Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 22, 2024

6,764 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $282.52/cwt +3.77 vs last sale · ≈ $1,641/hd at 581 lb · 413 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $238.31/cwt -4.35 vs last sale · ≈ $2,200/hd at 923 lb · 412 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $318.90/cwt +11.86 vs last sale · ≈ $1,847/hd at 579 lb · 372 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 6,764 9,604 10,599
Feeder cattle 5,909 8,119 9,701
Slaughter cattle 855 1,485 898

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 700 lbs 5.00 to 10.00 higher, over 700 lbs steady to 2.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 550 lbs 9.00 to 10.00 higher, over 550 lbs unevenly steady. Very good demand for all weights of steers and heifers as the futures contracts found support and moved substantially higher. Cash fed cattle traded higher as well, up to 187.00. The Live Cattle futures for the summer months had briefly dipped below 170.00, before finding support and moving back towards 180.00. Losses would be severe if the cash market was to go that low, the fact that it turned around and traded sharply higher helped to lend support to cattle feeders.

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
355–374 365 11 430.00–435.00 $432.79 $1,580 +37.79
410–449 437 53 333.00–410.00 $359.43 $1,571 +2.98
458–498 485 71 324.00–380.00 $339.69 $1,647 -13.15
476–494 unweaned 486 35 335.00–340.00 $337.76 $1,642 -10.66
525 fancy 525 24 348.00 $348.00 $1,827 —
500–549 526 146 320.00–353.50 $339.23 $1,784 +14.00
520–531 unweaned 527 8 322.50–325.00 $323.43 $1,704 -5.61
550–598 577 265 291.00–342.00 $318.38 $1,837 +8.31
567–591 unweaned 585 107 308.00–329.00 $320.18 $1,873 +21.91
600–649 622 241 291.00–318.00 $305.88 $1,903 +9.39
621–642 fancy 627 81 311.00–323.00 $319.66 $2,004 —
658–695 677 145 255.00–304.25 $289.36 $1,959 +5.26
700–745 724 115 250.00–285.50 $269.06 $1,948 -4.38
752–790 771 161 240.00–273.50 $257.17 $1,983 -0.78
802–847 827 214 235.00–252.25 $244.29 $2,020 -11.96
866–889 877 45 223.00–243.00 $236.17 $2,071 -4.91
900–949 923 412 211.00–246.75 $238.31 $2,200 -4.35
953–991 978 60 212.50–222.00 $218.16 $2,134 -3.84
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1285 1198 3 160.00–164.50 $162.89 $1,951 —
1173–1233 1198 9 175.00–182.00 $178.71 $2,141 —
1050–1645 1350 33 175.00–182.00 $178.60 $2,411 —
1207–1526 1391 65 178.00–185.00 $182.60 $2,540 +3.29
1225–1745 1434 67 182.00–189.00 $184.94 $2,652 -0.71
1642–1711 1698 11 177.50–181.00 $178.12 $3,024 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
833 833 5 230.00 $230.00 $1,916 ±0.00
1000–1026 1021 75 215.00–223.00 $221.66 $2,263 —
1124–1146 1134 19 170.00–192.00 $186.69 $2,117 +24.19
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
503–548 537 21 267.00–300.00 $285.17 $1,531 -18.28
596 596 11 309.00 $309.00 $1,842 +14.11
659–690 682 25 250.00–260.00 $257.03 $1,753 +7.36
720–730 725 21 227.00–250.00 $239.13 $1,734 -18.87
786 786 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,886 -9.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
386–399 391 13 348.00–365.00 $358.33 $1,401 -9.43
402–440 429 68 331.00–360.00 $340.09 $1,459 +17.69
469 fancy 469 18 326.00 $326.00 $1,529 —
