Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 25, 2022

10,210 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 $192.12/cwt +2.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,106/hd at 575 lb · 574 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $196.53/cwt -4.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,033/hd at 526 lb · 535 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $168.18/cwt -0.87 vs last sale · ≈ $883/hd at 525 lb · 516 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 10,210 4,349 11,708
Feeder cattle 9,944 2,801 9,897
Slaughter cattle 266 1,548 1,811

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, choice steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Feeder steers under 500 lbs sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher; 500 to 700 lbs 4.00 lower; 700 to 900 lbs 4.00 to 7.00 lower; over 900 lbs sold on a light test with a a firm undertone. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs sold uneven, 1.00 lower to 1.00 higher; 500 to 700 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 lower; 700 to 850 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher; over 850 lbs 5.00 to 7.00 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
240 240 3 230.00 $230.00 $552 —
258–281 271 7 207.00–220.00 $210.95 $572 —
329–339 unweaned 334 30 213.00–228.50 $221.38 $739 —
329–349 343 24 205.00–231.00 $219.05 $751 —
355–397 unweaned 383 32 192.00–215.00 $204.07 $782 —
354–395 384 49 197.50–240.00 $228.50 $877 -6.90
403–449 418 90 200.00–229.00 $215.70 $902 +6.71
442 unweaned 442 36 201.75 $201.75 $892 —
454–493 unweaned 470 84 188.00–211.00 $199.98 $940 +15.98
450–499 474 324 190.00–222.50 $210.81 $999 +5.67
505–541 unweaned 524 53 170.00–200.00 $189.64 $994 —
501–549 526 482 185.75–210.00 $197.29 $1,038 -3.99
553–566 unweaned 559 18 185.00–201.50 $194.07 $1,085 —
551–599 576 556 160.00–201.00 $192.06 $1,106 +2.31
610 unweaned 610 6 183.00 $183.00 $1,116 —
600–647 624 409 151.00–194.50 $182.56 $1,139 -4.00
625 625 20 164.50–172.00 $167.13 $1,045 -19.43
652 thin fleshed 652 34 186.50–187.50 $187.24 $1,221 —
651–695 669 227 159.50–181.00 $171.51 $1,147 +2.22
659–695 unweaned 673 36 154.00–160.50 $158.10 $1,064 —
673–695 689 44 150.00–158.00 $151.47 $1,044 -17.82
712 unweaned 712 6 153.00 $153.00 $1,089 —
700–749 724 272 153.00–166.00 $162.85 $1,179 -6.79
750–798 776 487 141.00–165.00 $158.91 $1,233 -4.74
801–843 821 267 136.00–159.75 $155.89 $1,280 -9.01
860–893 875 281 140.00–155.00 $151.60 $1,326 -3.53
901–928 904 96 137.00–154.75 $151.53 $1,370 +14.03
954–974 959 344 136.25–147.50 $144.43 $1,385 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
334–348 341 14 130.00–202.00 $180.63 $616 —
350–395 377 23 160.00–192.50 $184.18 $694 —
414–440 429 15 130.00–190.00 $174.43 $748 —
451–498 475 52 134.00–200.00 $180.68 $858 +9.95
484 unweaned 484 7 171.00 $171.00 $828 —
503–544 521 57 153.00–187.00 $176.02 $917 +10.13
552–595 583 44 150.00–180.00 $170.21 $992 -0.91
607–647 630 85 120.00–175.00 $163.66 $1,031 -11.72
623–643 unweaned 640 22 159.00–166.00 $159.93 $1,024 —
655–690 666 26 143.00–158.00 $148.68 $990 -3.33
709–748 732 29 130.00–155.00 $146.67 $1,074 —
756 756 6 149.50 $149.50 $1,130 —
840 840 2 134.00 $134.00 $1,126 -14.00
850–865 854 4 122.00–124.00 $123.49 $1,055 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
558–599 579 12 176.00–179.00 $177.55 $1,028 —
725–737 727 33 146.00–152.00 $150.89 $1,097 —
1031 1031 57 138.75 $138.75 $1,431 -2.50
1093 1093 18 130.25 $130.25 $1,424 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1588 1418 67 146.00–155.00 $151.20 $2,144 —
