Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, November 4, 2024

8,404 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 $293.67/cwt +3.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,682/hd at 573 lb · 457 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $260.81/cwt +1.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,491/hd at 572 lb · 451 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $254.72/cwt +3.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,229/hd at 875 lb · 422 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 8,404 9,756 8,544
Feeder cattle 6,133 8,167 6,447
Slaughter cattle 2,271 1,589 2,097

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves unevenly steady. Yearling steers mostly steady, heifers not well compared. Good demand for steer and heifer calves as farmer feeders and yearling operators are done with harvest and ready to buy these light calves while they are available. Good demand for yearling steers and heifers but cattle feeders are a little more apprehensive in their approach to buying these cattle as the winter months of the CME Live Cattle futures are lower than the current cash fat market.

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
305 unweaned 305 3 375.00 $375.00 $1,144 ±0.00
340–344 343 9 367.50–396.00 $386.57 $1,326 -17.91
365–393 381 48 359.00–380.00 $374.27 $1,426 +18.63
403–448 429 64 309.00–364.00 $339.53 $1,457 -6.53
438 fancy 438 6 358.00 $358.00 $1,568 —
451–488 unweaned 462 20 302.50–320.00 $314.46 $1,453 +8.78
452–496 470 114 301.00–337.50 $320.42 $1,506 -2.90
500–548 527 283 291.00–325.00 $313.88 $1,654 +1.31
525–542 unweaned 534 10 282.00–299.00 $290.64 $1,552 -4.26
566–595 unweaned 570 47 279.00–280.00 $279.84 $1,595 +7.92
551–596 573 410 270.00–310.00 $295.25 $1,692 -1.68
607 fancy 607 39 298.50 $298.50 $1,812 -21.25
600–646 618 296 265.00–298.00 $283.07 $1,749 +3.82
610–644 unweaned 630 24 261.00–282.00 $269.65 $1,699 +3.90
668–675 unweaned 673 77 250.00–273.00 $266.41 $1,793 +10.21
655–695 678 302 241.00–290.00 $271.61 $1,842 +9.28
701 unweaned 701 6 256.00 $256.00 $1,795 +5.54
700–739 723 154 240.00–279.50 $257.21 $1,860 +0.57
752–779 773 185 239.50–280.00 $264.99 $2,048 +13.58
801–845 814 148 235.00–258.00 $252.52 $2,056 -3.15
866–891 875 422 249.50–255.75 $254.72 $2,229 +3.57
907–917 912 212 249.50–252.00 $250.27 $2,282 -0.43
976–982 978 157 238.10–238.75 $238.52 $2,333 -4.20
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1305 1154 35 152.50–187.00 $175.65 $2,027 —
1135–1341 1260 7 178.00–182.00 $180.00 $2,268 —
1198–1335 1276 20 180.00–182.25 $181.32 $2,314 —
1135–1690 1403 119 178.00–186.50 $183.70 $2,577 —
1405 1405 1 189.00 $189.00 $2,655 —
1334–1495 1408 46 184.00–190.00 $186.97 $2,633 —
1290–1485 1424 114 183.00–188.00 $186.63 $2,658 —
1225–1680 1475 402 186.00–193.00 $188.50 $2,780 -3.83
1523 1523 13 182.75 $182.75 $2,783 —
1512–1582 1559 44 184.50–189.75 $186.90 $2,914 -2.65
1508–1770 1565 22 181.50–188.50 $186.19 $2,914 -3.36
1673 1673 2 180.50 $180.50 $3,020 —
1722–1765 1732 9 182.00–188.00 $186.99 $3,239 —
1663–1766 1736 36 183.50–187.50 $186.51 $3,238 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 unweaned 341 3 342.50 $342.50 $1,168 —
476 unweaned 476 4 283.00 $283.00 $1,347 —
500 unweaned 500 26 277.00 $277.00 $1,385 —
518 518 6 296.50 $296.50 $1,536 +20.50
627 unweaned 627 47 269.00 $269.00 $1,687 —
633 633 10 264.00 $264.00 $1,671 —
1156 1156 4 193.50 $193.50 $2,237 —
1304 1304 7 174.50 $174.50 $2,275 —
1486 1486 29 170.25 $170.25 $2,530 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 328 4 332.50 $332.50 $1,091 —
366 366 6 271.00 $271.00 $992 -28.00
440–446 443 7 260.00–290.00 $277.24 $1,228 -22.76
501–540 524 15 269.00–279.00 $274.70 $1,439 +2.57
558–595 576 22 258.00–272.50 $265.23 $1,528 +1.04
646–648 647 18 245.00–267.00 $254.79 $1,648 +0.83
683–686 684 11 252.00–267.00 $258.83 $1,770 +29.40
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
256 256 5 975.00 $975.00 —
359–363 361 8 1,150.00–1,235.00 $1,202.90 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–335 333 2 300.00–326.00 $312.90 $1,042 -19.60
