Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 11, 2023

13,802 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 $225.53/cwt +14.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,746/hd at 774 lb · 948 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $219.80/cwt +0.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,919/hd at 873 lb · 914 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $232.84/cwt +9.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,336/hd at 574 lb · 895 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 13,802 17,796 13,136
Feeder cattle 12,201 16,023 12,360
Slaughter cattle 1,601 1,773 776

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, choice steers and heifers sold steady. Feeder steers sold 8.00 to 12.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 6.00 to 10.00 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
327 327 3 292.00 $292.00 $955 -5.27
353–390 unweaned 377 13 294.00–337.50 $317.95 $1,199 +27.95
373–388 381 23 238.00–297.00 $279.17 $1,064 -15.93
408–419 unweaned 414 10 306.00–325.00 $315.63 $1,307 +21.51
400–447 429 69 278.00–331.00 $307.64 $1,320 +24.36
453–495 unweaned 476 47 255.00–308.00 $289.02 $1,376 +19.42
458–495 479 121 270.00–329.00 $297.02 $1,423 +16.58
500–549 523 466 250.00–306.00 $287.26 $1,502 +13.53
503–548 unweaned 523 40 240.00–305.00 $279.45 $1,462 +7.63
561–567 unweaned 566 40 242.00–279.50 $273.93 $1,550 +22.59
550–598 577 433 254.50–289.00 $270.67 $1,562 +14.88
603–641 unweaned 622 77 220.00–253.00 $242.63 $1,509 +2.26
602–649 625 812 235.00–276.00 $255.30 $1,596 +8.85
663 unweaned 663 19 237.00–239.00 $237.32 $1,573 +11.19
650–699 676 759 215.00–263.50 $244.79 $1,655 +15.08
701–746 719 736 220.00–245.00 $234.93 $1,689 +12.12
740–745 unweaned 743 19 216.00–225.00 $221.70 $1,647 —
752–799 774 948 215.00–235.00 $225.53 $1,746 +14.27
818 unweaned 818 9 208.00 $208.00 $1,701 —
800–849 823 382 197.50–227.25 $217.29 $1,788 +4.18
850–896 873 914 193.00–232.10 $219.80 $1,919 +0.54
901–927 904 75 190.00–229.10 $222.83 $2,014 +26.85
967–983 971 133 190.00–214.85 $209.08 $2,030 +19.25
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1290 1190 18 155.00–165.75 $161.49 $1,922 —
1125–1288 1204 17 141.00–164.00 $158.87 $1,913 —
1321–1455 1347 17 161.00–164.50 $163.82 $2,207 —
1166–1645 1363 48 150.50–166.75 $162.27 $2,212 +1.17
1388–1493 1434 39 160.50–165.50 $163.19 $2,340 —
1445–1465 1455 2 140.00–145.00 $142.48 $2,073 —
1210–1710 1474 334 165.50–177.00 $171.83 $2,533 +1.87
1500 1500 1 154.00 $154.00 $2,310 —
1500–1557 1543 50 160.00–165.60 $164.03 $2,531 —
1620–1748 1693 14 162.00–165.35 $164.89 $2,792 —
1620–1905 1787 3 150.00–154.00 $152.03 $2,717 -10.38
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362–393 375 7 200.00–235.00 $219.29 $822 -38.03
429 429 5 258.00 $258.00 $1,107 +4.26
455–498 483 26 239.00–269.00 $257.59 $1,244 +11.74
510–542 523 39 224.00–270.00 $249.93 $1,307 +20.02
551 unweaned 551 9 218.00 $218.00 $1,201 +5.33
562–599 588 26 237.00–251.00 $244.87 $1,440 +15.31
637–648 642 13 220.00–249.00 $236.36 $1,517 +15.36
652–696 682 32 204.00–233.50 $223.47 $1,524 +17.33
703–728 721 10 200.00–221.00 $210.41 $1,517 -1.57
760–790 772 13 191.00–211.00 $201.40 $1,555 +17.97
831–836 834 10 190.00–200.00 $193.99 $1,618 +28.83
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945 945 62 205.85 $205.85 $1,945 —
1058 1058 6 197.00 $197.00 $2,084 +27.00
1150 1150 3 161.00 $161.00 $1,852 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308 unweaned 308 4 280.00 $280.00 $862 +52.53