1155–1538 1438 6 137.00–145.00 $143.40 $2,062 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
258–282 unweaned 270 18 175.00–197.00 $185.02 $500 —
256–299 281 24 180.00–213.00 $190.96 $537 —
300–335 320 29 150.00–185.00 $172.09 $551 -38.08
334–343 unweaned 340 21 168.00–169.25 $168.90 $574 —
351–399 374 94 170.00–189.00 $180.73 $676 +1.66
365–394 unweaned 385 19 146.00–188.00 $178.15 $686 —
412 thin fleshed 412 13 184.00 $184.00 $758 —
426 unweaned 426 62 178.50 $178.50 $760 +18.50
401–448 428 237 150.00–186.00 $175.55 $751 -0.89
450–499 477 287 155.00–184.00 $172.43 $822 -1.23
453–489 unweaned 479 104 163.00–177.50 $174.42 $835 +22.42
510 fancy 510 31 178.50 $178.50 $910 —
500–548 522 371 154.00–179.00 $167.59 $875 -1.46
502–547 unweaned 534 84 150.00–164.50 $161.87 $864 —
548 thin fleshed 548 30 182.50 $182.50 $1,000 —
552–567 thin fleshed 562 42 178.00–180.00 $179.30 $1,008 —
553–573 unweaned 563 19 144.00–160.00 $153.11 $862 +5.11
552–599 581 262 140.00–168.50 $159.65 $928 -5.19
601–625 unweaned 615 20 143.00–158.50 $149.05 $917 —
603–645 620 334 141.00–172.75 $161.49 $1,001 +2.47
650–697 677 262 139.00–167.00 $152.60 $1,033 -2.37
693 unweaned 693 11 134.00 $134.00 $929 —
700–741 718 264 131.00–158.00 $145.93 $1,048 +4.85
750–792 766 281 127.00–148.50 $144.10 $1,104 +4.49
815–819 817 69 160.00–162.75 $161.40 $1,319 +22.17
800–841 822 360 121.00–150.00 $140.98 $1,159 +1.75
856 856 46 143.00 $143.00 $1,224 +1.09
856–877 865 131 127.00–139.75 $135.49 $1,172 -6.42
903–941 909 49 121.50–135.00 $130.76 $1,189 -5.16
956–985 970 44 127.50–133.75 $131.04 $1,271 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 1 130.00 $130.00 $410 -28.69
350–398 368 28 131.00–176.00 $158.01 $581 +5.51
405–423 419 5 132.50–160.00 $154.69 $648 -11.31
455–496 477 74 147.00–171.00 $157.22 $750 —
485 unweaned 485 2 148.00 $148.00 $718 —
505–549 531 49 146.00–163.00 $154.48 $820 -1.80
555–593 583 51 131.00–149.00 $143.66 $838 —
603–648 625 22 130.00–153.00 $141.77 $886 —
668–694 686 14 120.00–135.50 $133.88 $918 -1.74
763–780 776 24 120.00–137.50 $133.88 $1,039 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
675–682 677 30 135.00–137.00 $136.40 $923 —
769–792 773 48 135.00–136.00 $135.83 $1,050 —
860 860 4 129.00 $129.00 $1,109 —
954 954 5 123.00 $123.00 $1,173 —
1039 1039 56 132.75 $132.75 $1,379 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–955 940 2 115.00–120.00 $117.54 $1,105 —
1116–1555 1298 43 135.25–144.00 $141.97 $1,843 +10.63
1160–1560 1333 42 147.00–155.50 $151.43 $2,019 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
312–348 332 9 680.00–700.00 $688.35 —
375 375 5 670.00 $670.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–456 456 23 184.00–212.50 $200.12 $913 +38.12
574–596 585 8 152.00–162.00 $156.91 $918 —
695 695 8 144.00 $144.00 $1,001 +8.00
792 792 7 156.00 $156.00 $1,236 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–2180 1513 75-80% 28 80.00–86.00 $83.34 $1,261 —
1255–1895 1534 75-80% 15 87.00–91.50 $88.75 $1,361 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1655 1364 80-85% 14 73.00–79.00 $76.15 $1,039 +0.53
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1225 1122 85-90% 5 61.00–70.00 $65.84 $739 +0.30
925–1260 1127 85-90% 3 41.00–51.00 $44.54 $502 -21.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1125 1018 3 65.00–71.00 $67.21 $684 —
1370–2190 1844 4 96.00–107.00 $102.17 $1,884 —
1965 1965 1 115.00 $115.00 $2,260 —

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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.