Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 16, 2024

8,509 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 steers $297.22/cwt +5.04 vs last sale · ≈ $1,752/hd at 590 lb · 788 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $247.54/cwt +6.60 vs last sale · ≈ $2,156/hd at 871 lb · 760 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $228.63/cwt +1.97 vs last sale · ≈ $1,880/hd at 822 lb · 504 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 8,509 10,425 11,355
Feeder cattle 6,840 10,425 9,739
Slaughter cattle 1,669 — 1,616

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Spring born steer calves steady to 4.00 higher, heifer calves steady to firm. Yearling feeder steers steady to 4.00 higher, heifers steady to 3.00 higher. Good demand for spring born calves, whether they are weaned or not there is plenty of interest in buying these light cattle. Good demand for yearling steers and heifers as the cattle futures found some support and cash fed cattle traded higher.

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
307–322 317 11 402.50–425.00 $417.06 $1,322 +70.62
376 376 7 363.00 $363.00 $1,365 +4.47
415–442 424 107 317.50–354.00 $342.78 $1,453 +3.67
469 unweaned 469 10 313.00 $313.00 $1,468 -11.86
452–496 471 124 296.00–339.00 $320.58 $1,510 -2.61
503–549 524 267 280.00–324.50 $306.14 $1,604 +4.01
556–587 unweaned 570 54 272.50–280.75 $277.69 $1,583 -13.01
553–595 591 734 271.00–306.00 $298.66 $1,765 +5.70
602–638 620 96 257.00–278.50 $270.39 $1,676 -10.74
650–698 675 94 247.00–268.00 $256.03 $1,728 -12.24
701–743 729 119 246.00–264.00 $256.67 $1,871 -9.89
753–782 fancy 763 103 255.75–263.75 $260.81 $1,990 -2.61
750–795 776 395 238.00–267.75 $257.17 $1,996 +0.06
801–842 826 466 231.00–260.00 $250.89 $2,072 +1.39
851–894 871 760 238.00–254.00 $247.54 $2,156 +6.60
900–948 905 188 220.00–247.50 $244.04 $2,209 +8.78
955–976 962 256 230.00–238.00 $235.54 $2,266 +3.15
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
998–1350 1105 19 171.00–191.00 $176.22 $1,947 —
1215–1290 1248 7 184.50–189.00 $186.61 $2,329 —
1145–1525 1300 74 175.00–184.50 $182.68 $2,375 —
1225–1471 1325 44 180.00–183.00 $181.99 $2,411 —
1290–1425 1396 38 181.50–183.25 $182.96 $2,554 —
1222–1690 1441 438 185.00–192.75 $187.97 $2,709 —
1522 1522 7 182.70 $182.70 $2,781 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458–497 486 37 281.00–301.00 $293.61 $1,427 -1.22
503–542 517 33 245.00–294.00 $283.47 $1,466 +19.47
553–593 567 29 255.00–271.00 $259.53 $1,472 -5.49
654 654 10 245.00 $245.00 $1,602 -6.92
773 773 5 241.00 $241.00 $1,863 +14.00
941 941 28 222.00 $222.00 $2,089 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527 unweaned 527 13 271.00 $271.00 $1,428 —
633 unweaned 633 31 257.50 $257.50 $1,630 —
1015–1035 1027 89 220.25–225.25 $222.14 $2,281 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
357–395 378 18 1,400.00–1,435.00 $1,418.29 —
481–486 483 13 1,070.00–1,250.00 $1,166.46 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
264 264 5 350.00 $350.00 $924 —
272 unweaned 272 3 350.00 $350.00 $952 —
372 372 10 332.00 $332.00 $1,235 +25.56
404–444 431 106 285.00–308.00 $298.98 $1,289 +1.71
423–448 unweaned 432 17 264.00–295.00 $278.45 $1,203 -38.25
466–481 unweaned 472 34 262.50–290.00 $274.62 $1,296 -8.47
451–488 474 144 277.50–300.00 $289.53 $1,372 +7.06
