Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 4, 2023

17,796 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 steers $245.34/cwt -8.28 vs last sale · ≈ $1,528/hd at 623 lb · 1,281 head

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $229.11/cwt -20.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,553/hd at 678 lb · 1,162 head

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $214.16/cwt -18.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,328/hd at 620 lb · 1,045 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	17,796	13,393	20,669
Feeder cattle	16,023	12,272	18,573
Slaughter cattle	1,773	1,121	2,096

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, choice steers and heifers sold 6.00 to 9.00 lower. Feeder steers sold 5.00 to 8.00 lower. Feeder heifers sold 6.00 to 10.00 lower.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
316–340 unweaned	324	14	285.00–292.00	$289.84	$939	—
310–345	332	14	280.00–304.00	$297.27	$987	-12.27
353 unweaned	353	3	290.00	$290.00	$1,024	-11.84
356–396	387	54	261.00–325.00	$295.10	$1,142	-2.89
403–445 unweaned	426	78	255.00–329.00	$294.12	$1,253	+9.15
400–445	431	52	245.00–330.00	$283.28	$1,221	-4.76
452–499	473	219	222.50–309.00	$280.44	$1,326	-6.04
455–492 unweaned	482	54	237.50–297.00	$269.60	$1,299	-26.66
510	510	8	240.00	$240.00	$1,224	-45.34
501–549	524	483	235.00–300.00	$273.73	$1,434	-11.61
500–546 unweaned	530	141	230.00–300.00	$271.82	$1,441	-19.12
550–598 unweaned	576	253	209.00–284.50	$251.34	$1,448	-14.75
551–599	576	673	222.00–295.00	$255.79	$1,473	-13.21
602–648 unweaned	618	233	218.00–262.00	$240.37	$1,485	-5.86
600–649	624	1,048	220.00–266.00	$246.45	$1,538	-8.33
653–697 unweaned	673	194	205.00–238.50	$226.13	$1,522	-9.10
650–699	679	968	194.50–251.25	$229.71	$1,560	-20.96
701–722 unweaned	706	118	202.00–225.00	$216.24	$1,527	—
702–746	724	887	200.00–240.00	$222.81	$1,613	-17.11
760–783 unweaned	780	51	202.50–213.25	$212.02	$1,654	—
752–799	781	513	190.00–235.00	$211.26	$1,650	-22.41
800–841	820	467	188.00–226.25	$213.11	$1,748	-5.83
855–891	864	203	199.00–229.75	$219.26	$1,894	-1.79
904–945	925	213	172.00–210.00	$195.98	$1,813	-19.20
966–990	968	15	151.00–195.50	$189.83	$1,838	-13.42

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
965–1305	1154	27	120.00–161.00	$148.58	$1,715	-5.90
1090–1645	1390	150	150.00–167.00	$161.10	$2,239	-11.00
1240–1665	1497	399	164.75–173.75	$169.96	$2,544	-8.85
1707–1820	1765	18	152.00–168.00	$162.41	$2,867	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
311–332 unweaned	317	10	250.00–252.50	$250.78	$795	-6.72
365–397	387	37	230.00–280.00	$257.32	$996	+13.04
428 unweaned	428	3	261.00	$261.00	$1,117	—
433–441	437	14	246.00–258.00	$253.74	$1,109	+7.04
463–499	490	59	220.00–255.00	$245.85	$1,205	+3.62
500–546	525	57	180.00–252.00	$229.91	$1,207	-18.06
577–594	582	24	224.00–237.50	$229.56	$1,336	-4.30
576–594 unweaned	583	10	209.00–218.00	$212.67	$1,240	—
617 unweaned	617	13	212.00	$212.00	$1,308	+23.00
610–644	625	51	190.00–234.00	$221.00	$1,381	-11.66
655–660 unweaned	658	11	180.00–213.00	$195.89	$1,289	—
650–697	677	43	190.00–224.00	$206.14	$1,396	-26.93
687	687	9	203.00	$203.00	$1,395	-30.07
710 unweaned	710	3	180.00	$180.00	$1,278	-22.00
703–745	729	35	174.00–221.00	$211.98	$1,545	-0.05
757–795	781	12	177.50–195.00	$183.43	$1,433	-34.76
802–845	827	7	161.00–171.00	$165.16	$1,366	—
858	858	3	187.50	$187.50	$1,609	—
860	860	5	177.00	$177.00	$1,522	—
925	925	21	189.00	$189.00	$1,748	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
615	615	7	240.50	$240.50	$1,479	—
996	996	12	190.00	$190.00	$1,892	—
1013	1013	7	185.00	$185.00	$1,874	—
1053	1053	5	170.00	$170.00	$1,790	—

