Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 26, 2025

2,449 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $421.99/cwt +2.46 vs last sale · ≈ $2,203/hd at 522 lb · 73 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $287.88/cwt +3.69 vs last sale · ≈ $2,692/hd at 935 lb · 73 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $292.10/cwt -11.72 vs last sale · ≈ $2,424/hd at 830 lb · 72 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 2,449 — —

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1195 1099 9 180.00–220.00 $201.16 $2,211 —
1113–1345 1238 20 225.00–230.00 $226.44 $2,803 +0.96
1240–1342 1260 16 229.00–230.00 $229.87 $2,896 —
1288–1470 1323 10 222.00–227.50 $225.79 $2,987 -1.21
1131–1685 1361 45 220.00–228.50 $226.12 $3,077 -0.28
1080–1630 1404 17 219.00–229.00 $222.68 $3,126 +1.65
1433–1473 1440 54 224.00–231.00 $229.85 $3,310 -0.48
1275–1655 1447 176 229.00–236.50 $232.54 $3,365 +2.21
1310–1695 1488 52 235.00–243.75 $237.90 $3,540 —
1500–1512 1508 3 225.00–227.00 $225.66 $3,403 —
1509–1590 1556 135 225.00–231.00 $228.05 $3,548 -8.89
1530–1650 1564 12 227.00–230.00 $228.92 $3,580 -8.02
1635–1679 1659 9 218.00–223.00 $221.36 $3,672 —
1600–1765 1662 25 222.50–231.50 $227.30 $3,778 —
1762–1780 1768 3 235.00–236.00 $235.34 $4,161 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
394–396 395 13 465.00–475.00 $471.93 $1,864 -16.70
420–448 440 14 445.00–455.00 $447.73 $1,970 -29.81
450–497 474 44 435.00–461.00 $449.00 $2,128 +2.51
508–536 522 73 409.00–438.00 $421.99 $2,203 +0.89
569 fancy 569 11 393.00 $393.00 $2,236 —
572–598 587 31 370.00–390.00 $378.17 $2,220 -9.65
602–638 618 68 346.00–375.00 $363.91 $2,249 -8.34
663–694 688 20 326.00–334.00 $327.75 $2,255 -22.50
697 fancy 697 33 335.00 $335.00 $2,335 —
705–734 721 17 312.00–327.00 $322.27 $2,324 -16.88
768–779 773 25 300.00–313.00 $304.35 $2,353 -8.28
822–831 830 72 291.00–299.00 $292.10 $2,424 -11.72
863 863 4 290.00 $290.00 $2,503 -4.74
932–935 935 73 287.00–288.00 $287.88 $2,692 +3.69
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 4 400.00 $400.00 $2,080 +18.35
586–596 591 11 325.00–355.00 $341.49 $2,018 -6.15
623–642 627 16 321.00–330.00 $322.73 $2,024 +1.54
819 819 4 264.00 $264.00 $2,162 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1030 991 7 167.50–219.00 $207.95 $2,061 —
1137–1263 1236 21 223.50–231.00 $226.41 $2,798 +3.19
1060–1610 1242 61 220.00–229.50 $226.76 $2,816 +3.54
1159–1450 1300 40 215.50–222.00 $219.71 $2,856 -4.83
1220–1440 1355 10 226.00–229.00 $226.48 $3,069 -3.75
1212–1605 1377 331 225.00–235.00 $230.75 $3,177 +0.52
1229–1560 1398 58 235.00–240.00 $237.23 $3,316 —
1550–1641 1618 8 225.50–227.25 $226.83 $3,670 +12.18
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
391 391 11 420.00 $420.00 $1,642 -45.55
436–446 441 21 397.00–422.00 $408.09 $1,800 -27.94
470–498 487 42 380.00–392.00 $389.15 $1,895 -6.86
502–549 533 53 342.00–374.00 $358.11 $1,909 -18.84
551–587 573 55 331.00–351.00 $339.55 $1,946 -16.26
603–639 617 36 316.00–326.00 $322.21 $1,988 -21.30
648 fancy 648 25 324.00 $324.00 $2,100 -38.74
654–684 675 13 296.00–300.00 $298.81 $2,017 -35.22
711–749 735 23 275.00–294.00 $288.05 $2,117 -18.22
774 774 8 284.00 $284.00 $2,198 +4.06
800 800 7 273.00 $273.00 $2,184 -5.18
971–998 982 10 227.00–234.00 $231.15 $2,270 —
1023 1023 3 233.00 $233.00 $2,384 —
1057 1057 9 235.00 $235.00 $2,484 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 4 390.00 $390.00 $1,728 -5.90
520 520 3 295.00 $295.00 $1,534 -50.96
597 597 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,910 -14.90
790 790 5 259.00 $259.00 $2,046 +29.00
812 812 3 228.00 $228.00 $1,851 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406 406 9 440.00 $440.00 $1,786 —
588 588 9 320.00 $320.00 $1,882 +25.00

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1565 1316 75-80% 38 140.00–190.00 $163.92 $2,157 -1.52
1170–1905 1505 75-80% 35 147.00–159.00 $153.49 $2,310 —
1265–1860 1536 75-80% 14 160.00–170.00 $164.66 $2,529 —
1680–1860 1746 75-80% 5 111.00–140.00 $124.75 $2,178 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1000 936 80-85% 8 145.00–194.00 $163.62 $1,531 +16.72
1025–1300 1146 80-85% 20 147.50–207.50 $161.66 $1,853 —
1100–1720 1340 80-85% 38 111.00–149.00 $141.50 $1,896 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830 830 85-90% 1 72.50 $72.50 $602 —
885–980 948 85-90% 5 110.00–136.00 $123.55 $1,171 —
1000–1700 1211 85-90% 29 110.00–144.00 $129.09 $1,563 +3.29
1035–1690 1318 85-90% 9 71.00–106.00 $88.41 $1,165 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–1170 1039 6 166.00–233.00 $213.82 $2,222 —
1545–1695 1600 3 124.00–140.00 $131.27 $2,100 —
1325–2605 1807 22 196.00–219.00 $204.20 $3,690 —
1500–2545 1926 26 154.00–195.00 $176.53 $3,400 —

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Beef/Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1005 998 2 160.00–182.00 $171.08 $1,707 —
1330–1650 1440 12 210.00–231.00 $225.94 $3,254 —
1411–1533 1452 6 209.00–210.00 $209.35 $3,040 —
1448–1475 1457 3 206.00–208.00 $207.33 $3,021 —
1455–1613 1550 5 195.00–197.00 $195.38 $3,028 —

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Beef/Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1290 1214 4 175.00–182.00 $178.88 $2,172 —
1385–1570 1502 7 200.00–229.00 $211.66 $3,179 —
1377–1637 1514 25 218.00–234.00 $229.06 $3,468 —
1520 1520 13 223.50 $223.50 $3,397 —
1525 1525 2 216.00 $216.00 $3,294 —
1610–1647 1642 7 228.00–229.00 $228.86 $3,758 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1820 1610 2 185.00–187.00 $185.87 $2,993 —
1360–1810 1715 11 176.00–181.00 $177.56 $3,045 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270 1270 1 191.00 $191.00 $2,426 +20.00
1519–1668 1598 15 190.50–195.00 $193.00 $3,084 +4.70
1415–1815 1620 28 201.00–214.00 $206.11 $3,339 —
1325–1900 1647 35 184.00–198.00 $194.53 $3,204 —
1923 1923 5 199.50 $199.50 $3,836 —

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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.