Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 1, 2023

8,315 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $208.31/cwt -5.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,623/hd at 779 lb · 542 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $199.28/cwt -5.11 vs last sale · ≈ $1,654/hd at 830 lb · 421 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $197.35/cwt -2.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,735/hd at 879 lb · 400 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 8,315 10,599 7,044
Feeder cattle 7,369 9,701 5,008
Slaughter cattle 946 898 2,036

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, Choice steers and heifers sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower. Feeder steers and heifers sold uneven; 3.00 lower to 3.00 higher.

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
312–346 326 17 299.00–306.00 $302.73 $987 +12.16
355–398 379 37 258.00–291.00 $268.72 $1,018 -20.19
416 unweaned 416 12 270.00 $270.00 $1,123 -18.11
404–449 430 161 255.00–291.00 $279.83 $1,203 -4.63
450–497 469 134 261.00–292.50 $277.98 $1,304 +8.65
459–481 unweaned 477 37 239.50–271.00 $244.41 $1,166 -28.33
502–531 unweaned 507 35 258.00–274.00 $271.13 $1,375 +5.60
501–545 517 285 235.00–295.00 $279.22 $1,444 +15.36
550–599 576 340 236.00–276.00 $256.23 $1,476 +1.44
573–590 unweaned 586 29 211.00 $211.00 $1,236 -21.33
600–646 621 225 214.00–252.00 $239.97 $1,490 +4.78
655–699 674 257 195.00–245.00 $225.34 $1,519 -4.94
700–747 718 305 187.50–225.00 $205.02 $1,472 +15.02
751–796 779 542 186.00–217.75 $208.31 $1,623 -2.04
800–844 830 421 190.00–205.50 $199.28 $1,654 -6.10
854–898 879 400 188.00–203.75 $197.35 $1,735 -2.47
909–946 935 288 177.00–193.75 $191.25 $1,788 +23.25
971–997 975 177 180.00–198.00 $194.10 $1,892 +13.63
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1340 1156 9 140.00–160.00 $155.47 $1,797 -1.29
1173–1190 1182 4 161.00–169.00 $165.03 $1,951 +8.27
1105–1650 1406 65 161.00–176.00 $172.31 $2,423 +22.60
1355–1475 1410 3 143.00–154.00 $149.26 $2,105 -0.45
1216–1650 1430 213 170.00–185.00 $179.03 $2,560 +29.32
1423–1750 1540 10 178.00–182.00 $179.58 $2,766 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356–382 364 29 232.00–260.00 $243.28 $886 -5.39
441 441 4 260.00 $260.00 $1,147 +16.57
453–498 482 30 185.00–258.00 $230.48 $1,111 +4.91
503–548 526 51 239.00–261.50 $253.48 $1,333 +21.79
564–592 579 45 182.00–231.50 $218.80 $1,267 -0.48
618–649 640 25 194.00–220.00 $209.09 $1,338 +2.64
654–658 656 8 175.00–185.00 $178.76 $1,173 -23.02
752 752 6 186.50 $186.50 $1,402 —
811–848 830 6 176.00–183.00 $179.42 $1,489 +9.42
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1002–1028 1010 56 167.00–182.75 $171.17 $1,729 —
1073 1073 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,770 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
216 216 5 650.00 $650.00 —
276 276 17 750.00 $750.00 —
326 326 3 750.00 $750.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
316–340 324 45 239.00–280.00 $259.20 $840 -1.88
346 unweaned 346 6 232.00 $232.00 $803 -23.73
353–397 384 87 226.00–265.00 $243.00 $933 -4.18
387 unweaned 387 5 237.00 $237.00 $917 -11.35
402–422 unweaned 415 8 183.00–201.00 $194.45 $807 -48.86
400–445 418 91 220.00–254.00 $239.65 $1,002 +3.61
450–497 470 317 210.00–250.00 $236.33 $1,111 -1.80
461–492 unweaned 484 62 219.00–235.00 $223.04 $1,080 -1.42
500–548 521 261 200.00–244.50 $229.60 $1,196 -6.64
551–594 567 286 200.00–237.00 $227.48 $1,290 +9.27
600–612 unweaned 608 27 173.00–178.00 $176.54 $1,073 -1.46
602–649 622 70 185.00–218.00 $199.13 $1,239 +15.13
650–699 678 147 184.00–217.00 $193.46 $1,312 -9.29
700–747 707 229 184.00–202.00 $198.93 $1,406 +7.21
751–795 775 231 182.25–200.00 $192.42 $1,491 +4.91
815–848 829 83 179.50–191.50 $185.47 $1,538 +9.36
834–846 839 20 191.00–196.00 $193.98 $1,627 +17.87
850–893 870 41 169.00–187.50 $181.45 $1,579 +4.12
906 906 11 160.00 $160.00 $1,450 -14.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1225 1059 21 145.00–157.50 $154.51 $1,636 —
840–1210 1076 23 158.50–167.00 $161.37 $1,736 —
1150–1221 1213 9 171.50–176.75 $176.20 $2,137 -3.59
1020–1600 1303 50 159.50–176.00 $170.31 $2,219 -4.57
1210–1570 1366 173 172.25–185.00 $179.21 $2,448 -1.98
1265–1435 1366 5 145.00–156.50 $149.81 $2,046 -31.38
1330–1520 1453 6 175.00–178.50 $177.58 $2,580 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423–446 429 20 207.00–230.00 $217.94 $935 +10.69
470 470 3 170.00 $170.00 $799 -37.87
518–535 525 17 170.00–215.00 $200.55 $1,053 -8.09
561–587 579 35 169.50–209.00 $184.53 $1,068 -17.54
606 606 4 182.00 $182.00 $1,103 —
713–731 720 10 162.00–180.00 $172.69 $1,243 —
992 992 7 157.00 $157.00 $1,557 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
173 173 3 400.00 $400.00 —
211 211 4 525.00 $525.00 —
279 279 6 700.00 $700.00 —
371 371 4 775.00 $775.00 —
Small 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 12 241.00 $241.00 $1,109 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1019 1019 11 161.50 $161.50 $1,646 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367 unweaned 367 3 265.00 $265.00 $973 —
486 unweaned 486 4 256.00 $256.00 $1,244 -9.00
845 845 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,436 +2.47

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1745 1373 75-80% 40 97.00–105.50 $100.85 $1,385 —
1240–2070 1569 75-80% 45 105.00–114.00 $109.26 $1,714 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1715 1329 80-85% 65 85.00–97.50 $91.28 $1,213 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–1345 937 85-90% 7 40.00–67.00 $56.38 $528 —
810–1635 1119 85-90% 19 77.00–85.00 $82.24 $920 +4.01

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1430 1430 1 87.50 $87.50 $1,251 —
930–1955 1457 13 91.00–118.00 $108.75 $1,584 +14.75
1075–1950 1690 10 119.00–131.00 $122.83 $2,076 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295 1295 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,554 +3.00
1380–1570 1453 5 135.00–142.00 $138.89 $2,018 —
1335–1690 1519 21 144.00–155.00 $151.41 $2,300 +41.55

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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.