1159 1159 5 92.00 $92.00 $1,066 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328–335 332 6 172.00–179.00 $175.46 $583 —
370 unweaned 370 2 160.00 $160.00 $592 —
420–428 423 8 142.50–159.50 $149.80 $634 —
454 unweaned 454 4 155.00 $155.00 $704 —
464 464 8 161.00 $161.00 $747 —
522–540 527 7 130.00–142.00 $133.51 $704 —
585 585 1 125.00 $125.00 $731 —
675 675 1 130.00 $130.00 $878 —
745 745 4 107.00 $107.00 $797 —
797 797 3 100.00 $100.00 $797 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1915 1348 80-85% 113 56.00–69.00 $65.32 $881 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1925 1529 75-80% 65 69.00–79.00 $73.29 $1,121 —
1420–2045 1702 75-80% 3 85.00–88.00 $86.24 $1,468 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600–1340 953 85-90% 9 34.00–49.00 $41.77 $398 +3.33
760–1560 1179 85-90% 27 47.00–62.00 $57.20 $674 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–2390 1500 19 72.00–99.00 $90.28 $1,354 —
1715–2295 2015 11 101.00–110.00 $104.29 $2,101 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1413 1250 6 74.00–77.00 $75.72 $946 —
1155–1422 1349 25 88.00–96.75 $95.13 $1,283 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
939–1183 994 12 73.00–77.00 $73.98 $735 -29.07
885–1260 1111 4 83.00–87.00 $84.36 $937 —
1275–1570 1428 12 87.00–99.25 $92.86 $1,326 -7.86
1460 1460 7 91.25 $91.25 $1,332 -8.42
1200–1855 1508 70 94.00–109.00 $102.18 $1,541 +29.63
1340–1676 1617 17 75.00 $75.00 $1,213 —

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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.