Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 17, 2021

10,349 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $170.72/cwt +8.54 vs last sale · ≈ $987/hd at 578 lb · 596 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $139.54/cwt -0.41 vs last sale · ≈ $1,148/hd at 823 lb · 543 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $153.43/cwt +4.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,030/hd at 671 lb · 455 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 10,349 8,672 8,116
Feeder cattle 7,930 7,540 7,289
Slaughter cattle 2,419 1,132 827

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers 1.00 lower and choice heifers steady to 1.00 higher. Feeder steers 400 lbs to 699 lbs 2.00 to 9.00 higher, 700 bs to 899 lbs steady to 3.00 lower, 900 lbs to 999 lbs steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers 400 lbs to 549 lbs steady to 1.00 higher, 550 lbs to 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
325–340 337 5 196.00–204.00 $199.40 $672 +11.40
353–397 380 40 180.00–205.00 $187.83 $714 +2.22
402–446 unweaned 414 15 180.00–185.00 $183.56 $760 —
400–449 421 125 160.00–197.00 $184.62 $777 +7.13
451–499 476 235 169.00–188.00 $178.17 $848 +1.98
478–498 unweaned 486 31 161.00–174.00 $168.86 $821 -8.64
501–528 unweaned 506 16 164.00–172.00 $170.43 $862 +2.40
500–548 525 304 164.00–186.50 $177.06 $930 +6.92
550–598 577 524 155.00–183.50 $172.34 $994 +9.32
557–596 unweaned 587 72 149.50–166.25 $158.95 $933 +2.41
600–648 613 271 152.00–175.75 $165.59 $1,015 +7.58
629 unweaned 629 7 161.50 $161.50 $1,016 +12.43
650–694 671 446 144.00–162.00 $153.82 $1,032 +4.39
689 unweaned 689 9 134.00 $134.00 $923 —
700–749 722 308 138.00–154.00 $145.13 $1,048 -2.22
780 780 6 129.00 $129.00 $1,006 -14.03
750–799 786 238 132.50–145.00 $137.47 $1,081 -5.56
801–846 823 543 123.00–143.00 $139.54 $1,148 -0.41
852–899 869 189 120.00–140.00 $131.30 $1,141 +0.86
900–924 912 263 121.00–130.00 $127.27 $1,161 +3.90
970–992 979 99 119.50–128.85 $124.83 $1,222 -0.62
1005–1035 1014 274 119.00–125.75 $125.22 $1,270 —
1065 1065 3 113.00 $113.00 $1,203 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1265 1097 18 84.00–111.00 $101.63 $1,115 —
1045–1305 1186 7 100.00–108.50 $104.38 $1,238 +2.72
1175–1295 1264 8 81.00–101.00 $97.92 $1,238 -10.12
1215–1288 1264 12 105.00–106.00 $105.68 $1,336 -2.36
1135–1345 1289 22 110.50–118.00 $116.58 $1,503 +8.54
1125–1620 1330 140 111.00–119.50 $116.67 $1,552 +6.89
1342–1497 1396 71 110.00–118.50 $115.37 $1,611 +1.06
1305–1495 1418 41 103.00–114.00 $108.29 $1,536 +0.12
1145–1690 1446 430 111.00–126.25 $121.12 $1,751 +12.95
1314–1566 1457 37 116.00–120.00 $117.87 $1,717 -4.68
1165–1730 1572 26 107.00–114.50 $112.22 $1,764 —
1640–1835 1738 8 106.00–115.00 $109.93 $1,911 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 6 179.00 $179.00 $662 +13.24
431–445 433 8 157.50–172.00 $170.14 $737 +9.14
472–495 485 20 154.00–162.50 $158.09 $767 -4.83
505–545 525 3 137.50–145.00 $140.40 $737 -13.23
563–598 588 30 135.00–163.00 $155.06 $912 +15.04
600–648 632 27 137.50–155.00 $146.11 $923 +15.27
650–698 680 48 120.00–145.00 $139.80 $951 +0.74
705 705 2 120.00–124.00 $122.00 $860 -10.00
788 788 3 121.00 $121.00 $953 -9.55
800 800 1 113.00 $113.00 $904 —
878 878 2 116.00 $116.00 $1,018 —
912–949 940 13 119.00–120.00 $119.78 $1,126 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–293 275 5 156.00–165.00 $158.26 $435 —
320–348 340 19 151.00–165.50 $160.26 $545 -6.74
362–382 376 43 150.00–167.00 $159.73 $601 -2.49
350–397 unweaned 380 11 142.00–146.00 $144.66 $550 -22.84
406–432 unweaned 416 8 151.50–157.50 $155.16 $645 -7.14
400–449 425 129 151.00–175.00 $160.47 $682 +1.71
455–490 unweaned 463 28 141.00–153.50 $150.66 $698 +10.66
450–498 474 253 142.00–159.00 $152.34 $722 +0.02
500–549 528 384 137.50–158.00 $148.73 $785 +0.13
