Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, July 15, 2024

4,071 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 $290.24/cwt ≈ $1,829/hd at 630 lb · 233 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $265.26/cwt ≈ $2,310/hd at 871 lb · 129 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $248.33/cwt ≈ $1,756/hd at 707 lb · 106 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,071 2,836 5,003
Feeder cattle 2,620 2,755
Slaughter cattle 1,451 2,836 2,248

Compared to last week: No feeder cattle in the prior week to compare to this week's offering. Very good demand for all weights of steers and heifers as cattle feeders continue to feel very optimistic about the future of the market as the cash markets continue to well outperform the futures contracts. Few feeder cattle offered in the auctions as auction markets are on their summer sale schedules and grazing conditions remain adequate, allowing for a full grazing season.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 11 425.00 $425.00 $1,182
304–314 309 13 375.00–400.00 $388.66 $1,201
352–386 368 13 382.50–405.00 $393.40 $1,448
418–431 421 18 360.00–362.00 $361.54 $1,522
450–475 458 36 300.00–367.50 $345.49 $1,582
515 thin fleshed 515 27 360.00 $360.00 $1,854
502–538 517 57 329.00–350.00 $336.55 $1,740
556–599 579 70 295.00–334.00 $313.70 $1,816
601–630 611 74 308.00–334.00 $323.41 $1,976
654–695 668 75 272.00–290.00 $285.62 $1,908
719–742 736 105 260.00–286.50 $275.58 $2,028
752–790 763 78 259.00–280.00 $274.84 $2,097
832–849 834 72 246.00–258.50 $256.73 $2,141
855–887 871 129 264.75–265.75 $265.26 $2,310
963–990 977 6 226.00–229.00 $227.52 $2,223
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1280 1132 11 160.00–201.00 $185.20 $2,096 -15.13
1140–1328 1234 33 182.00–195.00 $190.93 $2,356
1108–1550 1339 103 181.00–194.50 $190.59 $2,552 -6.18
1273–1493 1372 47 193.50–198.50 $194.66 $2,671 -1.53
1375 1375 3 189.50 $189.50 $2,606 -6.69
1110–1644 1395 309 194.50–203.50 $198.95 $2,775 +2.76
1465 1465 3 194.00 $194.00 $2,842
1524–1549 1542 21 193.00–196.00 $195.15 $3,009 -1.02
1544–1548 1545 10 195.75–200.50 $196.70 $3,039 +0.53
1535–1560 1552 3 191.00 $191.00 $2,964
1611–1658 1616 31 195.25–199.25 $198.85 $3,213
1773 1773 2 189.50 $189.50 $3,360
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
311 311 3 350.00 $350.00 $1,088
406–447 441 26 345.00–347.50 $347.15 $1,531
477–493 484 26 299.00–327.50 $315.13 $1,525
531–543 540 22 274.00–293.00 $289.72 $1,564
558–586 580 35 285.00–307.50 $300.36 $1,742
617–630 620 13 250.00–291.00 $281.39 $1,745
653–656 655 8 266.00–270.00 $268.00 $1,755
712–740 724 13 235.00–252.00 $240.27 $1,740
795 795 3 237.50 $237.50 $1,888
872 872 10 237.50 $237.50 $2,071
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 8 271.00 $271.00 $1,572
695 695 12 265.00 $265.00 $1,842
826 826 21 244.50 $244.50 $2,020
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1162 1162 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,975

