Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 2, 2023

9,690 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $249.98/cwt +0.88 vs last sale · ≈ $2,172/hd at 869 lb · 595 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $233.69/cwt -12.24 vs last sale · ≈ $1,797/hd at 769 lb · 519 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $298.78/cwt +9.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,722/hd at 576 lb · 456 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 9,690 4,660 9,936
Feeder cattle 8,154 2,809 7,974
Slaughter cattle 1,536 1,851 1,962

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, choice steers and heifers sold 3.00 to 4.00 higher. Feeder steers under 500 lbs sold 7.00 to 10.00 higher; 500 to 750 lbs steady to 2.00 lower; over 750 lbs steady to 1.00 higher. Feeder heifers overall sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher, with the exception of 600 to 800 lbs selling 4.00 to 9.00 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
340 340 5 317.50 $317.50 $1,080 -7.69
355–388 371 46 310.00–385.00 $337.73 $1,253 +12.73
380–397 unweaned 388 16 347.00–387.50 $371.00 $1,439 +60.95
401–445 unweaned 425 56 290.00–370.00 $348.08 $1,479 -11.92
418–437 429 41 282.00–338.00 $326.34 $1,400 +11.41
450–495 unweaned 468 199 322.00–356.00 $335.27 $1,569 +3.36
457–483 474 170 302.00–343.00 $324.15 $1,536 +7.03
500–542 516 162 270.00–321.00 $299.48 $1,545 -4.90
501–542 unweaned 523 135 281.00–327.00 $308.78 $1,615 +6.50
556–588 570 163 267.50–311.00 $288.34 $1,644 -1.28
552–596 unweaned 580 293 277.00–324.00 $304.59 $1,767 +19.27
600–647 616 226 255.00–301.00 $274.16 $1,689 -0.19
606–641 unweaned 620 93 262.00–294.00 $284.97 $1,767 -14.40
652–686 unweaned 668 29 235.00–257.00 $250.75 $1,675 +5.75
650–692 669 287 244.50–284.50 $268.43 $1,796 +7.17
718–749 739 299 244.50–267.00 $258.21 $1,908 -2.04
751–785 769 414 239.00–261.00 $253.38 $1,948 +0.64
801–849 826 454 233.50–260.00 $251.89 $2,081 +0.65
850–894 869 595 231.50–258.00 $249.98 $2,172 +0.88
912–942 938 139 222.00–235.50 $234.09 $2,196 —
956–970 967 82 221.00–227.00 $226.14 $2,187 +19.77
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
842–1220 1101 14 175.00–210.00 $185.23 $2,039 —
1015–1242 1171 36 150.00–178.00 $172.87 $2,024 +0.39
1150–1210 1190 3 170.00–173.00 $171.66 $2,043 -6.00
1005–1550 1263 4 154.00–164.00 $159.00 $2,008 —
1095–1706 1363 53 165.00–181.00 $174.84 $2,383 -0.85
1190–1793 1457 562 176.00–190.75 $185.45 $2,702 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 unweaned 317 6 335.00–355.00 $345.00 $1,094 —
368 368 5 330.00 $330.00 $1,214 —
440 unweaned 440 11 320.00 $320.00 $1,408 —
473–499 unweaned 486 33 265.00–305.00 $298.14 $1,449 +14.14
474–491 486 32 230.00–290.00 $267.80 $1,302 +1.62
503–542 525 70 225.00–265.00 $255.03 $1,339 -17.55
510–549 unweaned 527 10 242.50–289.00 $266.72 $1,406 —
559–566 565 41 229.00–230.00 $229.10 $1,294 —
608–649 635 25 236.00–268.00 $245.24 $1,557 -22.76
662–692 677 24 216.00–223.00 $218.55 $1,480 -11.51
705–746 738 15 200.00–235.50 $228.72 $1,688 +2.74
777 unweaned 777 7 205.00 $205.00 $1,593 —
803 803 3 182.50 $182.50 $1,465 —
900 900 3 205.00 $205.00 $1,845 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345–347 347 17 265.00–302.00 $295.50 $1,025 -16.73
361–390 unweaned 371 58 252.50–314.00 $289.05 $1,072 +12.63
374–392 383 16 263.00–280.00 $271.30 $1,039 -12.06
400–437 unweaned 425 134 261.00–308.50 $281.06 $1,195 +3.50
400–443 435 74 233.00–307.00 $280.06 $1,218 +1.42
450–498 471 116 258.00–284.00 $271.90 $1,281 +9.33
