Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 26, 2022

3,736 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $171.52/cwt -2.99 vs last sale · ≈ $1,070/hd at 624 lb · 414 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $193.17/cwt +0.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,310/hd at 678 lb · 360 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $198.27/cwt -2.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,247/hd at 629 lb · 281 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,736 2,050 3,544
Feeder cattle 3,736 1,449 3,544
Slaughter cattle 601

Compared to last week, no comparison available for choice steers and heifers. Feeder steers and heifers under 700 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower; 700 to 800 lbs 6.00 to 9.00 higher; no comparison over 800 lbs.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
337–344 340 24 221.00–232.50 $228.13 $776
350–383 373 14 201.00–221.00 $207.66 $775 -33.57
405–442 428 16 216.00–221.00 $218.77 $936 -9.40
454–494 469 123 211.00–228.00 $220.86 $1,036 +4.37
526–548 531 203 201.00–220.00 $211.65 $1,124 +6.69
552–598 588 211 194.50–215.00 $202.22 $1,189 -0.38
603–646 629 281 189.00–213.50 $198.27 $1,247 -2.59
654–696 678 360 183.00–203.00 $193.17 $1,310 +0.16
700–746 724 205 177.00–192.00 $185.74 $1,345 +2.21
750–786 769 164 176.10–205.00 $178.90 $1,376 +8.56
823–830 827 125 170.75–181.00 $173.78 $1,437 +6.78
884 884 23 167.75 $167.75 $1,483
907 907 58 175.75 $175.75 $1,594
978 978 6 161.00 $161.00 $1,575
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
516–541 525 11 192.00–194.00 $192.75 $1,012 +13.38
553–592 577 8 190.00 $190.00 $1,096 +19.33
618–642 621 47 173.00–186.50 $175.32 $1,089 +2.04
658–697 687 16 162.00–181.00 $166.55 $1,144 -6.24
702–739 713 39 160.00–175.00 $164.24 $1,171 +3.24
787–796 791 19 162.00–172.00 $166.98 $1,321
817 817 3 168.00 $168.00 $1,373
903 903 11 157.00 $157.00 $1,418
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527 527 14 180.50 $180.50 $951
1045 1045 3 146.50 $146.50 $1,531
1151 1151 9 154.00 $154.00 $1,773

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327 327 8 185.00 $185.00 $605 -16.00
361–376 369 20 190.00–199.00 $194.67 $718 -6.15
407–427 421 43 180.00–197.50 $191.70 $807 -0.37
452–486 479 153 178.00–187.00 $184.87 $886 -5.50
502–549 536 245 175.00–187.00 $181.10 $971 -5.73
551–593 562 109 166.00–178.50 $175.65 $987 -1.70
610–648 624 414 165.00–177.25 $171.52 $1,070 -2.99
654–691 669 170 159.00–173.50 $168.83 $1,129 +9.04
702–745 715 91 163.25–176.50 $169.00 $1,208 +17.81
760–792 765 106 157.00–172.00 $166.05 $1,270 +11.55
800–831 821 66 155.00–166.50 $159.99 $1,314
853 853 29 157.00 $157.00 $1,339
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
414–435 423 12 166.00 $166.00 $702 -13.04
484 484 4 171.00 $171.00 $828
517–527 521 29 157.00–168.00 $161.60 $842
568–570 569 12 156.00–165.00 $162.74 $926
627–630 629 6 150.00–152.00 $151.00 $950 -5.38
666 666 6 148.00 $148.00 $986 -2.00
717 717 3 157.00 $157.00 $1,126

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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.