Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 10, 2021

8,672 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 heifers $134.93/cwt +9.46 vs last sale · ≈ $969/hd at 718 lb · 727 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $138.22/cwt +15.77 vs last sale · ≈ $948/hd at 686 lb · 512 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $139.49/cwt +9.33 vs last sale · ≈ $869/hd at 623 lb · 465 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 8,672 5,742 7,968
Feeder cattle 7,540 4,378 7,614
Slaughter cattle 1,132 1,364 354

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers 4.00 higher and choice heifers 1.00 higher. Feeder steers 400 lbs to 899 lbs steady to 8.00 higher. Feeder heifers 400 lbs to 849 lbs 8.00 to 15.00 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
318 318 3 188.00 $188.00 $598 +18.00
361–396 380 31 178.00–195.00 $185.61 $705 +17.68
382–398 unweaned 389 12 181.00–187.50 $184.73 $719 —
400–448 432 126 168.00–192.00 $177.49 $767 -0.39
458–499 477 112 170.00–190.00 $176.19 $840 +6.45
499 unweaned 499 20 177.50 $177.50 $886 +16.50
503–544 unweaned 526 71 156.00–179.00 $168.03 $884 +14.15
501–549 529 248 152.50–180.00 $170.14 $900 +3.39
533 533 6 160.00 $160.00 $853 -6.75
550–597 577 355 150.00–180.00 $163.02 $941 +1.81
563–590 unweaned 577 53 154.00–159.00 $156.54 $903 +8.54
611–620 unweaned 615 26 148.00–150.00 $149.07 $917 +11.02
600–648 625 342 142.00–168.00 $158.01 $988 +4.15
651–698 682 398 128.00–159.00 $149.43 $1,019 +4.88
700–744 719 244 122.50–154.00 $147.35 $1,059 +5.91
751–794 775 361 130.00–151.50 $143.03 $1,108 +5.81
806–836 822 232 132.50–143.50 $139.95 $1,150 +7.88
851–894 885 235 124.00–131.75 $130.44 $1,154 +1.77
907–943 932 96 115.25–126.00 $123.37 $1,150 -2.66
960–978 968 97 120.00–127.25 $125.45 $1,214 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1245 1156 18 88.00–112.00 $105.89 $1,224 -1.23
1188–1213 1196 6 100.00–102.50 $101.66 $1,216 -5.46
1020–1443 1278 46 105.00–111.00 $108.04 $1,381 +4.04
1287–1475 1342 24 106.00–114.00 $109.78 $1,473 -5.16
1325–1367 1361 7 108.50–115.25 $114.31 $1,556 +0.76
1305–1494 1406 30 111.50–117.00 $114.64 $1,612 -2.78
1215–1653 1415 21 98.00–119.00 $108.17 $1,531 -10.68
1200–1715 1456 225 112.00–128.00 $122.55 $1,784 —
1455–1545 1507 6 84.50–95.00 $88.97 $1,341 —
1505–1625 1529 5 110.00–113.00 $111.39 $1,703 —
1472–1597 1540 33 117.00–124.00 $119.71 $1,844 —
1603–1683 1651 5 113.75–115.00 $114.24 $1,886 +19.24
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 170.00 $170.00 $544 +10.39
343 unweaned 343 3 140.00 $140.00 $480 —
375–392 386 3 159.00–169.00 $165.76 $640 +4.04
446 446 6 161.00 $161.00 $718 +9.00
472–496 483 11 155.00–169.00 $162.92 $787 +15.48
502–549 537 62 140.00–163.00 $153.63 $825 +7.67
573–597 589 27 131.00–153.00 $140.02 $825 -9.36
612–641 631 14 115.00–146.00 $130.84 $826 -7.60
666 unweaned 666 5 138.00 $138.00 $919 —
656–695 678 85 135.00–149.00 $139.06 $943 —
713 713 5 132.00 $132.00 $941 +4.99
717–731 720 60 134.50–145.00 $136.03 $979 +9.02
763–790 774 42 122.50–132.50 $130.55 $1,010 —
841 841 6 126.00 $126.00 $1,060 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
613–620 615 18 136.00–137.00 $136.22 $838 -4.32
764–783 768 13 118.25–132.00 $121.48 $933 —
897 897 5 114.00 $114.00 $1,023 —
1025 1025 4 108.00 $108.00 $1,107 -11.50
1050 1050 17 119.50 $119.50 $1,255 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–330 324 8 154.00–171.00 $167.00 $541 +22.92
358 unweaned 358 5 167.50 $167.50 $600 —
360–396 379 56 150.00–180.00 $162.22 $615 +20.51
