Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, February 19, 2024

17,649 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 heifers $260.56/cwt +7.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,637/hd at 628 lb · 1,463 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $280.74/cwt +6.97 vs last sale · ≈ $1,895/hd at 675 lb · 1,455 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $265.12/cwt +3.99 vs last sale · ≈ $1,919/hd at 724 lb · 1,271 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 17,649 15,716 14,003
Feeder cattle 17,129 14,539 13,353
Slaughter cattle 520 1,177 650

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, Choice steers and heifers sold 2.00 higher. Feeder steers under 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower; over 600 lbs 1.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher. Demand was moderate to very 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
248 248 2 305.00 $305.00 $756 —
280 280 1 309.00 $309.00 $865 —
305–349 344 24 285.00–375.00 $353.45 $1,216 —
359–389 fancy 372 19 387.50–389.00 $388.16 $1,444 —
361–398 377 93 315.00–382.50 $351.02 $1,323 -20.39
391 unweaned 391 6 350.00 $350.00 $1,368 +22.50
403–418 unweaned 409 10 335.00–340.00 $337.04 $1,378 -37.96
422 fancy 422 20 371.00 $371.00 $1,566 —
400–446 427 112 310.00–367.50 $336.25 $1,436 -2.16
451–463 fancy 460 24 350.00–362.50 $354.96 $1,633 -4.04
451–490 unweaned 464 17 335.00–340.00 $338.84 $1,572 +27.81
452–498 483 246 304.00–352.50 $329.30 $1,591 -6.36
509–511 fancy 510 10 330.00–336.00 $332.41 $1,695 -5.89
500–549 524 288 280.00–347.50 $317.55 $1,664 -0.07
534 unweaned 534 4 302.50 $302.50 $1,615 -5.77
555 unweaned 555 12 310.00 $310.00 $1,720 +28.49
550–599 574 683 277.00–331.00 $308.20 $1,769 -5.05
604–642 fancy 610 133 299.50–314.00 $311.42 $1,900 -5.58
600–649 620 695 270.00–316.50 $296.06 $1,836 +2.68
617–639 unweaned 621 16 260.00–270.50 $268.47 $1,667 -24.24
659 unweaned 659 4 259.00 $259.00 $1,707 +5.90
650–699 673 1,341 250.00–299.50 $280.45 $1,887 +7.01
698 fancy 698 110 285.00 $285.00 $1,989 —
711 fancy 711 16 274.50 $274.50 $1,952 —
700–749 724 1,255 231.50–278.00 $265.00 $1,919 +4.04
750–799 774 1,032 226.00–263.50 $253.26 $1,960 +1.45
802–848 823 678 227.00–254.25 $247.70 $2,039 +4.98
828 fancy 828 9 243.00 $243.00 $2,012 +10.22
852–891 867 449 214.00–247.75 $236.21 $2,048 +2.72
872 872 63 240.75 $240.75 $2,099 +7.26
900–930 915 326 219.00–239.75 $233.45 $2,136 +14.10
953–969 958 135 204.50–240.00 $236.93 $2,270 +21.17
962 962 84 235.75 $235.75 $2,268 +19.99
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
377–398 392 10 300.00–345.00 $318.80 $1,250 —
415–446 433 7 290.00–309.00 $301.19 $1,304 -7.59
451–499 478 32 271.00–310.00 $294.53 $1,408 -5.41
503–547 529 77 253.00–309.00 $279.83 $1,480 +14.05
542–547 unweaned 545 6 260.00–270.00 $265.02 $1,444 —
550–599 585 99 265.00–299.00 $281.26 $1,645 +11.55
604–649 624 65 265.00–282.00 $271.84 $1,696 +13.39
675–689 683 27 240.00–276.00 $260.02 $1,776 +16.93
721–747 731 21 217.00–245.00 $226.42 $1,655 -10.83
759–774 762 30 219.50–220.00 $219.60 $1,673 -15.90
837 837 3 209.00 $209.00 $1,749 -22.71
899 899 12 206.00 $206.00 $1,852 +0.03
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
666–698 681 10 225.50–243.00 $236.41 $1,610 —
894 894 6 208.00 $208.00 $1,860 —
1005–1029 1014 118 194.00–215.00 $212.52 $2,155 +8.53
1061–1090 1063 56 195.00–209.75 $208.94 $2,221 +18.94
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145 1145 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,832 —
1232 1232 3 151.00 $151.00 $1,860 -19.00
1275 1275 1 178.00 $178.00 $2,270 +2.00
1205–1555 1369 31 140.00–179.00 $174.50 $2,389 +0.99
1225–1615 1410 20 171.00–183.00 $176.50 $2,489 —
1235–1522 1410 8 172.00–180.00 $177.57 $2,504 —
