Cattle Market Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary
Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Monday, December 30, 202414,946 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers
$283.77/cwt
+2.28 vs last sale · ≈ $2,050/hd at 722 lb · 1,397 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers
$311.83/cwt
+10.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,945/hd at 624 lb · 1,102 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers
$270.32/cwt
+1.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,097/hd at 776 lb · 1,051 head
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 14,946 | 9,693 | 21,934 |
| Feeder cattle | 14,946 | 7,855 | 21,934 |
| Slaughter cattle | — | 1,838 | — |
Market comments — USDA reporter
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Steers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 337–343 | 341 | 25 | 340.00–465.00 | $413.84 | $1,411 | -6.16 |
| 362–378 | 368 | 27 | 370.00–430.00 | $395.36 | $1,455 | -16.21 |
| 405–432 | 419 | 6 | 373.00 | $373.00 | $1,563 | — |
| 403–448 | 428 | 71 | 360.00–420.00 | $384.47 | $1,646 | +8.44 |
| 453–499 | 478 | 199 | 325.00–375.00 | $355.07 | $1,697 | +0.39 |
| 500–549 | 524 | 379 | 320.00–370.00 | $344.37 | $1,804 | +4.00 |
| 525 | 525 | 7 | 337.00 | $337.00 | $1,769 | — |
| 553–580 | 563 | 11 | 308.00–314.00 | $311.75 | $1,755 | — |
| 550–599 | 577 | 515 | 300.00–350.00 | $326.29 | $1,883 | +2.76 |
| 605–636 | 619 | 28 | 300.00–312.00 | $305.78 | $1,893 | — |
| 602–648 | 624 | 1,074 | 280.00–334.00 | $311.99 | $1,947 | +10.52 |
| 655 | 655 | 19 | 302.00 | $302.00 | $1,978 | — |
| 650–697 | 678 | 942 | 275.00–335.00 | $295.61 | $2,004 | ±0.00 |
| 701–749 | 722 | 1,371 | 267.00–296.00 | $284.19 | $2,052 | +2.70 |
| 718–748 | 745 | 26 | 261.00–261.50 | $261.44 | $1,948 | — |
| 756 | 756 | 11 | 255.00 | $255.00 | $1,928 | — |
| 751–799 | 776 | 1,040 | 250.00–284.75 | $270.48 | $2,099 | +2.14 |
| 800–848 | 825 | 742 | 244.00–279.50 | $267.86 | $2,210 | +1.59 |
| 853–892 | 870 | 425 | 249.00–273.50 | $262.54 | $2,284 | +16.32 |
| 902–923 | 906 | 104 | 246.00–260.25 | $256.32 | $2,322 | +5.07 |
| 950–972 | 960 | 73 | 250.00–256.00 | $252.66 | $2,426 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 361–393 | 386 | 15 | 400.00–405.00 | $404.06 | $1,560 | +64.06 |
| 430 | 430 | 4 | 377.00 | $377.00 | $1,621 | +30.48 |
| 459 | 459 | 5 | 275.00 | $275.00 | $1,262 | — |
| 452–477 | 462 | 25 | 312.50–335.00 | $321.79 | $1,487 | -2.90 |
| 503–537 | 519 | 53 | 263.00–327.50 | $307.40 | $1,595 | -8.89 |
| 563 | 563 | 6 | 260.00 | $260.00 | $1,464 | — |
| 558–595 | 581 | 84 | 272.50–304.00 | $287.08 | $1,668 | -4.53 |
| 608–648 | 636 | 54 | 265.00–305.00 | $293.30 | $1,865 | +16.39 |
| 650–695 | 682 | 82 | 250.00–286.00 | $274.38 | $1,871 | +1.87 |
| 700–735 | 733 | 24 | 230.00–260.50 | $258.12 | $1,892 | — |
| 755–793 | 785 | 13 | 230.00–256.00 | $246.60 | $1,936 | — |
| 895 | 895 | 9 | 241.50–244.00 | $242.89 | $2,174 | — |
| 918 | 918 | 3 | 235.00 | $235.00 | $2,157 | — |
| 996 | 996 | 13 | 230.00 | $230.00 | $2,291 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 743 | 743 | 5 | 244.00 | $244.00 | $1,813 | — |
| 1005 | 1005 | 21 | 242.00 | $242.00 | $2,432 | -6.00 |
