Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 18, 2021

10,569 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 $159.02/cwt ≈ $1,385/hd at 871 lb · 982 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $162.76/cwt ≈ $1,344/hd at 826 lb · 945 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $161.50/cwt ≈ $1,266/hd at 784 lb · 756 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 10,569 3,016 1,962
Feeder cattle 9,521 1,795 0
Slaughter cattle 1,048 1,221 1,962

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers 5.00 higher. Feeder cattle , too few receipts last week for a good market test.

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
256 256 8 215.00 $215.00 $550 —
307 307 7 200.00 $200.00 $614 —
340 unweaned 340 8 210.00 $210.00 $714 —
358–369 unweaned 366 10 191.00–195.00 $193.83 $709 +11.40
362–387 381 59 192.75–209.00 $206.59 $787 —
401–440 428 87 171.00–195.00 $186.93 $800 —
446 unweaned 446 39 180.00–183.00 $181.77 $811 -0.73
451–499 472 92 173.00–194.00 $182.64 $862 —
463–499 unweaned 477 29 169.00–184.00 $177.76 $848 -7.69
503–549 518 179 166.00–192.00 $182.78 $947 +12.11
503–545 unweaned 527 49 171.00–185.50 $180.56 $952 -2.07
550–598 570 422 152.00–178.25 $169.89 $968 +3.06
557–590 unweaned 575 65 155.00–171.50 $167.21 $961 —
618–626 unweaned 621 14 158.00–159.00 $158.36 $983 -5.37
600–648 630 273 154.00–173.50 $163.52 $1,030 —
660–696 680 353 159.75–172.50 $168.22 $1,144 +6.72
700–749 728 485 151.00–169.00 $162.46 $1,183 —
748 748 6 155.00 $155.00 $1,159 —
753–798 784 756 151.00–166.25 $161.50 $1,266 —
800–849 826 945 150.00–165.85 $162.76 $1,344 —
853–898 871 982 148.00–166.10 $159.02 $1,385 —
903–944 938 242 141.50–156.00 $153.84 $1,443 —
950–961 960 212 144.50–153.50 $149.96 $1,440 —
1007 1007 3 139.00 $139.00 $1,400 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 381 4 180.00 $180.00 $686 —
430–448 438 21 161.00–180.00 $172.37 $755 —
446 unweaned 446 5 176.00 $176.00 $785 —
467–470 unweaned 469 10 156.00–169.00 $163.50 $767 —
471–499 488 40 153.00–167.00 $159.24 $777 —
500–547 518 77 151.00–172.00 $160.07 $829 —
543 unweaned 543 3 157.00 $157.00 $853 —
555–593 579 66 145.00–158.00 $154.02 $892 —
601–648 620 63 142.00–155.00 $149.09 $924 —
642 unweaned 642 12 147.00 $147.00 $944 —
650–698 674 175 131.00–155.00 $144.02 $971 —
675 unweaned 675 7 140.00 $140.00 $945 —
699 699 14 140.00 $140.00 $979 —
703–731 721 17 143.00–151.00 $146.03 $1,053 —
736 unweaned 736 7 136.00 $136.00 $1,001 —
768–791 774 29 144.00–153.00 $148.55 $1,150 —
854–860 857 9 137.00–146.50 $142.26 $1,219 —
901–922 906 13 140.00–142.00 $140.47 $1,273 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1240 1131 7 109.00–116.75 $113.70 $1,286 +26.72
1195 1195 1 108.50 $108.50 $1,297 —
1210–1308 1259 10 117.00–123.50 $121.37 $1,528 -1.00
1347 value added 1347 3 125.00 $125.00 $1,684 —
1095–1595 1369 46 107.50–123.85 $120.39 $1,648 +5.37
1197–1745 1459 309 120.50–134.00 $128.57 $1,876 +5.47
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
772 772 7 137.50 $137.50 $1,062 —
1016–1027 1022 108 145.50 $145.50 $1,487 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
159 159 4 320.00 $320.00 —
254 254 5 222.50 $222.50 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228 unweaned 228 4 207.50 $207.50 $473 —
302–339 322 21 170.00–177.50 $173.02 $557 —
331 unweaned 331 5 175.00 $175.00 $579 —
354–399 374 53 157.00–172.00 $163.53 $612 +13.53
374 fancy 374 10 190.00 $190.00 $711 —
393 unweaned 393 4 158.00 $158.00 $621 +2.22
414–428 unweaned 416 18 164.00–172.00 $169.03 $703 +14.03
