Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, January 8, 2024

13,403 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $246.44/cwt -6.04 vs last sale · ≈ $1,664/hd at 675 lb · 1,224 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $258.79/cwt -6.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,622/hd at 627 lb · 1,153 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $235.71/cwt -5.76 vs last sale · ≈ $1,367/hd at 580 lb · 1,023 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 13,403 23,696 31,018
Feeder cattle 13,403 21,934 31,018
Slaughter cattle 1,762

Compared to last week, feeder cattle sold on a very light test due to low receipts reported due to winter storms, however a lower undertone was noted.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
269–293 278 12 300.00–325.00 $314.98 $876 -8.71
305–340 319 29 300.00–325.00 $312.90 $998 -8.87
323–331 unweaned 327 11 290.00–306.00 $298.63 $977
350–393 380 41 275.00–321.00 $302.17 $1,148 -32.41
422 fancy 422 6 330.00 $330.00 $1,393
402–447 427 136 280.00–331.00 $305.19 $1,303 -24.54
428 unweaned 428 16 310.00 $310.00 $1,327
452–480 fancy 472 65 307.00–320.00 $313.26 $1,479
458–498 480 299 270.00–318.00 $298.24 $1,432 -6.37
484–495 unweaned 491 14 265.00–275.00 $271.60 $1,334 -27.71
503–525 fancy 518 83 290.00–307.00 $305.54 $1,583
500–549 526 394 255.00–312.50 $286.00 $1,504 -9.23
534–543 unweaned 539 11 246.00–255.00 $250.05 $1,348 +0.81
550 unweaned 550 17 271.00 $271.00 $1,490 +2.14
550–598 570 764 259.50–300.00 $277.36 $1,581 -0.68
590 fancy 590 16 283.25 $283.25 $1,671 -7.52
605 fancy 605 12 270.25 $270.25 $1,635 -14.00
602–648 627 1,125 235.00–272.25 $259.21 $1,625 -6.00
623–641 unweaned 633 16 216.00–226.00 $220.93 $1,398 -37.31
650–661 fancy 654 87 255.25–268.00 $263.45 $1,723 +4.49
652–699 677 1,134 221.00–260.75 $245.19 $1,660 -6.92
688 unweaned 688 3 226.00 $226.00 $1,555 -17.00
703–722 unweaned 714 25 213.00–220.00 $216.73 $1,547 -1.34
710–731 fancy 718 30 232.00–244.75 $239.56 $1,720 -4.94
700–747 725 849 214.00–252.00 $235.75 $1,709 -6.00
750–799 772 856 205.50–248.00 $227.97 $1,760 -4.37
823 fancy 823 25 218.50 $218.50 $1,798
801–848 827 481 202.00–236.50 $218.62 $1,808 -10.09
855–895 873 233 167.00–229.50 $221.68 $1,935 -0.04
902–948 915 54 185.00–210.25 $203.23 $1,860 -6.25
958–971 959 59 183.50–219.00 $215.95 $2,071 +18.17
977 977 3 177.00 $177.00 $1,729 -20.78
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–392 386 15 262.50–275.00 $269.93 $1,042 -50.07
407–445 426 35 260.00–287.50 $272.11 $1,159 +2.84
457–498 470 31 220.00–281.00 $263.42 $1,238 -8.62
518–549 534 26 220.00–281.00 $243.78 $1,302 -10.16
556–594 583 130 223.00–263.00 $247.91 $1,445 -0.50
583 unweaned 583 3 206.00 $206.00 $1,201
610–648 632 42 205.00–237.00 $225.54 $1,425 -11.24
673–681 676 16 203.00–223.00 $212.80 $1,439 -13.97
710 710 3 184.00 $184.00 $1,306 -36.86
772–791 778 23 208.00–210.00 $209.14 $1,627 -5.80
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
672 672 10 248.50 $248.50 $1,670
730 730 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,533
753 753 35 226.00 $226.00 $1,702
874 874 18 205.25 $205.25 $1,794
1007–1013 1012 18 190.00–193.00 $192.34 $1,946 -2.66

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 6 300.00 $300.00 $810 +7.50
302–333 317 30 273.00–292.50 $286.06 $907 +12.68
323 unweaned 323 4 270.00 $270.00 $872 -37.50
370 unweaned 370 14 262.50 $262.50 $971 +14.50
350–395 383 55 240.00–268.00 $254.77 $976 -17.76
405–413 unweaned 409 8 247.50–280.00 $263.91 $1,079 +27.97
408–449 427 200 245.00–284.50 $272.96 $1,166 +12.62
469 fancy 469 24 260.00 $260.00 $1,219 -3.50
450–498 481 503 225.00–279.50 $261.87 $1,260 +4.32
515–541 unweaned 520 21 215.00–243.00 $237.45 $1,235 +1.90
503–548 527 406 220.00–267.00 $249.19 $1,313 -2.19
526–530 fancy 528 35 251.00 $251.00 $1,325
565–583 unweaned 578 26 211.00–237.50 $223.55 $1,292 +7.69
552–599 580 936 220.00–249.25 $235.71 $1,367 -6.09
553–599 fancy 582 61 230.00–262.00 $240.96 $1,402
600–649 624 730 200.50–248.00 $227.00 $1,416 -8.55
650–658 unweaned 652 14 209.00–214.00 $210.44 $1,372 -10.55
652 652 24 230.00 $230.00 $1,500 +4.63
650–699 673 878 198.00–232.50 $220.99 $1,487 -4.38
708 unweaned 708 3 187.00 $187.00 $1,324
701–748 723 301 192.00–224.00 $212.89 $1,539 -4.60
748 fancy 748 33 207.50 $207.50 $1,552 -13.50
759–799 774 177 190.00–217.00 $201.31 $1,558 -19.16
800–849 815 143 170.00–226.50 $216.19 $1,762 +10.20
852–883 867 39 180.00–190.00 $183.93 $1,595 -13.91
912 912 7 188.00 $188.00 $1,715 +9.46
983 983 6 183.00 $183.00 $1,799
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
401–434 424 16 221.00–251.00 $240.07 $1,018 +0.96
464–493 475 24 227.50–244.00 $241.23 $1,146 +9.65
504–546 535 30 210.00–236.00 $224.72 $1,202 -18.65
568–598 583 14 205.00–217.00 $210.47 $1,227 -7.78
613 613 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,226 -26.60
673–694 683 26 196.50–210.00 $206.46 $1,410 +15.62
790–796 792 11 186.00–188.00 $186.55 $1,477 -2.10
821 821 7 189.00 $189.00 $1,552 +6.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
698 698 36 202.25 $202.25 $1,412
797 797 8 187.50 $187.50 $1,494
1228 1228 12 149.00 $149.00 $1,830

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412 412 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,112
559 559 9 218.00 $218.00 $1,219
633 unweaned 633 9 225.00 $225.00 $1,424
679 679 4 190.00 $190.00 $1,290 -20.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
651 651 5 205.00 $205.00 $1,335

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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.