454–497 470 143 295.00–340.00 $316.68 $1,488 +1.87
483 unweaned 483 8 317.50 $317.50 $1,534 +13.65
497 497 5 290.00 $290.00 $1,441 -24.81
515–531 unweaned 523 21 302.00–307.00 $304.42 $1,592 +14.98
501–549 525 169 283.00–313.50 $301.59 $1,583 +8.13
542 fancy 542 29 314.00 $314.00 $1,702 —
572 572 46 299.00 $299.00 $1,710 +17.30
575 unweaned 575 38 291.00 $291.00 $1,673 +25.94
552–599 582 311 265.00–288.50 $279.42 $1,626 -2.28
594 fancy 594 18 276.00 $276.00 $1,639 —
600–643 618 197 245.00–285.00 $269.41 $1,665 -2.73
622 fancy 622 46 273.50 $273.50 $1,701 —
662 662 27 269.25 $269.25 $1,782 +18.21
652–688 680 172 237.00–265.50 $254.16 $1,728 +3.12
696 696 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,670 +25.00
701–746 725 119 225.00–254.00 $237.54 $1,722 -8.73
751–797 781 248 220.00–244.00 $235.57 $1,840 +13.14
810 810 23 239.00 $239.00 $1,936 +19.52
812 812 28 222.00 $222.00 $1,803 +2.52
801–849 815 164 197.00–245.50 $229.08 $1,867 +9.60
839 thin fleshed 839 21 233.00 $233.00 $1,955 —
854–879 866 155 215.00–222.25 $216.50 $1,875 —
987 987 13 190.00 $190.00 $1,875 -5.00
1066 1066 18 187.00 $187.00 $1,993 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1093–1280 1135 6 170.00–178.50 $171.60 $1,948 -2.21
1070–1490 1285 56 172.00–182.50 $179.15 $2,302 —
1177–1670 1346 114 175.00–190.25 $185.27 $2,494 +12.02
1360–1433 1423 7 182.50–184.75 $184.44 $2,625 +19.34
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 6 297.50 $297.50 $1,282 -14.52
478 478 8 294.00 $294.00 $1,405 +10.04
523–545 539 14 255.00–280.00 $273.18 $1,472 +7.48
563–590 573 8 225.00–247.50 $238.81 $1,368 -21.99
607–640 618 19 247.50–250.00 $249.32 $1,541 +7.32
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355 1355 6 177.50 $177.50 $2,405 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1425 1245 75-80% 15 131.00–147.00 $138.83 $1,728 -6.27
1200–1755 1470 75-80% 80 125.00–135.00 $130.09 $1,912 +0.32
1220–1895 1504 75-80% 15 117.00–124.50 $121.40 $1,826 —
1455–1680 1551 75-80% 7 135.00–156.00 $139.94 $2,170 +19.77
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–995 965 80-85% 5 115.00–127.00 $120.99 $1,168 —
1010–1280 1127 80-85% 19 124.00–136.00 $128.01 $1,443 —
1125–1635 1296 80-85% 8 127.00–135.00 $130.83 $1,696 -0.32
1005–1820 1320 80-85% 32 115.00–123.00 $119.21 $1,574 —
1140–1485 1324 80-85% 11 107.00–115.00 $111.81 $1,480 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–970 873 85-90% 5 105.00–111.00 $108.06 $943 —
845–970 904 85-90% 4 80.00–100.00 $92.90 $840 +30.49
805–1115 988 85-90% 10 110.00–118.00 $114.25 $1,129 +4.99
975–1415 1121 85-90% 6 90.00–93.00 $90.79 $1,018 -22.17
1010–1455 1150 85-90% 18 98.00–110.00 $104.94 $1,207 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1090 1078 2 110.00–137.00 $123.66 $1,333 +10.69
1465–1485 1475 2 101.00–110.00 $105.53 $1,557 —
1575–2070 1778 16 155.00–171.00 $162.21 $2,884 —
1345–2660 1790 22 126.00–157.00 $143.58 $2,570 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
553 553 6 270.00 $270.00 $1,493 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1450 1363 5 112.50–125.00 $121.48 $1,656 —
1330–1960 1520 13 145.00–162.00 $157.46 $2,393 —
1405–1905 1585 9 163.00–171.00 $166.70 $2,642 +10.10

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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.