451–488 unweaned 475 177 245.00–297.50 $271.63 $1,290 -4.59
500–545 526 221 249.00–285.50 $268.78 $1,414 +10.85
503–548 unweaned 527 72 237.00–294.00 $264.27 $1,393 +3.27
561–578 unweaned 566 59 225.00–288.00 $274.86 $1,556 -2.17
552–598 579 118 232.50–264.00 $249.43 $1,444 -11.19
617 unweaned 617 9 259.00 $259.00 $1,598 +54.00
608–638 628 125 212.50–259.50 $252.32 $1,585 +1.29
678 unweaned 678 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,559 +5.00
670–692 686 191 235.00–258.00 $246.06 $1,688 -9.78
725–744 733 163 239.00–242.50 $241.63 $1,771 -4.69
766–782 769 519 220.00–241.00 $233.69 $1,797 -12.24
801–849 822 163 227.50–241.00 $237.60 $1,953 +8.56
854–894 864 264 220.00–241.00 $239.60 $2,070 +14.82
925–933 932 27 220.00–227.25 $226.18 $2,108 +0.18
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–1075 1009 8 140.00–176.00 $161.36 $1,628 —
900–1193 1071 9 170.00–179.00 $174.51 $1,869 +11.88
788–1223 1119 25 175.50–206.00 $181.32 $2,029 +0.70
1105–1602 1289 48 165.00–181.50 $176.40 $2,274 —
1125–1580 1362 354 176.00–190.25 $185.85 $2,531 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302–340 unweaned 316 8 250.00 $250.00 $790 —
320–348 334 25 182.50–280.00 $230.73 $771 —
350–398 369 11 210.00–265.00 $241.70 $892 —
352–382 unweaned 372 9 230.00–260.00 $247.11 $919 —
412–434 428 26 212.50–250.00 $232.52 $995 —
430–445 unweaned 436 21 240.00–266.00 $248.12 $1,082 —
477 unweaned 477 9 255.00 $255.00 $1,216 —
460–495 484 33 207.50–262.50 $239.09 $1,157 —
500–518 503 23 212.50–246.00 $236.03 $1,187 —
523 unweaned 523 6 222.00 $222.00 $1,161 —
586 unweaned 586 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,289 —
610–638 620 12 220.00–229.00 $224.43 $1,391 -15.57
882 882 5 188.00 $188.00 $1,658 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1016–1025 1019 9 189.00–204.00 $198.97 $2,028 —
1139 1139 5 167.00 $167.00 $1,902 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 unweaned 375 6 355.00 $355.00 $1,331 +55.00
408 408 3 294.00 $294.00 $1,200 —
469–493 unweaned 478 8 287.50–301.00 $295.78 $1,414 +9.45
500 unweaned 500 5 245.00 $245.00 $1,225 -7.00
579 unweaned 579 4 232.00 $232.00 $1,343 +1.00
580 580 6 231.00 $231.00 $1,340 -21.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1735 1285 80-85% 43 99.00–109.00 $104.69 $1,345 —
1115–1445 1297 80-85% 14 87.50–98.00 $93.08 $1,207 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1395 1077 85-90% 7 50.00–75.00 $67.24 $724 —
860–1545 1207 85-90% 46 76.00–99.00 $91.03 $1,099 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1795 1503 75-80% 25 110.00–118.50 $113.45 $1,705 —
1270–1720 1517 75-80% 15 119.00–126.50 $122.89 $1,864 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445–1580 1513 65-75% 2 153.00–156.00 $154.57 $2,339 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1070 1037 3 90.00–110.00 $97.51 $1,011 —
1165–1905 1509 18 96.00–128.00 $115.05 $1,736 —
1305–2080 1833 11 128.00–140.00 $132.64 $2,431 —
YG3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1399 1399 11 150.00 $150.00 $2,098 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240 1240 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,612 —
1595 1595 1 154.00 $154.00 $2,456 —
1700 1700 1 132.00 $132.00 $2,244 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1360 1318 3 115.00–135.00 $124.95 $1,647 -20.87
1370–1540 1510 41 148.00–152.00 $151.54 $2,288 -12.80
1285–1715 1546 10 155.00–164.00 $160.35 $2,479 -3.99
1513–1735 1598 30 155.00–166.00 $158.09 $2,526 —

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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.