333–338 337 10 261.00–267.50 $265.57 $895 +23.20
360 unweaned 360 4 271.00 $271.00 $976 +21.11
352–391 375 56 210.00–270.00 $251.54 $943 -9.00
400–443 423 97 227.00–265.00 $249.85 $1,057 +6.54
419–447 fancy 434 22 257.00–270.00 $262.70 $1,140 —
406–447 unweaned 437 21 225.00–246.00 $241.12 $1,054 +3.03
450–498 475 344 225.00–269.00 $245.72 $1,167 +6.27
500–548 526 334 223.00–252.00 $240.62 $1,266 +8.09
506–547 unweaned 528 65 214.00–244.00 $230.98 $1,220 +7.19
551–585 unweaned 569 92 191.00–240.00 $223.48 $1,272 +7.13
550–597 574 740 215.00–249.00 $233.56 $1,341 +7.76
573–588 578 63 237.00–240.25 $238.10 $1,376 +12.30
600–649 628 520 187.00–242.00 $229.91 $1,444 +14.07
620–641 unweaned 634 15 187.50–198.00 $190.92 $1,210 -14.20
650–697 674 608 200.00–243.50 $221.30 $1,492 +8.49
672–685 unweaned 680 29 192.00–197.00 $193.87 $1,318 +3.77
700–748 715 335 197.50–223.00 $211.06 $1,509 +9.80
752–792 774 333 188.00–219.25 $207.96 $1,610 +3.89
803–823 818 24 181.50–200.00 $189.83 $1,553 -21.12
884 884 9 205.00 $205.00 $1,812 +16.41
931 931 15 206.00 $206.00 $1,918 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1270 1145 33 120.00–168.00 $158.07 $1,810 +9.03
1035–1295 1169 9 160.00–167.00 $163.54 $1,912 —
1207 1207 5 151.00 $151.00 $1,823 —
1085–1441 1279 35 160.50–166.50 $164.66 $2,106 +2.11
1275–1448 1367 7 156.00–160.00 $159.47 $2,180 -11.22
1190–1637 1382 396 162.00–177.00 $170.21 $2,352 -0.48
1385 1385 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,967 -28.69
1615–1895 1755 2 140.00 $140.00 $2,457 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 368 3 215.00 $215.00 $791 -21.48
435 unweaned 435 3 200.00 $200.00 $870 —
456–496 476 10 210.00–240.00 $224.54 $1,069 +2.90
499 unweaned 499 5 180.00 $180.00 $898 -42.82
510–548 532 30 200.00–232.00 $212.94 $1,133 -4.89
570–585 unweaned 581 11 199.00–200.00 $199.27 $1,158 +9.34
550–599 585 44 182.50–226.50 $216.44 $1,266 -1.03
601–614 608 10 200.00–204.00 $201.98 $1,228 +12.66
633 unweaned 633 4 165.00 $165.00 $1,044 —
673–691 683 10 200.00–213.00 $205.64 $1,405 —
700–738 711 10 195.00–202.00 $199.82 $1,421 +9.18
773 773 6 195.00 $195.00 $1,507 +5.00
908 908 4 180.00 $180.00 $1,634 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
986 986 14 190.00 $190.00 $1,873 —
1048 1048 3 137.00 $137.00 $1,436 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429 429 8 233.50 $233.50 $1,002 —
491 unweaned 491 5 200.00 $200.00 $982 -18.00
508 unweaned 508 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,118 —
535 535 13 221.00 $221.00 $1,182 —
752 752 12 170.00 $170.00 $1,278 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1680 1328 80-85% 101 80.00–87.00 $83.45 $1,108 -0.44
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1870 1435 75-80% 67 88.00–99.00 $92.88 $1,333 —
1290–1880 1578 75-80% 18 100.00–111.00 $103.66 $1,636 —
1350–1935 1583 75-80% 8 70.00–81.00 $78.01 $1,235 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–1465 1043 85-90% 19 35.00–59.00 $50.08 $522 —
815–1755 1248 85-90% 65 60.00–79.00 $72.28 $902 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895 895 1 77.00 $77.00 $689 —
1125–1235 1180 2 90.00–116.00 $103.61 $1,223 —
1450–2145 1660 7 122.00–150.00 $132.92 $2,206 —
1260–2665 1833 33 83.00–117.50 $102.95 $1,887 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1380 1253 3 119.00–133.00 $125.44 $1,572 —
1340–1665 1501 7 133.00–142.00 $137.85 $2,069 —
1440–1780 1558 12 145.00–156.00 $147.57 $2,299 —

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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.