504–540 518 84 251.00–288.00 $275.30 $1,426 +1.72
519–526 unweaned 522 20 282.00–300.00 $292.74 $1,528 +18.16
554–592 567 71 240.00–293.00 $276.66 $1,569 +9.85
602–643 630 58 244.00–257.00 $252.28 $1,589 -1.38
672–699 679 129 236.25–259.00 $247.10 $1,678 -3.65
709–731 719 49 225.00–244.00 $235.26 $1,692 -2.86
758–775 764 35 225.50–235.50 $233.05 $1,781 +5.31
783 783 14 225.00 $225.00 $1,762 -2.74
800–847 821 439 221.00–231.50 $228.94 $1,880 +2.18
831 831 65 226.50 $226.50 $1,882 -0.26
850 850 3 225.00 $225.00 $1,912 -3.33
930–936 932 287 221.75–222.50 $222.05 $2,070 +5.90
952–996 973 35 180.00–221.75 $205.27 $1,997 -8.75
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1071 1060 4 178.00–182.00 $178.97 $1,897 —
985–1140 1087 6 160.00–184.50 $178.59 $1,941 —
1130–1185 1171 7 177.50–181.75 $180.16 $2,110 —
1185 1185 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,133 —
1045–1515 1234 89 171.00–187.50 $181.90 $2,245 —
1258–1316 1304 39 181.50–183.25 $182.94 $2,386 —
1130–1665 1331 383 180.25–191.50 $187.37 $2,494 —
1405 1405 3 172.00 $172.00 $2,417 —
1522 1522 2 179.50 $179.50 $2,732 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
459–485 479 26 252.50–255.00 $253.05 $1,212 +2.14
503–518 508 40 240.00–260.00 $250.72 $1,274 -3.83
550–591 577 60 240.00–264.00 $253.87 $1,465 +22.62
650 650 8 227.50 $227.50 $1,479 +0.72
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
286 286 6 1,150.00 $1,150.00 —
307 307 9 1,100.00–1,175.00 $1,133.33 —
361–399 391 59 1,175.00–1,300.00 $1,262.50 —
400–441 412 19 1,000.00–1,075.00 $1,051.51 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 unweaned 525 15 250.00 $250.00 $1,312 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 unweaned 385 1 250.00 $250.00 $962 -120.00
399 399 4 262.00 $262.00 $1,045 —
429 429 6 271.00 $271.00 $1,163 —
428–432 430 10 304.00–311.00 $308.18 $1,325 —
480–495 unweaned 488 2 260.00–271.00 $265.42 $1,295 +3.73
500–523 514 16 270.00–286.00 $280.04 $1,439 —
552 552 5 243.00 $243.00 $1,341 +19.00
590 unweaned 590 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,298 -54.00
601–627 617 16 251.00–256.00 $254.17 $1,568 —
646 646 10 230.50 $230.50 $1,489 —
715 715 3 227.00 $227.00 $1,623 —
773 773 5 235.00 $235.00 $1,817 —
850 850 10 220.00 $220.00 $1,870 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1770 1105 75-80% 14 137.00–165.00 $151.31 $1,672 —
1180–1970 1422 75-80% 53 125.00–135.00 $128.42 $1,826 —
1315–1810 1517 75-80% 18 134.00–142.50 $138.15 $2,096 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–995 961 80-85% 4 124.00–133.00 $126.66 $1,217 —
1000–1280 1103 80-85% 17 118.00–135.00 $124.68 $1,375 —
1080–1780 1344 80-85% 44 116.00–124.50 $121.11 $1,628 —
1130–1525 1365 80-85% 5 110.00–116.00 $113.53 $1,550 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665–910 788 85-90% 2 115.00–120.00 $117.11 $923 —
860–990 913 85-90% 7 80.00–114.00 $105.75 $965 —
1040–1315 1161 85-90% 15 106.00–115.00 $111.11 $1,290 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275 1275 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,862 —
1205–1450 1328 2 121.00–126.00 $123.73 $1,643 —
1090–2375 1815 28 124.00–163.00 $152.52 $2,768 —
1545–2130 1888 12 164.00–170.00 $166.51 $3,144 —

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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.