Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, November 25, 2024

7,008 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 steers $298.07/cwt +12.61 vs last sale · ≈ $1,866/hd at 626 lb · 678 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $318.25/cwt +16.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,811/hd at 569 lb · 426 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $303.83/cwt +23.98 vs last sale · ≈ $1,593/hd at 524 lb · 420 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 7,008 17,341 13,393
Feeder cattle 6,661 15,724 12,272
Slaughter cattle 347 1,617 1,121

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week on a thin test of the market, most weights of steers sold sharply higher on the week. Except 8 weights sold 4.00 higher. Heifers followed the same trend trading sharply higher. Slaughter steers and heifers sold 4.00 to 4.50 higher. Most slaughter cows sold fully steady except lean cows traded 2.00 lower. Demand was very good for the short supply of calves and feeders with good demand for slaughter cattle. With fall harvest completed and the new year right around the corner, farmer/feeders figured they better fill empty pens before the close of the year. Some might have to spend some cash before Jan 1 as many lots of yearlings and some of the fats would of turned a profit this year.

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
332–342 339 26 390.00–417.50 $410.13 $1,390 +16.95
355–375 365 42 367.50–406.00 $394.21 $1,439 +31.54
385 unweaned 385 6 377.50 $377.50 $1,453 +33.43
404–449 428 137 350.00–390.00 $369.81 $1,583 +20.26
426–449 unweaned 439 44 320.00–357.50 $345.91 $1,519 —
451–498 474 120 340.00–387.00 $361.82 $1,715 +23.56
460–499 unweaned 482 27 322.00–347.50 $332.88 $1,604 +28.65
500–548 529 365 323.00–366.00 $340.07 $1,799 +18.80
503–548 unweaned 536 53 289.00–319.00 $308.21 $1,652 +12.44
550–595 569 412 297.50–329.50 $319.21 $1,816 +15.01
552–590 unweaned 571 14 290.00 $290.00 $1,656 +2.28
600–645 unweaned 612 75 270.00–307.50 $295.09 $1,806 +10.84
616 616 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,725 -5.83
603–648 628 599 272.50–316.50 $298.56 $1,875 +12.73
651–695 672 329 259.00–305.00 $287.54 $1,932 +18.69
654–699 unweaned 678 24 264.50–291.00 $276.21 $1,873 +11.97
705 fancy 705 76 294.00 $294.00 $2,073 —
703–742 718 190 264.00–281.00 $276.45 $1,985 +11.15
741 unweaned 741 4 243.00 $243.00 $1,801 -5.79
761–788 766 217 267.00–278.00 $274.32 $2,101 +13.74
827 827 68 264.50 $264.50 $2,187 +8.12
894 894 18 242.00 $242.00 $2,163 -15.09
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–381 379 19 345.00–370.00 $356.44 $1,351 —
403–441 424 28 329.00–347.50 $337.40 $1,431 +92.40
440 unweaned 440 4 305.00 $305.00 $1,342 +53.00
466–497 478 21 322.50–352.50 $337.88 $1,615 +48.47
516 unweaned 516 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,290 -21.00
506–535 519 33 295.00–327.50 $318.84 $1,655 +30.18
553–598 574 81 250.00–304.00 $286.11 $1,642 +12.85
601–648 633 40 225.00–270.00 $261.31 $1,654 -5.97
653–668 660 23 268.00–277.00 $272.36 $1,798 +19.73
675 unweaned 675 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,688 +18.00
703–745 725 18 240.00–255.00 $249.66 $1,810 +7.62
751–790 772 14 230.00–240.00 $236.13 $1,823 +5.68
872 872 7 235.00 $235.00 $2,049 +15.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1225 1107 9 161.00–181.00 $173.73 $1,923 —
1125–1583 1321 8 182.00–186.00 $184.29 $2,434 —
1203–1679 1472 99 187.00–194.75 $192.11 $2,828 +3.39
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 4 357.50 $357.50 $1,376 —
414 unweaned 414 11 363.00 $363.00 $1,503 —