| 1059 | 1059 | 10 | 230.00 | $230.00 | $2,436 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 752–775 | 768 | 32 | 230.00–259.00 | $250.12 | $1,921 | — |
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 | 270 | 5 | 270.00 | $270.00 | $729 | — |
| 328 | 328 | 19 | 401.00 | $401.00 | $1,315 | +68.59 |
| 370–398 | 379 | 67 | 349.00–377.50 | $356.94 | $1,353 | +11.94 |
| 388 | 388 | 4 | 325.00 | $325.00 | $1,261 | — |
| 410–427 | 417 | 7 | 313.00–321.00 | $317.49 | $1,324 | — |
| 403–447 | 429 | 128 | 307.50–371.00 | $339.05 | $1,455 | +3.23 |
| 468 | 468 | 23 | 354.50 | $354.50 | $1,659 | +28.50 |
| 450–499 | 483 | 302 | 301.00–343.00 | $321.90 | $1,555 | -1.05 |
| 483 | 483 | 4 | 324.00 | $324.00 | $1,565 | — |
| 500–549 | 521 | 252 | 284.00–326.00 | $308.81 | $1,609 | +1.15 |
| 541 | 541 | 4 | 326.00 | $326.00 | $1,764 | — |
| 543–545 | 544 | 8 | 278.00–283.00 | $281.12 | $1,529 | — |
| 554–561 | 559 | 98 | 323.50–340.50 | $338.64 | $1,893 | — |
| 566–568 | 567 | 12 | 282.00–290.00 | $286.66 | $1,625 | — |
| 551–598 | 575 | 780 | 275.00–319.50 | $294.18 | $1,692 | -3.70 |
| 580 | 580 | 25 | 307.50 | $307.50 | $1,784 | +9.62 |
| 600–649 | 628 | 1,025 | 255.00–304.00 | $282.58 | $1,775 | +2.75 |
| 642 | 642 | 15 | 261.00 | $261.00 | $1,676 | — |
| 650–698 | 670 | 726 | 250.50–296.50 | $269.64 | $1,807 | +6.50 |
| 650–693 | 674 | 38 | 244.00–267.00 | $251.67 | $1,696 | — |
| 713 | 713 | 45 | 299.00 | $299.00 | $2,132 | +40.14 |
| 700–747 | 718 | 836 | 242.00–278.50 | $257.87 | $1,852 | -0.99 |
| 737 | 737 | 7 | 248.00 | $248.00 | $1,828 | — |
| 751–796 | 775 | 669 | 237.00–266.00 | $251.77 | $1,951 | +9.69 |
| 806–840 | 825 | 87 | 233.00–250.75 | $243.16 | $2,006 | +5.84 |
| 870–880 | 877 | 46 | 231.00–234.00 | $231.78 | $2,033 | +14.67 |
| 923–933 | 929 | 8 | 200.00–219.00 | $211.92 | $1,969 | -20.08 |
| 984 | 984 | 4 | 226.00 | $226.00 | $2,224 | — |
| 1131 | 1131 | 4 | 185.00 | $185.00 | $2,092 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 288 | 288 | 3 | 355.00 | $355.00 | $1,022 | — |
| 335 | 335 | 3 | 300.00 | $300.00 | $1,005 | — |
| 393 | 393 | 17 | 301.00–320.00 | $306.59 | $1,205 | -23.83 |
| 415–445 | 433 | 23 | 240.00–330.00 | $308.47 | $1,336 | -7.53 |
| 464 | 464 | 8 | 254.00 | $254.00 | $1,179 | — |
| 455–496 | 478 | 20 | 245.00–312.50 | $298.61 | $1,427 | +0.46 |
| 505–548 | 536 | 30 | 220.00–291.00 | $271.31 | $1,454 | -17.05 |
| 554–598 | 576 | 105 | 232.50–285.00 | $270.54 | $1,558 | -0.09 |
| 600–623 | 609 | 44 | 233.00–279.00 | $253.35 | $1,543 | -15.73 |
| 650–695 | 672 | 37 | 212.50–257.00 | $246.08 | $1,654 | — |
| 718–725 | 722 | 23 | 227.00–246.00 | $235.23 | $1,698 | — |
| 798 | 798 | 4 | 227.50 | $227.50 | $1,815 | +1.50 |
| 865 | 865 | 2 | 231.00 | $231.00 | $1,998 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 | 291 | 3 | 1,275.00 | $1,275.00 | +325.00 |
| 361 | 361 | 5 | 1,200.00 | $1,200.00 | — |
Feeder Bulls
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 443 | 443 | 4 | 350.00 | $350.00 | $1,550 | — |
| 541 | 541 | 5 | 279.00 | $279.00 | $1,509 | — |
| 599 | 599 | 7 | 256.00 | $256.00 | $1,533 | — |
| 689 | 689 | 8 | 261.00 | $261.00 | $1,798 | — |
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.
First test of the market in a couple of weeks a market trend is not applicable. Nice run of mostly weaned and vaccinated steers and heifers the last of 2024 and into the New Year of 2025.