356 unweaned 356 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,139 +6.02
360–398 379 55 275.00–322.50 $303.47 $1,150 -27.93
401–449 424 107 280.00–315.00 $303.76 $1,288 -2.99
474–480 unweaned 477 8 255.00–275.00 $265.06 $1,264 -20.51
462–484 fancy 480 30 288.00–309.00 $291.37 $1,399 —
453–498 483 267 276.00–312.00 $287.43 $1,388 -4.18
498 498 9 263.00 $263.00 $1,310 -28.61
508–538 unweaned 517 7 248.00–256.00 $253.62 $1,311 -3.95
523 523 9 259.00 $259.00 $1,355 -16.43
502–547 524 257 251.00–286.00 $275.78 $1,445 +0.35
550–598 571 390 246.00–279.00 $262.07 $1,496 -3.22
570–585 unweaned 575 46 243.00–250.00 $245.20 $1,410 -4.75
583 fancy 583 15 276.00 $276.00 $1,609 —
606–628 unweaned 608 51 220.00–266.00 $262.27 $1,595 +13.78
618 fancy 618 12 268.00 $268.00 $1,656 —
604–648 624 122 247.50–265.00 $255.52 $1,594 +10.13
650–687 672 89 237.50–257.00 $244.88 $1,646 +3.91
715 unweaned 715 3 219.50 $219.50 $1,569 —
704–741 731 44 234.50–244.00 $240.60 $1,759 -7.06
772 772 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,467 -49.30
828–835 832 11 224.00–227.00 $225.91 $1,880 -10.55
879 879 75 228.75 $228.75 $2,011 +0.77
914 914 10 220.50 $220.50 $2,015 -3.35
951–990 962 19 178.00–214.00 $205.83 $1,980 -16.18
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1250 1077 52 150.00–185.00 $174.01 $1,874 -11.98
1020–1221 1164 29 184.25–186.00 $184.82 $2,151 -2.59
1015–1308 1213 8 181.00–202.00 $184.75 $2,241 —
1119–1505 1300 91 180.00–186.00 $183.25 $2,382 —
1341–1565 1345 56 188.50–190.00 $188.53 $2,536 -3.07
1190–1431 1350 22 180.00–184.50 $182.35 $2,462 —
1217–1548 1385 67 184.50–191.00 $187.96 $2,603 —
1145–1685 1393 482 183.75–193.50 $188.48 $2,626 —
1638 1638 9 187.35 $187.35 $3,069 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382–394 389 10 280.00–285.00 $281.96 $1,097 -30.54
413–440 427 8 277.50–285.00 $281.13 $1,200 -21.37
460–478 469 29 219.00–280.00 $259.13 $1,215 +7.91
527–544 537 21 227.50–265.00 $248.44 $1,334 -11.67
555–590 573 27 230.00–258.00 $250.40 $1,435 +20.15
900 900 6 202.00 $202.00 $1,818 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–478 unweaned 471 29 251.00–255.00 $251.56 $1,185 —
563 563 11 261.00 $261.00 $1,469 —
592 unweaned 592 28 260.50 $260.50 $1,542 —
1008 1008 4 195.00 $195.00 $1,966 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
326 326 3 1,125.00 $1,125.00 —
350–373 359 12 1,175.00–1,275.00 $1,234.42 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–995 918 80-85% 10 115.00–192.50 $160.84 $1,477 +25.43
1055–1430 1161 80-85% 17 111.00–175.00 $131.50 $1,527 —
1009–1625 1286 80-85% 43 113.00–124.50 $118.78 $1,528 —
1155–1680 1356 80-85% 20 99.00–111.00 $105.96 $1,437 +1.95
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–985 919 85-90% 8 91.00–114.00 $101.76 $935 +15.18
580–1450 1057 85-90% 35 54.00–93.00 $78.21 $827 —
1005–1600 1247 85-90% 32 90.00–111.00 $102.04 $1,272 -6.40
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1495 1301 75-80% 15 120.00–145.00 $130.63 $1,699 -6.63
1225–1885 1512 75-80% 28 125.00–131.50 $128.67 $1,945 —
1310–1920 1536 75-80% 24 132.00–146.00 $136.19 $2,092 —
1350–1955 1549 75-80% 6 110.00–119.50 $115.26 $1,785 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1225 1177 3 109.00–112.00 $110.34 $1,299 -14.84
1435–1610 1538 3 89.00–113.00 $103.69 $1,595 —
1345–2200 1807 27 120.00–162.00 $144.48 $2,611 -1.31
2000–2565 2164 7 163.00–175.00 $167.57 $3,626 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1336 1336 8 177.50 $177.50 $2,371 —
1370–1635 1469 18 180.00–185.00 $182.16 $2,676 —
1330–1688 1620 11 172.00–179.00 $177.76 $2,880 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1537–1755 1592 4 164.00 $164.00 $2,611 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260 1260 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,701 -21.10
1270–1480 1429 17 154.00–163.50 $160.27 $2,290 —
1340–1725 1548 16 165.00–172.00 $169.29 $2,621 —

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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.