507 unweaned 507 25 333.50 $333.50 $1,691 —
584 unweaned 584 28 306.00 $306.00 $1,787 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
321 fancy 321 18 347.50 $347.50 $1,115 —
320–345 332 27 312.50–346.00 $322.36 $1,070 -11.42
339 unweaned 339 6 290.00 $290.00 $983 —
356 fancy 356 3 365.00 $365.00 $1,299 —
358–399 377 65 310.00–335.00 $322.44 $1,216 -2.22
390 unweaned 390 15 290.00 $290.00 $1,131 -17.68
426 fancy 426 18 337.00 $337.00 $1,436 +19.08
406–448 432 182 300.00–335.00 $316.55 $1,367 +8.94
441 unweaned 441 3 266.00 $266.00 $1,173 -20.62
446 446 4 294.00 $294.00 $1,311 -13.61
457–498 477 194 290.00–324.50 $306.31 $1,461 +10.73
453–497 unweaned 478 25 289.00–295.00 $291.50 $1,393 +22.13
482 482 4 287.50 $287.50 $1,386 -8.08
517 fancy 517 24 318.50 $318.50 $1,647 +38.14
522 unweaned 522 32 310.00 $310.00 $1,618 +51.29
501–545 525 364 275.00–338.00 $302.32 $1,587 +18.51
552–554 fancy 553 55 315.00–322.50 $318.22 $1,760 +33.22
561–593 unweaned 577 47 245.00–277.00 $270.25 $1,559 +23.56
553–599 583 263 270.00–300.00 $283.24 $1,651 +16.98
603–639 615 198 250.00–268.00 $262.69 $1,616 +9.96
606–638 fancy 622 81 273.50–297.50 $285.04 $1,773 +19.78
605–637 unweaned 630 23 225.00–254.00 $246.42 $1,552 -0.61
656 fancy 656 48 277.00 $277.00 $1,817 —
650–689 672 241 240.00–264.00 $256.60 $1,724 +9.72
700–743 705 140 232.50–263.85 $260.24 $1,835 +18.87
760 unweaned 760 6 224.00 $224.00 $1,702 —
751–795 784 85 242.00–262.00 $256.95 $2,014 +23.69
802–811 806 188 256.50–256.85 $256.65 $2,069 +14.47
893–896 895 120 246.00–247.10 $246.55 $2,207 +17.32
1024 1024 6 221.00 $221.00 $2,263 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 3 295.00 $295.00 $953 —
378–389 382 13 283.00–305.00 $296.39 $1,132 +51.39
449 449 5 307.50 $307.50 $1,381 +27.61
455–495 477 34 260.00–295.00 $279.48 $1,333 +9.07
503–546 523 39 255.00–300.00 $284.08 $1,486 +31.62
541 unweaned 541 6 240.00 $240.00 $1,298 +18.29
551–588 569 79 232.00–280.00 $263.46 $1,499 +13.23
602–643 628 28 230.00–251.00 $240.36 $1,509 +16.38
658–683 678 28 221.00–244.00 $232.03 $1,573 +4.03
826 826 14 227.00 $227.00 $1,875 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1205 1066 20 141.00–181.00 $172.68 $1,841 +5.36
1155–1330 1256 6 179.00–187.50 $185.41 $2,329 +4.83
1170–1600 1383 96 188.00–195.50 $192.87 $2,667 +4.74
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 389 8 325.00 $325.00 $1,264 —
495 unweaned 495 17 306.00 $306.00 $1,515 —
523 523 8 274.00 $274.00 $1,433 —
558 unweaned 558 33 290.50 $290.50 $1,621 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 unweaned 405 3 357.50 $357.50 $1,448 +36.47
522 unweaned 522 7 306.00 $306.00 $1,597 +38.00
587 587 11 281.00 $281.00 $1,649 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1205 1081 80-85% 5 119.00–153.00 $138.02 $1,492 —
1045–1640 1306 80-85% 21 108.00–117.00 $112.13 $1,464 -2.02
1400–1595 1517 80-85% 5 100.00–106.00 $103.97 $1,577 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1530 1332 75-80% 9 118.00–129.00 $122.78 $1,635 —
1240–1775 1505 75-80% 15 118.00–129.00 $121.84 $1,834 -1.08
1805 1805 75-80% 1 135.00 $135.00 $2,437 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755–870 813 85-90% 2 117.50–130.00 $123.31 $1,003 —
905–1335 1130 85-90% 6 70.00–90.00 $80.15 $906 +1.23
1015–1505 1164 85-90% 12 91.00–105.00 $98.88 $1,151 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1080 1028 2 119.00–131.00 $125.31 $1,288 —
1535 1535 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,397 —
1510–2285 1901 9 136.00–161.00 $152.90 $2,907 —

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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.