Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 3, 2021

5,742 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $148.27/cwt +1.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,001/hd at 675 lb · 352 head

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $152.51/cwt +1.81 vs last sale · ≈ $965/hd at 633 lb · 270 head

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $137.22/cwt +0.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,068/hd at 778 lb · 227 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	5,742	11,708	10,618
Feeder cattle	4,378	9,897	10,372
Slaughter cattle	1,364	1,811	246

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Feeder steers 400 lbs to 699 lbs 3.00to 6.00 lower, 700 lbs to 849 lbs 1.00 higher, 850 lbs to 899 lbs 1.00 lower, 900 lbs to 949 lbs 1.00 higher. Feeder heifers 400 lbs to 899 lbs 3.00 to 16.00 lower.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
324	324	6	170.00	$170.00	$551	-19.63
354–389	373	16	167.00–169.00	$167.93	$626	-16.53
403–440	420	31	170.00–186.00	$177.88	$747	-3.15
471 unweaned	471	11	161.00	$161.00	$758	-1.00
450–496	480	109	163.50–177.00	$169.74	$815	-6.16
503–543	526	207	153.00–177.00	$166.75	$877	-5.47
515–538 unweaned	533	19	152.50–156.00	$153.88	$820	-18.99
550–599	579	169	154.00–177.00	$161.21	$933	-1.63
588 unweaned	588	11	148.00	$148.00	$870	-7.45
592	592	14	155.00	$155.00	$918	-7.84
612–643 unweaned	632	23	134.00–141.00	$138.05	$872	-7.81
606–648	633	247	145.00–162.00	$153.86	$974	+2.87
651–697	674	197	134.50–155.75	$144.55	$974	-2.55
675–679 fancy	677	155	153.00	$153.00	$1,036	—
706–736	720	153	130.50–147.75	$141.44	$1,018	+1.19
723	723	13	128.00	$128.00	$925	-12.25
757–792	778	227	124.00–143.50	$137.22	$1,068	+0.78
801–839	812	153	124.25–143.50	$132.07	$1,072	+1.48
848	848	25	121.75	$121.75	$1,032	-8.84
863–872	867	189	117.25–131.50	$128.67	$1,116	-1.07
901–934	927	72	125.00–129.75	$126.03	$1,168	+1.00
1036	1036	6	103.25	$103.25	$1,070	-6.25

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1050–1125	1097	9	102.00–106.00	$104.26	$1,144	—
1100	1100	1	101.00	$101.00	$1,111	+0.70
880–1195	1101	16	83.00–112.50	$104.86	$1,155	+4.56
1110–1275	1188	4	107.00–107.25	$107.12	$1,273	-4.40
1284	1284	20	104.00	$104.00	$1,335	—
1103–1635	1323	45	105.50–118.00	$114.94	$1,521	-1.13
1321–1465	1360	57	112.00–116.75	$113.55	$1,544	—
1287–1414	1401	29	114.25–117.75	$117.42	$1,645	+7.32
1180–1647	1413	206	110.50–125.50	$118.85	$1,679	+8.75
1423–1498	1434	51	104.00–109.00	$106.48	$1,527	-14.08
1556–1645	1565	10	111.50–116.75	$116.15	$1,818	+1.64
1535–1662	1616	5	104.00–109.00	$107.86	$1,743	—
1683	1683	2	95.00	$95.00	$1,599	—
1725	1725	2	110.00	$110.00	$1,898	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
275–298	290	3	168.00–170.00	$169.37	$491	-0.79
313–348	339	8	158.00–165.00	$159.61	$541	-9.16
352–393	376	14	158.00–168.00	$161.72	$608	-2.70
439	439	5	152.00	$152.00	$667	-11.06
478–490	483	20	140.00–156.50	$147.44	$712	-9.72
508–540	527	16	141.00–152.00	$145.96	$769	-5.81
556 unweaned	556	3	122.00	$122.00	$678	-17.73
575–595	592	19	145.00–155.00	$149.38	$884	+16.38
623 unweaned	623	6	143.00	$143.00	$891	—
622–640	631	10	134.00–143.00	$138.44	$874	+3.20
700–746	720	19	125.00–128.00	$127.01	$914	+0.42
868	868	3	112.00	$112.00	$972	-1.68

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
483	483	7	158.00	$158.00	$763	—
504–518	508	15	146.50–150.00	$149.05	$757	—
626–643	631	7	137.00–142.00	$140.54	$887	—
636 unweaned	636	4	135.00	$135.00	$859	—
726 unweaned	726	8	125.50	$125.50	$911	—
1024	1024	35	119.50	$119.50	$1,224	-2.70

