Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, February 23, 2026

11,693 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $367.48/cwt -6.18 vs last sale · ≈ $3,046/hd at 829 lb · 985 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $355.12/cwt -0.52 vs last sale · ≈ $2,748/hd at 774 lb · 883 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $383.56/cwt -0.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,965/hd at 773 lb · 826 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 11,693 13,012 11,357
Feeder cattle 10,644 11,862 10,159
Slaughter cattle 1,049 1,150 1,198

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week steers under 400 lbs were lightly tested with lower undertones, 400-650 lbs sold mostly 7.00 to 14.00 higher, and over 650 lbs mostly 1.00 to 7.00 lower. Heifers under 450 lbs were lightly tested with mostly higher undertones, 450-600 lbs sold 6.00 to 17.00 higher, and over 600 lbs were mostly 2.00 to 5.00 lower.

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
330–348 342 9 500.00–575.00 $547.84 $1,874 -79.66
367–398 381 21 542.00–612.50 $587.23 $2,237 -8.18
407–449 434 21 537.50–595.00 $559.95 $2,430 +7.79
452–497 473 99 500.00–580.00 $534.08 $2,526 +10.92
490 fancy 490 12 525.00 $525.00 $2,572 —
507–547 531 147 459.00–535.00 $506.17 $2,688 -3.65
556–596 580 231 475.00–515.00 $484.88 $2,812 +12.02
602–646 622 372 424.00–492.50 $464.80 $2,891 +14.15
656–698 677 355 380.00–444.00 $423.73 $2,869 -7.23
700–748 724 800 370.00–424.50 $402.18 $2,912 -1.83
764–766 fancy 765 84 397.00–398.25 $397.91 $3,044 +7.91
751–794 774 742 348.00–394.00 $381.94 $2,956 -2.04
808–848 829 985 325.50–383.50 $367.48 $3,046 -4.27
850–898 874 748 318.00–370.75 $351.48 $3,072 -1.92
874 874 9 338.00 $338.00 $2,954 -15.40
903–947 913 509 314.00–359.00 $342.97 $3,131 -0.43
954–989 985 67 331.50–334.50 $331.80 $3,268 +10.10
1006–1025 1010 23 298.00–306.50 $304.62 $3,077 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1275 1188 101 200.00–287.50 $242.02 $2,875 -0.32
1213–1325 1259 26 241.00–261.25 $247.50 $3,116 —
1125–1625 1344 52 230.00–243.50 $239.11 $3,214 +5.11
1240–1692 1454 211 240.00–250.00 $245.58 $3,571 +4.15
1545–1658 1630 4 251.50–252.00 $251.62 $4,101 —
1700–2065 1783 26 222.00–251.00 $243.07 $4,334 +6.29
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423 423 3 485.00 $485.00 $2,052 -13.00
457–461 460 15 450.00–505.00 $488.42 $2,247 —
534–546 536 30 470.00–480.00 $471.36 $2,526 -1.13
557–594 582 103 443.00–470.00 $456.07 $2,654 +19.21
603–645 637 130 397.50–431.50 $417.46 $2,659 -15.29
666–698 681 44 374.00–415.00 $401.18 $2,732 -4.32
723–739 735 15 357.00–385.00 $377.65 $2,776 +0.96
807–838 814 19 327.50–351.00 $343.34 $2,795 -2.83
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1024 1024 29 328.50 $328.50 $3,364 +5.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
378 378 7 2,125.00–2,175.00 $2,153.57 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313 313 5 620.00 $620.00 $1,941 +63.32
364–390 377 16 500.00–580.00 $531.84 $2,005 +18.60
413–440 431 17 476.00–520.00 $503.60 $2,171 -5.91
452 fancy 452 12 570.00 $570.00 $2,576 —
450–490 473 83 430.00–525.00 $487.38 $2,305 +13.59
504–522 510 61 428.00–502.50 $465.18 $2,372 +16.46
528 unweaned 528 4 422.50 $422.50 $2,231 —
534 fancy 534 16 440.00 $440.00 $2,350 -71.73
