Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 11, 2024

4,040 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 heifers $251.02/cwt -6.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,714/hd at 683 lb · 331 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $252.77/cwt +9.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,822/hd at 721 lb · 286 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $302.73/cwt +12.85 vs last sale · ≈ $2,040/hd at 674 lb · 254 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,040 9,734 5,625
Feeder cattle 3,254 8,289 5,088
Slaughter cattle 786 1,445 537

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter steers sold steady to 2.00 higher, Dairy steers sold steady to 3.00 higher and slaughter heifers sold fully steady. Slaughter cows sold steady and slaughter bull sold 6.00 higher all on a thin test. Steer and heifer calves less than 600 lbs sold sharply higher with many weight classes trending 15.00 to 20.00 higher. 650 weight steers sold 10.00 higher. Over 700 lbs sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Heifers from 650 to 800 lbs sold 7.00 to 10.00 higher and over 800 lbs sold steady. Demand was good all week on a light supply of cattle hitting the market. Mandatory Price reporting showed feedlot trade from 185.00 to 189.50 FOB and dressed delivered from 297.00 to 298.00.

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
350–379 371 11 375.00–387.50 $384.28 $1,426 +17.40
411–438 429 35 342.50–370.00 $353.53 $1,517 -9.90
452–496 485 77 353.00–397.50 $366.46 $1,777 +26.67
514–541 534 61 320.00–385.00 $355.71 $1,899 +24.03
543 unweaned 543 9 330.00 $330.00 $1,792 +22.04
551–586 561 104 288.00–355.00 $340.19 $1,908 +15.97
603–644 624 87 306.00–325.50 $317.45 $1,981 +8.92
651–698 674 254 284.00–312.50 $302.73 $2,040 +12.73
701–748 717 170 267.00–285.50 $278.63 $1,998 +3.16
754–799 775 140 250.00–270.00 $263.39 $2,041 +4.83
808–833 818 139 244.00–259.50 $253.57 $2,074 +4.44
860–878 867 64 228.00–248.50 $246.67 $2,139 +1.10
938 938 62 236.00 $236.00 $2,214 +1.38
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1110 1049 5 147.50–170.00 $158.83 $1,666 —
1143–1360 1261 17 183.00–186.50 $184.63 $2,328 —
1181–1378 1287 21 175.00–186.50 $182.09 $2,343 —
1345 1345 1 180.50 $180.50 $2,428 —
1350 1350 2 183.00 $183.00 $2,470 +2.01
1385 1385 2 182.00 $182.00 $2,521 -3.50
1317–1483 1415 35 184.00–188.00 $185.74 $2,628 —
1130–1615 1432 27 174.00–182.50 $179.40 $2,569 —
1440 1440 1 178.00 $178.00 $2,563 —
1520 1520 2 177.00 $177.00 $2,690 —
1517–1580 1534 23 183.00–186.50 $184.74 $2,834 —
1295–1695 1565 76 183.00–189.50 $188.59 $2,951 —
1539–1579 1567 13 186.00–186.50 $186.35 $2,920 —
1585 1585 3 182.50 $182.50 $2,893 —
1607–1710 1671 25 183.00–189.50 $187.19 $3,128 —
1672–1805 1697 10 177.00–182.00 $180.63 $3,065 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 7 347.50 $347.50 $1,498 +21.40
475–489 483 29 330.00–354.00 $343.41 $1,659 +33.41
521–543 538 23 300.00–347.50 $333.64 $1,795 +29.84
550–595 583 43 289.00–310.00 $299.77 $1,748 +28.94
608–634 620 13 272.00–290.00 $285.53 $1,770 +15.92
690 690 6 266.00 $266.00 $1,835 -4.70
741 741 6 255.00 $255.00 $1,890 +45.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1036 1036 4 211.50 $211.50 $2,191 +71.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 4 377.50 $377.50 $1,302 +21.81
361–375 366 10 325.00–350.00 $340.73 $1,247 +17.66
408–437 425 62 325.00–352.00 $341.94 $1,453 +17.41
456–494 474 62 303.00–340.00 $329.82 $1,563 +23.74
503–549 520 99 290.00–325.00 $303.48 $1,578 +17.76
550–599 580 253 260.00–293.00 $279.90 $1,623 +7.03
607 fancy 607 11 275.00 $275.00 $1,669 —
605–646 615 213 259.00–277.50 $272.78 $1,678 +9.87
659–698 681 282 239.00–265.00 $250.19 $1,704 -6.84
691–695 fancy 693 49 255.50–256.00 $255.80 $1,773 -3.20
700–744 721 286 238.00–262.75 $252.77 $1,822 +8.64
753 fancy 753 15 232.50 $232.50 $1,751 -3.94
770–795 778 43 224.00–237.50 $232.24 $1,807 -10.19
800–844 817 101 218.00–232.50 $221.63 $1,811 -0.80
881 881 10 217.00 $217.00 $1,912 -1.87
955 955 7 210.00 $210.00 $2,006 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–994 991 7 141.00–176.00 $168.78 $1,673 —
1147 1147 14 181.75 $181.75 $2,085 —
1253 1253 7 181.75 $181.75 $2,277 +2.15
1129–1348 1259 16 170.00–179.00 $174.77 $2,200 -4.83
1150–1402 1292 12 170.00–182.00 $174.04 $2,249 -5.56
1155–1480 1362 13 173.00–182.00 $176.99 $2,411 -10.52
1138–1490 1363 127 179.50–189.25 $184.66 $2,517 -2.85
1175–1483 1375 30 181.00–187.00 $184.72 $2,540 -0.42
1576 1576 7 184.00 $184.00 $2,900 —
1580 1580 1 174.00 $174.00 $2,749 —
1621 1621 3 181.00 $181.00 $2,934 +7.87
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412–442 422 17 270.00–316.00 $304.09 $1,283 +10.15
464–498 481 30 269.00–315.00 $285.88 $1,375 +4.04
512 512 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,357 +7.26
580–596 588 6 250.00–261.00 $255.43 $1,502 +13.11
619 619 19 255.00 $255.00 $1,578 +15.29
770–790 783 23 210.00–222.50 $217.55 $1,703 +8.05

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
578 578 11 275.00 $275.00 $1,590 ±0.00
691 691 15 240.00 $240.00 $1,658 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1520 1350 75-80% 23 112.00–119.50 $116.45 $1,572 -0.62
1205–1890 1586 75-80% 25 121.00–129.00 $125.11 $1,984 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1570 1276 80-85% 8 101.00–111.00 $106.49 $1,359 -3.62
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1605–1900 1750 65-75% 5 130.00–135.00 $131.54 $2,302 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690 690 85-90% 1 60.00 $60.00 $414 —
895–1195 1045 85-90% 2 75.00–85.00 $79.28 $828 -16.54

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,602 —
1330 1330 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,396 —
1690–2115 1936 4 125.00–139.00 $133.91 $2,592 —
1540–2260 1940 5 141.00–147.00 $143.92 $2,792 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1545 1431 6 152.00–161.00 $157.36 $2,252 —
1424–1510 1441 5 173.00–173.50 $173.40 $2,499 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1450 1418 2 135.00–143.00 $138.91 $1,970 —
1568–1665 1617 4 151.00–153.00 $151.97 $2,457 —
1625 1625 1 164.00 $164.00 $2,665 —
1615–1700 1632 5 144.00–145.00 $144.79 $2,363 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1505 1468 11 149.00–153.00 $152.46 $2,238 —
1591–1780 1652 40 152.50–160.00 $155.97 $2,577 —
1635–1743 1702 9 161.00–167.00 $164.36 $2,797 —

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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.