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
300–340	327	3	142.00–145.00	$144.08	$471	-20.92
355–365	359	11	140.00–144.00	$141.71	$509	-21.65
405–449	430	108	140.00–159.00	$145.85	$627	-16.00
454–480 unweaned	462	19	139.00–143.50	$142.23	$657	-8.77
453–498	472	77	130.00–150.00	$138.77	$655	-13.88
502–544	526	156	123.00–146.50	$133.85	$704	-10.95
503–546 unweaned	526	17	125.00–138.00	$132.15	$695	-1.85
552–584 unweaned	569	24	125.00–133.00	$128.18	$729	-7.82
551–596	578	194	126.00–140.00	$131.97	$763	-6.12
600 unweaned	600	4	124.50	$124.50	$747	+3.50
615	615	11	115.75	$115.75	$712	-17.25
602–639	619	142	120.00–139.50	$131.43	$814	-1.57
656–697	669	209	116.00–125.75	$123.16	$824	-5.49
676	676	12	110.00	$110.00	$744	-18.65
700–741	732	176	115.00–126.60	$125.47	$918	-3.91
752–791	773	124	114.50–123.75	$119.41	$923	-3.18
767–783	777	48	120.00–133.00	$125.08	$972	+2.49
802–848	826	94	101.00–122.75	$116.28	$960	-12.16
900–945	928	13	101.50–105.00	$102.81	$954	-25.19

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
896–1275	1032	26	83.00–110.00	$100.22	$1,034	—
1150–1173	1159	12	110.00–111.50	$110.75	$1,284	-2.78
1185	1185	3	111.50	$111.50	$1,321	-2.03
1258	1258	12	115.10	$115.10	$1,448	—
1055–1600	1274	62	108.00–118.00	$112.16	$1,429	—
1286	1286	9	114.50	$114.50	$1,472	—
1110–1595	1294	136	113.50–125.00	$118.90	$1,539	—
1090–1337	1311	26	97.00–105.50	$101.17	$1,326	-20.72
1260–1358	1334	4	104.00–108.00	$107.06	$1,428	-9.27
1328–1398	1360	19	112.50–115.75	$114.31	$1,555	+8.57
1422–1492	1437	14	112.00–114.00	$113.56	$1,632	—
1470	1470	2	95.00	$95.00	$1,396	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
360	360	3	145.00	$145.00	$522	-1.42
383 unweaned	383	3	138.00	$138.00	$529	-9.50
441	441	12	138.00	$138.00	$609	-7.32
447 unweaned	447	4	131.00	$131.00	$586	-13.00
486 unweaned	486	4	133.00	$133.00	$646	-2.00
479–494	487	13	117.00–134.00	$128.11	$624	-12.15
492	492	7	121.00	$121.00	$595	-19.26
534	534	7	133.00	$133.00	$710	-1.91
552–565	556	42	121.00–126.00	$125.23	$696	-1.04
562–581 unweaned	578	28	100.00–119.25	$114.59	$662	-12.21
685 unweaned	685	3	115.00	$115.00	$788	—
786	786	4	110.00	$110.00	$865	-6.09

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
275	275	2	145.00	$145.00	$399	—
440–441	441	11	127.00–130.00	$128.09	$565	—
556	556	5	125.00	$125.00	$695	—
642 unweaned	642	22	118.00	$118.00	$758	—
698	698	2	115.00	$115.00	$803	-7.23
907	907	9	111.00	$111.00	$1,007	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
466	466	5	158.00	$158.00	$736	-3.00
510	510	3	111.00	$111.00	$566	-22.51
555–559	558	9	138.00–146.00	$139.77	$780	+14.77
741	741	8	112.25	$112.25	$832	+5.25
810	810	2	94.00	$94.00	$761	—

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
880–1705	1298	80-85%	83	59.00–69.00	$65.04	$844	—
1235–1685	1460	80-85%	2	53.00–54.00	$53.58	$782	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1140–1855	1431	75-80%	71	68.00–79.00	$73.43	$1,051	—
1215–1960	1576	75-80%	13	79.00–83.00	$79.91	$1,259	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
775–1155	1014	85-90%	4	35.00–45.00	$41.58	$422	—
755–1405	1051	85-90%	29	46.00–62.00	$56.20	$591	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1580–1620	1600	65-75%	2	85.00–86.00	$85.49	$1,368	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
950–2540	1390	11	42.00–78.00	$67.97	$945	—
1085–2560	1729	23	77.00–98.00	$88.45	$1,529	—
1820–2215	2031	9	100.00–109.00	$104.82	$2,129	+0.53

YG3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1059–1400	1194	12	81.50–90.00	$86.19	$1,029	—

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1050–1100	1076	26	63.00–67.00	$64.92	$699	—
1303	1303	3	83.50	$83.50	$1,088	—

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1250–1390	1297	3	81.00–88.00	$84.79	$1,100	—
1245–1665	1425	22	85.00–99.00	$91.37	$1,302	-1.49
1320–1870	1523	77	91.00–107.25	$97.90	$1,491	-4.28
1620–1759	1734	20	92.00–100.50	$96.80	$1,679	—

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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.