551–598 576 280 390.00–502.50 $430.16 $2,478 +5.24
602–627 fancy 611 37 407.50–415.00 $412.29 $2,519 +4.29
600–646 628 393 335.00–417.00 $397.82 $2,498 -4.29
650–689 673 476 352.00–396.00 $378.01 $2,544 -2.54
673–690 fancy 686 96 386.00–431.00 $403.65 $2,769 -11.35
700–743 721 491 349.00–385.00 $365.13 $2,633 -1.93
725–730 fancy 727 40 397.50–430.00 $419.39 $3,049 —
728 728 35 401.00 $401.00 $2,919 +33.94
750–796 fancy 764 173 360.00–389.00 $379.70 $2,901 -25.31
754–785 768 62 367.50–386.00 $376.61 $2,892 +25.81
757–797 777 648 327.75–385.00 $346.50 $2,692 -4.30
811 fancy 811 20 380.00 $380.00 $3,082 +67.50
820 820 25 328.50 $328.50 $2,694 -21.50
801–846 823 163 311.00–336.50 $329.56 $2,712 -20.44
852–890 878 229 307.00–325.00 $321.81 $2,825 -0.09
894 894 14 326.00 $326.00 $2,914 +4.10
908–937 913 98 294.00–319.00 $310.50 $2,835 —
911–931 919 30 322.00–326.00 $324.15 $2,979 —
987 987 5 305.00 $305.00 $3,010 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–433 423 11 440.00–475.00 $459.56 $1,944 -26.81
450–498 472 45 420.00–450.00 $437.90 $2,067 -19.12
505–549 538 35 400.00–420.00 $405.48 $2,181 -21.15
560–596 591 77 390.00–410.00 $402.72 $2,380 +0.53
605–632 615 33 338.00–372.50 $355.36 $2,185 -22.08
672–698 684 29 350.00–377.50 $358.46 $2,452 +8.21
702–739 726 57 330.00–360.00 $346.39 $2,515 +6.86
757 757 4 310.00 $310.00 $2,347 —
857 857 10 312.00 $312.00 $2,674 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–1065 945 4 242.50–260.00 $252.24 $2,384 —
1165–1595 1381 27 230.00–240.00 $233.65 $3,227 -8.34
1200–1686 1403 145 240.00–251.00 $247.70 $3,475 —
1406–1600 1509 18 252.00–254.50 $253.44 $3,824 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1093 1093 25 291.00 $291.00 $3,181 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
300 300 7 2,000.00 $2,000.00 —
390 390 13 2,210.00 $2,210.00 +35.00
431 431 4 2,035.00 $2,035.00 -90.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
459 459 12 500.00 $500.00 $2,295 —
566 566 8 500.00 $500.00 $2,830 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1620 1364 75-80% 33 165.00–228.00 $185.87 $2,535 —
1230–1755 1531 75-80% 28 175.00–200.00 $187.08 $2,864 +20.09
1225–1960 1550 75-80% 35 160.00–179.00 $170.46 $2,642 —
1280–1870 1662 75-80% 7 144.00–160.00 $151.49 $2,518 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700–985 881 80-85% 4 215.00–290.00 $249.00 $2,194 —
1010–1465 1195 80-85% 30 156.00–265.00 $192.09 $2,295 +8.21
1015–1625 1320 80-85% 37 146.50–166.00 $157.40 $2,078 —
1620–2025 1858 80-85% 3 125.00–135.00 $129.00 $2,397 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–995 931 85-90% 8 125.00–159.00 $136.32 $1,269 —
1000–1695 1241 85-90% 24 123.00–147.50 $135.78 $1,685 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–2590 1766 17 165.00–220.00 $198.55 $3,506 —
1630–2435 1936 12 221.00–258.00 $235.62 $4,562 —

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Beef/Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1565 1506 4 234.00–243.50 $239.98 $3,614 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1555 1357 7 150.00–177.50 $165.85 $2,251 —
1375 1375 3 181.00 $181.00 $2,489 —
1365–1735 1560 8 183.00–208.00 $199.31 $3,109 —
1501–1875 1635 59 211.00–223.00 $214.48 $3,507 +24.48

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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.