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
264	264	6	925.00	$925.00	—
311	311	6	975.00	$975.00	—
352	352	3	960.00	$960.00	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
592	592	5	225.00	$225.00	$1,332	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
332–340	334	8	220.00–250.00	$242.37	$810	-32.55
338–347 unweaned	343	6	225.00–230.00	$227.47	$780	—
356–395 unweaned	378	33	218.00–285.00	$249.89	$945	-13.64
355–398	382	81	200.00–289.00	$260.54	$995	-5.99
405–447	433	153	213.50–266.00	$243.31	$1,054	-6.21
422–446 unweaned	440	80	209.00–257.50	$238.09	$1,048	-9.27
450–499	478	290	210.00–263.00	$239.45	$1,145	-6.11
463–499 unweaned	482	110	200.00–250.00	$229.03	$1,104	-13.85
501–547 fancy	517	144	239.50–259.00	$254.03	$1,313	—
500–547	525	520	193.00–265.00	$232.53	$1,221	-14.58
502–542 unweaned	525	98	195.00–237.50	$223.79	$1,175	-19.63
550–592 unweaned	569	275	194.00–233.50	$216.35	$1,231	-11.15
551–598	578	767	193.50–255.00	$225.80	$1,305	-10.95
612	612	17	233.00	$233.00	$1,426	-22.50
600–634 unweaned	613	191	185.00–231.00	$205.12	$1,257	-5.68
601–648	622	837	185.00–238.00	$215.84	$1,343	-17.37
655–688 unweaned	674	122	181.75–204.00	$190.10	$1,281	+0.10
650–699	676	712	178.00–232.25	$212.81	$1,439	-6.31
700–748	735	828	184.00–221.00	$201.26	$1,479	-16.42
756–798	786	195	160.00–221.75	$204.07	$1,604	+3.87
806–814	812	79	182.25–230.50	$210.95	$1,713	+16.65
857–890	881	177	184.00–189.85	$188.59	$1,661	+0.64
956	956	4	151.00	$151.00	$1,444	-21.50

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
950–1281	1117	23	130.00–160.00	$149.04	$1,665	—
1075–1520	1299	86	152.00–166.50	$162.55	$2,112	-6.19
1135–1585	1375	548	164.00–175.00	$170.69	$2,347	+4.05

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
308 unweaned	308	3	250.00	$250.00	$770	—
364–373	368	12	218.00–250.00	$236.48	$870	-1.47
392 unweaned	392	5	233.00	$233.00	$913	—
407–445	424	18	199.00–234.00	$221.59	$940	-4.23
456–495	470	34	185.00–235.00	$221.64	$1,042	+2.93
488–499 unweaned	493	10	212.00–238.00	$222.82	$1,099	—
500–545	522	61	170.00–232.50	$217.83	$1,137	+0.60
526–538 unweaned	532	10	203.00–211.00	$206.95	$1,101	—
554–597	573	51	205.00–229.00	$217.47	$1,246	+12.10
589–595 unweaned	592	9	181.00–197.00	$189.93	$1,124	—
600–648	619	26	172.50–210.00	$189.32	$1,172	-15.21
700 unweaned	700	3	178.00	$178.00	$1,246	—
701–731	711	9	189.00–191.50	$190.64	$1,355	+2.59
757	757	2	190.00	$190.00	$1,438	-2.09
871	871	8	192.00	$192.00	$1,672	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
598	598	6	219.00	$219.00	$1,310	—
932	932	2	126.00	$126.00	$1,174	—
1052	1052	3	160.00	$160.00	$1,683	+13.85
1135	1135	4	128.50	$128.50	$1,458	-21.50

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
292	292	3	825.00	$825.00	—
302	302	3	900.00	$900.00	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
302–344 unweaned	331	10	226.00–267.50	$256.15	$848	—
373–391 unweaned	385	9	230.00–243.00	$238.80	$919	—
473 unweaned	473	8	218.00	$218.00	$1,031	-28.89
551–566 unweaned	559	23	191.00–221.00	$203.85	$1,140	—
595	595	2	185.00	$185.00	$1,101	—
610–622	617	5	147.00–151.00	$149.42	$922	—
605–634 unweaned	622	7	179.00–212.00	$192.77	$1,199	-33.23
692	692	3	167.00	$167.00	$1,156	—
745	745	2	165.00	$165.00	$1,229	-30.00

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
466–477 unweaned	472	13	225.00–242.00	$237.31	$1,120	—
511	511	5	219.00	$219.00	$1,119	—
633 unweaned	633	7	230.00	$230.00	$1,456	—
654–667 unweaned	658	15	215.00–217.00	$216.32	$1,423	—
658	658	3	222.00	$222.00	$1,461	—
710	710	3	168.00	$168.00	$1,193	—

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1055–1680	1349	80-85%	88	80.00–87.00	$83.89	$1,132	-10.59

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1170–2015	1520	75-80%	67	88.00–99.00	$91.76	$1,395	-20.76

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
960–1370	1123	85-90%	9	47.50–58.00	$52.06	$585	—
870–1515	1163	85-90%	41	60.00–80.00	$71.03	$826	+14.52

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
990–1145	1068	2	127.50–130.00	$128.66	$1,374	—
1270–1785	1528	2	70.00–80.00	$74.16	$1,133	—
1270–2240	1737	16	85.00–112.00	$99.62	$1,730	—
1530–2180	1948	5	114.00–119.00	$115.53	$2,251	—

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
910–1390	1136	6	115.00–139.00	$124.77	$1,417	—
1310–1670	1453	18	142.00–148.00	$144.67	$2,102	—
1400–2050	1602	24	149.00–154.50	$151.01	$2,419	—

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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.