414–447 438 50 142.00–167.50 $158.76 $695 +12.91
436–445 unweaned 442 28 161.00–163.00 $162.30 $717 —
458–499 479 170 138.00–162.00 $152.32 $730 +13.55
479 unweaned 479 4 140.00 $140.00 $671 -2.23
504–539 unweaned 523 50 140.00–155.00 $144.92 $758 +12.77
501–548 531 182 127.75–161.10 $148.60 $789 +14.75
550–599 571 341 120.00–154.00 $141.30 $807 +9.33
601–649 623 459 127.00–144.35 $139.61 $870 +8.18
644 unweaned 644 6 130.00 $130.00 $837 —
655–699 686 512 130.00–141.75 $138.22 $948 +28.22
709–713 thin fleshed 709 77 140.35–142.50 $140.49 $996 —
700–747 719 650 123.75–141.85 $134.27 $965 +8.80
751–799 776 264 113.50–140.00 $129.42 $1,004 +4.34
792 792 24 135.50 $135.50 $1,073 +10.42
800–840 822 196 110.00–144.50 $127.98 $1,052 +11.70
886–895 889 37 131.00–139.50 $136.95 $1,217 —
904–920 913 60 113.75–117.00 $115.85 $1,058 +13.04
951–958 955 7 113.50–114.00 $113.71 $1,086 —
1006 1006 3 107.00 $107.00 $1,076 —
1051 1051 9 101.00 $101.00 $1,062 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1130 1075 4 91.00–102.50 $97.29 $1,046 —
1055–1285 1150 24 80.00–110.50 $91.74 $1,055 -19.01
1103–1173 1167 33 107.00 $107.00 $1,249 -3.75
1147–1283 1186 14 106.50–114.00 $110.98 $1,316 -0.52
1200–1317 1258 13 102.00–109.00 $106.47 $1,339 -8.63
1090–1493 1267 79 111.00–127.00 $119.93 $1,520 +7.77
1208–1378 1291 67 110.00–117.50 $113.24 $1,462 -5.66
1185–1548 1344 43 100.50–118.50 $109.06 $1,466 +2.00
1330–1515 1471 23 89.50–94.00 $93.14 $1,370 -1.86
1475–1520 1512 11 112.00–113.00 $112.18 $1,696 —
1532 1532 3 107.00 $107.00 $1,639 —
1615 1615 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,728 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 unweaned 400 7 145.00 $145.00 $580 —
438–441 440 11 140.00–145.00 $141.81 $624 +3.81
481–488 484 14 133.00–145.00 $137.10 $664 +8.99
519–542 526 68 120.00–145.00 $131.62 $692 -1.38
541 unweaned 541 28 134.25 $134.25 $726 —
556–589 571 50 122.00–137.00 $131.85 $753 +6.62
612–629 617 35 119.00–129.25 $125.65 $775 —
678–680 679 11 119.00–128.00 $123.09 $836 —
688 688 4 125.00 $125.00 $860 —
700–748 719 28 122.50–127.25 $123.99 $891 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458–473 469 15 134.50–137.00 $135.15 $634 —
579 579 18 125.75 $125.75 $728 +0.75
644 644 6 104.00 $104.00 $670 —
718 718 6 108.00 $108.00 $775 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 2 152.50 $152.50 $717 -5.50

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1815 1379 80-85% 48 56.00–68.50 $63.81 $880 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1915 1541 75-80% 27 69.00–78.50 $72.02 $1,110 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1200 1071 85-90% 10 23.00–41.00 $33.61 $360 -22.59
925–1675 1122 85-90% 11 45.00–54.00 $49.78 $559 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–2465 1730 12 73.00–92.00 $83.34 $1,442 -5.11
2145 2145 1 108.00 $108.00 $2,317 —
YG3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1370 1329 5 84.00–90.00 $87.81 $1,167 —
1370 1370 1 87.50 $87.50 $1,199 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1475 1264 8 67.00–79.00 $71.43 $903 —
1179–1500 1291 10 80.00–82.00 $81.54 $1,053 —
1342–1460 1439 21 93.00–94.50 $93.51 $1,346 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1042 1042 11 71.00 $71.00 $740 —
1055–1390 1253 9 65.00–79.00 $71.03 $890 —
1260–1600 1456 58 91.00–99.50 $96.61 $1,407 —
1355–1558 1517 9 84.00–89.00 $85.07 $1,291 -12.83
1612–1785 1697 22 96.50–106.00 $101.57 $1,724 —

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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.