402–444 432 186 157.00–178.00 $169.76 $733 —
451–498 471 114 149.00–163.00 $156.68 $738 —
460–497 unweaned 478 46 146.00–160.00 $151.65 $725 -1.47
505–537 519 167 140.00–166.00 $158.65 $823 —
509–549 unweaned 533 19 138.50–155.50 $150.02 $800 -4.02
550–594 566 107 137.00–154.00 $147.47 $835 +8.20
575–584 unweaned 578 30 138.00–153.00 $143.53 $830 +2.05
600–647 626 236 140.00–161.50 $149.33 $935 —
644 644 13 140.00 $140.00 $902 —
650–698 674 449 138.00–162.60 $155.06 $1,045 —
704 fancy 704 64 159.50 $159.50 $1,123 —
710–742 726 74 147.00–156.60 $151.49 $1,100 +14.99
756–776 768 117 140.00–150.00 $145.68 $1,119 —
801–833 815 143 137.00–152.00 $146.49 $1,194 +3.24
850–889 860 60 136.00–149.25 $143.08 $1,230 —
903–942 921 225 134.50–144.35 $142.10 $1,309 —
973–985 974 75 125.00–143.85 $141.36 $1,377 —
1056 1056 57 139.35 $139.35 $1,472 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1255 1055 14 82.00–117.00 $99.28 $1,047 —
1018–1175 1076 8 106.00–110.00 $108.65 $1,169 —
820–1290 1139 11 112.00–120.00 $116.20 $1,324 +12.66
1015–1535 1245 34 114.50–123.50 $118.83 $1,479 +0.21
1092–1512 1304 256 118.75–133.75 $128.15 $1,671 +10.59
1400–1465 1431 5 112.50–117.50 $114.95 $1,645 +19.98
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 5 155.00 $155.00 $465 —
410 unweaned 410 4 156.50 $156.50 $642 —
478–498 489 64 131.00–155.50 $145.88 $713 —
494 unweaned 494 5 142.00 $142.00 $701 —
508–529 516 46 138.00–151.00 $143.58 $741 —
548 unweaned 548 6 136.00 $136.00 $745 —
570–593 580 24 130.00–145.00 $139.54 $809 —
603–642 626 30 129.00–142.00 $134.54 $842 —
630 630 15 136.00 $136.00 $857 —
655–697 665 29 121.00–139.50 $131.58 $875 —
705–713 709 29 133.50–140.00 $137.70 $976 —
779 779 4 128.00 $128.00 $997 —
805–818 813 12 132.50–135.00 $133.53 $1,086 —
952–992 964 16 117.00–125.50 $119.94 $1,156 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
178 178 3 275.00 $275.00 —
235 235 3 400.00 $400.00 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1039 1039 4 115.00 $115.00 $1,195 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 unweaned 388 2 168.00 $168.00 $652 +8.00
407–445 421 12 150.00–189.00 $177.02 $745 —
428 unweaned 428 2 161.00 $161.00 $689 —
460–467 464 8 152.00–165.00 $156.83 $728 —
501 501 8 171.00 $171.00 $857 —
550–560 553 6 148.00–153.00 $151.31 $837 —
592 unweaned 592 5 139.00 $139.00 $823 -2.00
612 612 4 115.00 $115.00 $704 —
664 664 4 133.00 $133.00 $883 —
757 757 2 121.00 $121.00 $916 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
529 unweaned 529 8 146.00 $146.00 $772 —
652 unweaned 652 5 128.00 $128.00 $835 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1625 1313 80-85% 74 54.00–68.00 $59.36 $779 -4.84
1150–1480 1341 80-85% 7 50.00–54.00 $51.76 $694 -12.44
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670–1305 1079 85-90% 27 20.00–44.00 $34.06 $368 —
895–1645 1190 85-90% 32 45.00–54.00 $49.49 $589 -4.17
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–2135 1649 75-80% 24 66.00–78.00 $71.21 $1,174 —
1610–1900 1755 75-80% 2 80.00–82.00 $81.08 $1,423 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1605 1418 7 47.00–71.00 $62.34 $884 —
1020–2305 1737 24 51.00–91.00 $79.45 $1,380 —
2095 2095 1 113.00 $113.00 $2,367 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1280 1181 8 82.00–112.00 $102.60 $1,212 —
1237–1510 1328 3 106.00–109.50 $108.17 $1,436 —
1170–1452 1349 5 110.00–118.00 $112.38 $1,516 —

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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.