502–543 unweaned 528 64 129.00–140.00 $135.02 $713 -9.90
550 thin fleshed 550 53 152.00 $152.00 $836 —
550–595 570 261 129.00–150.00 $140.01 $798 -1.29
572 572 8 131.00 $131.00 $749 -10.30
594 unweaned 594 5 132.00 $132.00 $784 —
610 unweaned 610 3 120.00 $120.00 $732 -10.00
600–645 625 242 127.00–144.00 $138.88 $868 -0.73
654–691 678 294 127.00–140.00 $134.92 $915 -3.30
674–696 685 22 124.50–125.00 $124.75 $855 -13.47
701–748 731 395 120.00–138.75 $131.70 $963 -2.57
746 746 9 122.00 $122.00 $910 -12.27
759–790 769 134 117.00–135.00 $126.33 $971 -3.09
803–838 824 168 120.00–133.50 $128.32 $1,057 +0.34
853–881 866 68 111.00–123.50 $120.24 $1,041 -16.71
923–926 925 28 110.50–117.25 $114.12 $1,056 -1.73
955–995 975 30 110.50–114.00 $112.64 $1,098 -1.07
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–1260 1013 11 99.00–108.00 $105.11 $1,065 —
936–1290 1079 30 79.00–112.50 $98.14 $1,059 +0.85
1043–1213 1157 13 111.50–115.25 $114.04 $1,319 +22.30
1080–1260 1170 18 94.00–106.00 $102.50 $1,199 -4.50
1045–1558 1249 196 103.50–119.50 $116.04 $1,449 —
1245–1368 1283 18 112.00–114.00 $112.61 $1,445 -0.63
1130–1529 1309 212 114.25–126.50 $120.83 $1,582 +11.77
1278–1399 1355 118 116.00–121.25 $119.08 $1,614 —
1323–1548 1405 7 110.40–114.00 $112.87 $1,586 —
1415–1565 1452 29 115.50–120.50 $117.84 $1,711 +24.70
1505 1505 2 84.50 $84.50 $1,272 -27.68
1586–1615 1592 5 112.75–113.85 $113.63 $1,809 —
1590–1830 1710 2 75.50 $75.50 $1,291 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
296 296 6 150.00 $150.00 $444 —
363–394 385 21 148.00–163.00 $148.77 $573 —
418 unweaned 418 6 145.00 $145.00 $606 ±0.00
405–448 438 18 126.00–150.00 $146.12 $640 +4.31
456–495 469 36 135.00–139.50 $135.89 $637 -1.21
503–548 534 71 120.00–139.00 $133.41 $712 +1.79
565–590 578 25 121.00–131.00 $126.30 $730 -5.55
613–641 633 22 124.00–130.50 $128.17 $811 +2.52
655–694 690 30 121.00–125.50 $124.24 $857 -0.76
707 unweaned 707 18 120.50 $120.50 $852 —
700–740 715 11 122.00–123.00 $122.46 $876 -1.53
750–794 771 19 114.00–121.00 $118.09 $910 —
805–837 828 14 105.00–118.00 $115.23 $954 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
762 762 12 121.00 $121.00 $922 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
369 369 12 178.00–182.00 $180.33 $665 —
408 408 2 147.00 $147.00 $600 —
465–495 484 4 128.00–136.00 $131.07 $634 -21.43
503 503 2 145.00 $145.00 $729 —
560 560 1 138.00 $138.00 $773 —
675–693 688 6 115.00–121.00 $118.83 $818 —
728 728 7 120.00 $120.00 $874 —
830 830 5 121.50 $121.50 $1,008 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
653 653 2 107.00 $107.00 $699 —
735 735 1 101.00 $101.00 $742 —
810 810 1 107.50 $107.50 $871 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–1815 1298 80-85% 141 55.00–69.00 $64.61 $839 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–2075 1508 75-80% 125 68.00–79.00 $72.88 $1,099 +0.86
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1305 1007 85-90% 19 26.00–46.00 $37.34 $376 —
845–1525 1110 85-90% 56 44.00–62.00 $54.93 $610 +5.15
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1770 1374 65-75% 8 82.00–97.00 $88.08 $1,210 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–2495 1435 5 51.00–70.00 $63.46 $911 —
1255–2345 1719 10 100.00–107.00 $104.84 $1,802 +21.50
1065–2575 1875 23 75.00–98.00 $88.57 $1,661 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1113–1518 1276 40 72.00–100.00 $86.44 $1,103 +15.01

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1265 1132 5 71.00–92.00 $82.97 $939 —
1055–1468 1257 13 80.00–89.00 $85.20 $1,071 +14.17
1160–1645 1397 60 89.00–99.50 $97.12 $1,357 —
1310–1685 1461 112 100.00–109.00 $103.34 $1,510 +6.73
1386–1713 1529 48 106.00–109.00 $107.71 $1,647 +22.64

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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.