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
297 297 5 385.00 $385.00 $1,143
356–397 378 17 320.00–375.00 $341.94 $1,293
398 thin fleshed 398 3 356.00 $356.00 $1,417
400–447 430 15 322.50–330.00 $325.81 $1,401
458–497 476 80 305.00–322.00 $318.80 $1,517
515 thin fleshed 515 8 321.00 $321.00 $1,653
510–538 520 61 287.50–306.00 $297.06 $1,545
570–593 583 68 261.00–282.00 $268.25 $1,564
609–645 630 233 265.00–306.00 $290.24 $1,829
661–694 692 77 257.00–275.00 $274.11 $1,897
700–722 707 106 237.00–253.00 $248.33 $1,756
756–798 770 74 241.00–252.00 $245.95 $1,894
836 836 10 229.00 $229.00 $1,914
895 895 9 225.00 $225.00 $2,014
924 924 11 228.00 $228.00 $2,107
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
947–1130 1038 11 169.00–195.00 $183.65 $1,906 -6.56
1198–1235 1217 15 185.00–189.00 $186.58 $2,271 -3.75
1010–1523 1276 79 180.00–194.25 $190.96 $2,437 -5.75
1105–1505 1278 242 193.00–201.75 $197.91 $2,529 +1.20
1393–1410 1397 7 191.00–191.50 $191.07 $2,669
1653 1653 2 193.00 $193.00 $3,190 +6.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 436 5 307.00 $307.00 $1,339
581 581 8 272.00 $272.00 $1,580
708 708 28 249.00 $249.00 $1,763
858 858 3 229.00 $229.00 $1,965
1027 1027 3 185.00 $185.00 $1,900
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336 336 3 305.00 $305.00 $1,025
360 360 7 310.00 $310.00 $1,116
400–426 417 9 300.00 $300.00 $1,251
634 634 5 278.00 $278.00 $1,763

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 4 340.00 $340.00 $1,302
592 592 5 270.00 $270.00 $1,598
810 810 4 210.00 $210.00 $1,701
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
604 604 8 285.00 $285.00 $1,721
773 773 4 230.00 $230.00 $1,778

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1000 951 75-80% 4 131.50–144.50 $139.18 $1,324
1020–1415 1257 75-80% 15 142.00–167.00 $152.16 $1,913 +3.47
1155–1910 1442 75-80% 51 136.00–145.50 $140.65 $2,028 +0.90
1235–1880 1486 75-80% 47 141.00–168.00 $151.07 $2,245
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–970 911 80-85% 4 131.00–144.50 $138.30 $1,260 +3.55
1025–1230 1106 80-85% 18 128.00–146.00 $140.35 $1,552
1075–1620 1229 80-85% 18 123.00–139.50 $132.62 $1,630
1335 1335 80-85% 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,602 +5.61
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650–995 884 85-90% 6 100.00–125.00 $110.00 $972
1000–1360 1172 85-90% 9 100.00–125.00 $111.42 $1,306 +8.83

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040 1040 1 95.00 $95.00 $988
1005–1320 1163 2 96.00–113.00 $103.35 $1,202 -45.97
965–1285 1172 10 132.00–178.00 $155.74 $1,825 +6.42
1320–2185 1641 19 125.00–174.00 $150.60 $2,471
1515–2240 1786 17 178.00–205.00 $187.99 $3,358 +2.69

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Medium and Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472 472 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,109
745 745 9 205.00 $205.00 $1,527
856 856 15 210.00 $210.00 $1,798
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1273 1268 24 181.00–187.00 $184.51 $2,340
Medium 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
464 464 4 175.00 $175.00 $812

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Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 389 5 260.00 $260.00 $1,011
467 467 3 255.00 $255.00 $1,191
627–630 629 7 235.00–245.00 $240.73 $1,514
698 698 13 240.00 $240.00 $1,675
754–783 763 10 220.00–240.00 $233.84 $1,784
851–889 871 13 192.50–216.00 $205.41 $1,789
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1328–1760 1429 11 181.00–185.00 $182.55 $2,609
1465–1709 1631 14 187.00–195.50 $191.86 $3,129

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Medium 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
269–295 289 25 195.00–215.00 $210.53 $608
751 751 18 145.00 $145.00 $1,089
1057 1057 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,744
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1218–1300 1253 5 160.00–165.00 $162.34 $2,034 -1.66
1415 1415 12 168.00 $168.00 $2,377
1371–1550 1502 15 159.00–159.50 $159.38 $2,394
Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396–399 398 12 125.00–155.00 $137.45 $547
530 530 3 135.00 $135.00 $716

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Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
364–398 387 15 250.00–285.00 $260.98 $1,010
489 489 5 285.00 $285.00 $1,394
876 876 4 185.00 $185.00 $1,621
969 969 15 192.50 $192.50 $1,865
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1570 1570 2 171.00 $171.00 $2,685
1330–1935 1621 14 162.00–169.00 $164.81 $2,672 -13.01
1360–1740 1641 22 170.00–185.00 $174.64 $2,866 -3.18
Medium 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
337 337 12 225.00 $225.00 $758
612 612 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,010
786 786 5 175.00 $175.00 $1,376

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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.