1215–1620 1452 81 180.00–189.50 $186.66 $2,710 +8.93
1593 1593 3 180.25 $180.25 $2,871 -1.00
1740 1740 1 172.50 $172.50 $3,002 -3.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 302.00 $302.00 $876 —
310–338 325 21 287.00–348.00 $320.99 $1,043 +6.99
356–399 380 132 275.00–352.50 $310.89 $1,181 -21.69
400–449 426 147 270.00–328.00 $305.32 $1,301 +20.21
439 unweaned 439 9 279.00 $279.00 $1,225 -41.00
450–463 unweaned 455 22 295.00–305.00 $299.64 $1,363 +11.15
450–499 474 299 261.00–320.00 $298.42 $1,415 +3.83
518 unweaned 518 8 295.00 $295.00 $1,528 +8.00
500–549 527 530 249.00–305.00 $283.05 $1,492 +4.22
504–532 fancy 528 31 286.50–310.00 $289.39 $1,528 -18.61
550–598 573 730 241.00–288.50 $270.41 $1,549 -3.51
601–649 628 1,390 234.00–278.00 $260.77 $1,638 +7.14
612–638 unweaned 631 7 215.00–233.00 $219.99 $1,388 -9.76
636 fancy 636 66 260.50 $260.50 $1,657 —
650–698 673 1,019 221.50–265.00 $247.72 $1,667 +2.03
675 fancy 675 46 249.50 $249.50 $1,684 -3.50
702–743 725 658 218.00–258.00 $237.74 $1,724 +0.45
704–743 fancy 731 91 236.00–243.00 $238.15 $1,741 -1.85
750–794 770 580 214.00–235.00 $230.21 $1,773 +1.32
776 776 36 235.50 $235.50 $1,827 +6.61
809 809 6 200.00 $200.00 $1,618 -34.50
803–844 823 239 206.00–229.50 $221.73 $1,825 +6.41
850–893 864 426 207.00–229.75 $221.71 $1,916 +15.97
894 894 82 212.25 $212.25 $1,898 +6.51
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 8 297.50 $297.50 $1,035 +19.08
386 386 6 302.00 $302.00 $1,166 +6.22
402–435 425 19 222.00–285.00 $252.86 $1,075 -22.14
475–497 485 20 225.00–282.50 $247.16 $1,199 -16.08
500–545 527 16 250.00–269.00 $260.84 $1,375 +17.84
554–596 578 73 200.00–252.00 $245.37 $1,418 +13.56
603–642 629 70 208.00–248.00 $226.12 $1,422 -5.18
657–694 675 17 214.00–230.00 $219.64 $1,483 -2.95
709–730 723 47 226.00–229.75 $228.51 $1,652 +26.87
793 793 6 199.00 $199.00 $1,578 +7.99
822 822 65 218.25 $218.25 $1,794 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1140 1115 2 119.00–140.00 $129.26 $1,441 —
1045–1247 1158 18 160.00–180.00 $170.62 $1,976 +13.37
1230–1465 1301 4 170.00–176.00 $172.69 $2,247 -2.47
1335 1335 1 171.50 $171.50 $2,290 -3.66
1145–1555 1343 156 171.00–190.25 $185.55 $2,492 +10.39
1135–1531 1423 28 174.00–182.00 $180.09 $2,563 +2.87
1190–1505 1453 6 164.00–182.25 $179.76 $2,612 —
1565–1671 1617 13 155.00–176.00 $173.22 $2,801 —
1615–1645 1633 10 155.00–173.50 $158.04 $2,581 —
1860 1860 1 132.00 $132.00 $2,455 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 6 190.00 $190.00 $1,919 —
1066–1076 1070 7 168.00–182.00 $175.97 $1,883 -6.03

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 4 330.00 $330.00 $1,468 —
565–579 574 8 250.00–269.00 $261.98 $1,504 -3.02
634 634 5 265.00 $265.00 $1,680 +9.00
673 unweaned 673 19 231.00 $231.00 $1,555 —
701 701 13 202.50 $202.50 $1,420 —
857 unweaned 857 5 190.00 $190.00 $1,628 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
453 unweaned 453 5 220.00 $220.00 $997 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1720 1358 75-80% 24 100.00–109.50 $105.21 $1,429 —
1210–1800 1527 75-80% 29 110.50–119.00 $115.74 $1,767 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1620 1506 65-75% 12 120.00–129.00 $123.29 $1,857 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1710 1386 80-85% 5 90.00–99.00 $96.02 $1,331 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1195 1060 85-90% 4 63.00–89.00 $78.38 $831 +31.21

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115 1115 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,561 —
1485 1485 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,574 —
1440–2055 1774 5 112.00–124.00 $118.60 $2,104 -3.96

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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.