Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 15, 2023

5,757 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $248.40/cwt +5.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,175/hd at 473 lb · 347 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $278.66/cwt +4.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,352/hd at 485 lb · 326 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $237.37/cwt +10.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,360/hd at 573 lb · 308 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,757 9,274 4,032
Feeder cattle 4,873 7,616 3,852
Slaughter cattle 884 1,658 180

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, Choice Steers and Heifers sold uneven; 1.00 lower to 1.00 higher. Steer calves under 700 lbs sold 10.00 to 15.00 higher, while heifer calves under 650 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Other weights now well tested this week. Demand was moderate to good.

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
356–395 371 35 271.00–302.00 $289.25 $1,073 +11.15
400–443 424 84 282.50–307.00 $291.96 $1,238 +20.20
450–499 485 326 247.50–304.00 $278.66 $1,352 +10.33
510 unweaned 510 21 268.00 $268.00 $1,367 +14.23
507–549 533 282 268.00–288.00 $282.73 $1,507 +20.57
553–598 577 293 251.00–284.50 $271.97 $1,569 +21.66
602–647 622 158 229.00–271.50 $259.64 $1,615 +11.68
636 unweaned 636 48 247.75 $247.75 $1,576 +23.75
650–685 662 181 214.00–246.00 $238.12 $1,576 +17.05
703–744 727 121 208.50–224.00 $220.76 $1,605 +0.07
759–789 772 48 207.50–225.00 $211.72 $1,634 +0.05
809–837 830 53 189.00–207.00 $204.59 $1,698 -4.82
859–863 860 39 195.00–206.50 $200.20 $1,722 -4.80
922–946 934 30 183.50–186.00 $184.43 $1,723 -13.69
965–966 966 72 172.00–190.75 $187.35 $1,810 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1240 1203 2 173.50–174.00 $173.74 $2,090 +0.16
1045–1238 1209 13 149.00–162.00 $156.73 $1,895 -16.85
1100–1280 1215 13 162.50–172.00 $169.15 $2,055 -4.43
1199–1725 1428 50 162.00–172.50 $167.26 $2,388 —
1461 1461 8 180.10 $180.10 $2,631 +1.09
1240–1730 1483 255 170.00–183.10 $178.31 $2,644 -0.70
1925 1925 1 170.00 $170.00 $3,272 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–441 430 19 230.00–266.00 $249.88 $1,074 +27.86
473–486 478 17 247.00–269.00 $262.29 $1,254 +19.91
503–546 529 10 240.00–258.00 $251.15 $1,329 +16.92
568–588 575 29 205.00–249.00 $236.71 $1,361 +20.04
637–640 639 9 218.00–239.50 $232.36 $1,485 +24.77
721–748 739 27 181.00–185.00 $183.50 $1,356 -3.50
763 763 3 191.00 $191.00 $1,457 +7.00
853–889 878 23 172.00–178.00 $175.96 $1,545 -13.54
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1032 1032 3 168.50 $168.50 $1,739 —
1190 1190 3 157.50 $157.50 $1,874 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
333–344 338 11 268.00–282.00 $274.48 $928 +11.01
375–399 387 30 242.50–275.00 $256.42 $992 -6.81
401–449 427 164 230.00–267.00 $256.09 $1,094 -1.69
471 unweaned 471 18 239.50 $239.50 $1,128 +1.47
450–497 473 329 228.00–260.00 $248.89 $1,177 +6.11
500–549 522 195 213.00–256.50 $239.81 $1,252 +4.92
551–594 573 308 219.50–257.00 $237.37 $1,360 +11.33
608 unweaned 608 52 225.00 $225.00 $1,368 —
603–648 624 179 200.00–240.00 $225.02 $1,404 -2.47
651–677 667 25 202.00–216.50 $211.71 $1,412 -7.30
704–731 726 113 191.00–219.25 $213.79 $1,552 +6.02
767–799 774 210 182.75–203.50 $201.13 $1,557 +12.07
803–844 820 32 176.75–195.00 $184.97 $1,517 +7.37
850–872 867 97 173.75–188.00 $175.41 $1,521 +25.41
906–939 920 40 174.00–181.00 $177.07 $1,629 +8.03
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165 1165 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,748 -1.86
1080–1213 1182 13 171.00–175.00 $173.83 $2,055 +21.97
1142–1236 1190 13 160.00–171.50 $169.64 $2,019 +17.78
1105–1650 1317 56 160.00–174.00 $168.16 $2,215 -10.98
1242–1530 1353 94 170.00–184.50 $176.74 $2,391 —
1295–1555 1408 4 140.00–159.00 $151.40 $2,132 —
1473 1473 2 179.50 $179.50 $2,644 —
1590 1590 1 168.00 $168.00 $2,671 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 3 199.00 $199.00 $860 -22.93
490–493 492 6 220.50–221.00 $220.75 $1,086 +4.81
534 534 8 214.00 $214.00 $1,143 +15.84
580–594 592 22 185.00–205.00 $202.33 $1,198 +3.91
608 608 4 214.00 $214.00 $1,301 +23.06

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 3 287.00 $287.00 $1,277 +45.65
611 611 10 226.75 $226.75 $1,385 —
845 845 9 182.00 $182.00 $1,538 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1700 1373 75-80% 16 101.00–108.00 $104.54 $1,435 —
1275–1810 1557 75-80% 36 109.00–116.50 $112.37 $1,750 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1535 1230 80-85% 22 86.00–97.00 $92.41 $1,137 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1495 1136 85-90% 7 71.00–85.00 $80.17 $911 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1580–1745 1663 65-75% 2 119.00–120.00 $119.52 $1,988 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–2015 1532 8 105.00–116.50 $110.45 $1,692 —
1390–2420 2045 10 118.00–125.50 $120.62 $2,467 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1116–1535 1158 14 130.00–134.00 $131.14 $1,519 —
1290 1290 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,677 —
1300 1300 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,924 +29.68
1400–1642 1578 23 145.50–150.00 $147.25 $2,324 —
1845 1845 1 169.00 $169.00 $3,118 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1365 1271 13 126.00–134.00 $130.44 $1,658 —
1170–1430 1354 8 137.00–147.00 $143.62 $1,945 -0.88
1270–1420 1363 9 148.00–157.00 $150.59 $2,053 +6.09
1388–1508 1460 35 150.25–151.00 $150.41 $2,196 +0.07
1210–1627 1539 5 111.00–128.00 $125.01 $1,924 -15.17
1445–1840 1571 67 148.00–156.00 $150.27 $2,361 —
1560–1704 1668 7 137.00–146.00 $143.31 $2,390 —

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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.