Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 25, 2021

4,665 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $157.33/cwt +3.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,474/hd at 937 lb · 257 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $169.62/cwt +0.08 vs last sale · ≈ $969/hd at 571 lb · 143 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $158.64/cwt -4.63 vs last sale · ≈ $995/hd at 627 lb · 138 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,665 10,569 10,482
Feeder cattle 2,614 9,521 7,951
Slaughter cattle 2,051 1,048 2,531

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers steady to 1.25 higher. Feeder cattle, too few receipts this 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
302–346 338 31 195.00–210.00 $205.38 $694 +5.38
356–397 391 44 197.50–213.00 $210.27 $822 +3.68
400–431 419 21 189.00–195.00 $190.11 $797 +3.18
463–477 466 95 177.00–190.25 $186.89 $871 +4.25
503–547 528 128 163.00–181.50 $174.42 $921 -8.36
553–576 561 56 169.50–176.00 $173.54 $974 +3.65
551–585 unweaned 578 87 162.00–169.00 $167.09 $966 -0.12
601–649 625 96 153.50–164.50 $160.13 $1,001 -3.39
628–644 unweaned 633 42 149.00–158.50 $155.24 $983 -3.12
656 unweaned 656 39 170.00 $170.00 $1,115 —
655–667 663 11 153.00–154.00 $153.64 $1,019 -14.58
700–740 730 28 153.00–161.50 $157.71 $1,151 -4.75
802–826 813 78 146.00–156.00 $153.93 $1,251 -8.83
866 866 3 149.00 $149.00 $1,290 -10.02
921–942 937 257 155.50–158.00 $157.33 $1,474 +3.49
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1265 1154 4 100.00–105.00 $101.75 $1,174 —
940–1315 1158 19 107.00–119.50 $114.81 $1,329 —
905–1390 1303 77 114.50–126.00 $122.80 $1,600 —
1060–1540 1327 74 111.00–124.50 $122.04 $1,619 —
1215–1710 1457 685 116.50–136.50 $130.00 $1,894 +1.43
1790 1790 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,969 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358–375 362 9 184.00–190.00 $187.44 $679 +7.44
396 unweaned 396 4 183.00 $183.00 $725 —
425 425 6 182.00 $182.00 $774 +9.63
437 unweaned 437 15 169.00 $169.00 $739 -7.00
455 unweaned 455 3 166.00 $166.00 $755 +2.50
460–495 489 17 174.00–182.00 $178.14 $871 +18.90
530 unweaned 530 6 154.00 $154.00 $816 -3.00
558–597 573 28 147.00–171.00 $155.89 $893 +1.87
599 unweaned 599 7 156.00 $156.00 $934 —
603 603 3 141.00 $141.00 $850 -8.09
665–682 676 24 158.50–160.75 $159.71 $1,080 +15.69
717 717 3 154.50 $154.50 $1,108 +8.47
782 unweaned 782 7 133.00 $133.00 $1,040 —
808 808 2 145.00 $145.00 $1,172 —
870 870 3 144.00 $144.00 $1,253 +1.74
930 930 4 130.00 $130.00 $1,209 -10.47
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
594–597 596 22 155.50–156.50 $156.09 $930 —
635 unweaned 635 4 150.00 $150.00 $952 —
685 685 4 140.00 $140.00 $959 —
713–725 719 17 147.00–155.00 $150.80 $1,084 —
840 840 2 138.00 $138.00 $1,159 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
251–283 268 9 260.00–650.00 $464.43 +241.93
341 341 3 280.00 $280.00 —
401 401 6 500.00–650.00 $575.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323–324 324 19 169.00–176.00 $175.27 $568 +2.25
368–393 390 42 173.50–174.00 $173.56 $677 +10.03
405–446 436 40 160.00–164.50 $161.95 $706 -7.81
453–494 475 122 154.00–177.00 $161.41 $767 +4.73
540 540 6 168.00 $168.00 $907 +9.35
555–598 584 69 141.00–162.00 $150.33 $878 +2.86
606–636 625 17 147.25–148.00 $147.51 $922 -1.82
695 695 10 153.50 $153.50 $1,067 -1.56
701–748 714 15 147.00–147.50 $147.14 $1,051 -4.35
757–795 781 49 151.50–154.00 $152.39 $1,190 +6.71
813–843 829 26 144.50–150.25 $147.18 $1,220 +0.69
905–944 939 72 144.00–146.25 $144.27 $1,355 +2.17
982–993 987 105 138.75–143.10 $141.14 $1,393 -0.22
1008–1047 1027 64 126.00–140.00 $138.17 $1,419 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1290 1119 11 91.00–116.00 $108.98 $1,219 -7.22
883–1390 1153 69 115.00–124.25 $121.66 $1,403 —
900–1329 1188 18 104.00–112.50 $109.82 $1,305 —
1045–1490 1240 57 117.25–127.50 $122.03 $1,513 +3.20
1090–1640 1348 462 117.00–134.50 $129.15 $1,741 —
1380 1380 1 94.00 $94.00 $1,297 —
1530–1570 1540 4 112.00–116.00 $114.98 $1,771 —
1690 1690 1 81.00 $81.00 $1,369 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
337 337 2 147.50 $147.50 $497 —
390 390 4 141.00 $141.00 $550 —
403–410 407 8 132.00–150.00 $142.72 $581 —
476–483 482 33 150.00–151.50 $150.82 $727 +4.94
502–545 524 82 130.00–150.00 $144.00 $755 +0.42
530 unweaned 530 3 132.00 $132.00 $700 -4.00
551–595 569 70 138.00–148.25 $144.53 $822 +4.99
603–635 607 8 130.00–133.00 $130.39 $791 -4.15
640 unweaned 640 4 134.00 $134.00 $858 —
657–689 678 14 142.00–143.00 $142.35 $965 +10.77
685–697 unweaned 695 6 130.00 $130.00 $904 —
713 713 7 144.00 $144.00 $1,027 +6.30
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462–485 471 8 136.00–141.00 $139.07 $655 —
572 572 10 139.00 $139.00 $795 —
622–638 634 32 135.00–144.00 $140.91 $893 —
753 753 46 147.00 $147.00 $1,107 —
883 883 2 133.00 $133.00 $1,174 —
1025–1044 1026 62 134.50–140.10 $139.73 $1,434 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
265–285 279 14 370.00–500.00 $422.62 —
323–345 336 10 610.00–640.00 $628.47 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1425 1139 85-90% 47 20.00–47.00 $38.77 $442 —
855–1980 1256 85-90% 63 47.00–57.00 $52.23 $656 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1770 1330 80-85% 87 56.00–68.00 $63.62 $846 +11.86
1200–1835 1493 80-85% 12 51.00–57.00 $53.98 $806 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–2030 1509 75-80% 55 69.00–78.00 $73.02 $1,102 —
1440–1585 1513 75-80% 2 81.00–82.00 $81.48 $1,233 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–2341 1522 10 40.00–72.00 $61.36 $934 —
1035–2415 1685 21 71.00–99.00 $81.10 $1,367 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1290 1223 3 92.00–105.00 $98.84 $1,209 —
1295–1500 1369 6 100.00–110.00 $106.94 $1,464 —
1301–1565 1378 5 111.00–114.50 $111.86 $1,541 —

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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.