Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 16, 2026

4,954 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 $373.99/cwt +26.26 vs last sale · ≈ $3,037/hd at 812 lb · 446 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $393.23/cwt +2.22 vs last sale · ≈ $2,875/hd at 731 lb · 279 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $423.09/cwt +6.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,818/hd at 666 lb · 226 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,954 8,332 9,234
Feeder cattle 4,303 7,439 8,290
Slaughter cattle 651 893 944

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week steers and heifers over 650 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Slaughter steers sold steady with heifers trading 5.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 higher and bulls sold 10.00 higher. Demand was good throughout the week, especially on cattle going to the feedlot.

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
271 271 4 695.00 $695.00 $1,883 —
311–342 328 26 565.00–675.00 $622.77 $2,043 —
350–397 381 49 570.00–635.00 $596.47 $2,273 —
411–449 436 102 546.00–620.00 $574.73 $2,506 +46.85
452–495 475 97 484.00–620.00 $561.99 $2,669 +42.85
478 unweaned 478 7 500.00 $500.00 $2,390 —
501–545 525 190 479.00–534.00 $503.36 $2,643 +3.89
560–598 578 91 460.00–527.50 $475.19 $2,747 +16.21
597 unweaned 597 3 407.50 $407.50 $2,433 —
604 unweaned 604 5 395.00 $395.00 $2,386 +2.50
602–637 624 179 415.00–466.00 $444.93 $2,776 -2.62
650–697 666 226 395.00–437.50 $423.09 $2,818 +11.62
702–748 731 279 375.00–415.00 $393.23 $2,875 +3.24
754–799 767 226 369.00–399.00 $383.60 $2,942 +8.71
800–842 812 446 347.00–382.25 $373.99 $3,037 +26.26
852–894 868 131 330.00–369.50 $357.25 $3,101 +6.72
907–945 936 190 325.00–346.00 $341.85 $3,200 +12.98
950–965 957 13 321.00–326.00 $322.99 $3,091 +3.41
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1240 1176 7 172.50–242.00 $224.19 $2,636 —
1215–1265 1253 4 244.00–248.00 $247.03 $3,095 +32.10
1140–1630 1434 37 230.00–240.00 $237.07 $3,400 +0.55
1231–1623 1499 156 240.00–248.50 $243.48 $3,650 +12.11
1770–1775 1773 3 233.00–245.00 $241.01 $4,273 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 4 565.00 $565.00 $1,938 —
386 386 12 506.00 $506.00 $1,953 -8.72
401–448 425 8 470.00–505.00 $486.53 $2,068 —
450–496 471 28 461.00–535.00 $503.02 $2,369 —
513–548 534 18 451.00–471.00 $462.26 $2,468 +39.34
550–587 570 39 415.00–466.00 $440.48 $2,511 +11.45
694 694 35 388.00 $388.00 $2,693 -6.85
710 710 3 325.00 $325.00 $2,308 -40.93
843 843 4 298.00 $298.00 $2,512 -22.00
850–868 862 12 321.00–323.00 $322.00 $2,776 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 5 510.00 $510.00 $1,739 -5.00
354–398 375 52 492.50–549.00 $525.37 $1,970 +24.92
415–448 434 70 475.00–531.00 $506.25 $2,197 +46.26
450–495 478 70 443.00–494.00 $465.43 $2,225 +7.84
485 unweaned 485 8 428.00 $428.00 $2,076 -22.00
500–542 523 176 426.00–490.00 $448.04 $2,343 +16.56
533 unweaned 533 4 405.00 $405.00 $2,159 —
556–599 568 77 417.00–465.00 $437.98 $2,488 +23.16
622–644 637 188 390.00–429.50 $404.84 $2,579 +23.49
655 655 21 396.00 $396.00 $2,594 +23.94
651–688 663 193 365.00–401.00 $380.89 $2,525 +8.83
701–743 723 157 336.00–372.00 $362.62 $2,622 +21.82
740 740 10 380.00 $380.00 $2,812 +32.00
752–795 768 216 339.00–352.25 $345.31 $2,652 -22.86
813–817 815 9 310.00–312.50 $311.39 $2,538 -68.57
850–886 858 28 313.00–337.00 $332.36 $2,852 +20.97
940 940 14 265.00–308.00 $287.07 $2,698 -5.93
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1305 1161 6 212.50–243.00 $233.13 $2,707 —
1190 1190 1 224.00 $224.00 $2,666 —
1212 1212 5 243.00 $243.00 $2,945 —
1135–1548 1319 32 229.00–240.50 $237.12 $3,128 —
1306–1665 1436 104 240.00–250.00 $243.59 $3,498 +5.53
1705–1710 1708 2 230.00–235.00 $232.50 $3,971 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
379–392 389 15 490.00–497.50 $496.04 $1,930 —
447 447 7 455.00 $455.00 $2,034 —
472–498 484 36 420.00–440.00 $428.88 $2,076 -3.94
540 540 3 380.00 $380.00 $2,052 -36.92
625–647 645 37 370.00–375.00 $374.61 $2,416 +26.05
692–695 693 9 345.00–350.00 $348.33 $2,414 +11.09
722–745 730 9 335.00–336.00 $335.34 $2,448 +23.49
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
226 226 4 1,625.00 $1,625.00 —
321 321 10 1,880.00 $1,880.00 —
780 780 34 3,010.00 $3,010.00 —
828 828 35 3,050.00 $3,050.00 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000 1000 9 275.00 $275.00 $2,750 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
912 912 5 290.00 $290.00 $2,645 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1515 1352 75-80% 24 169.00–200.00 $184.20 $2,490 —
1275–1885 1580 75-80% 28 160.00–180.00 $169.16 $2,673 -2.76
1390–1750 1619 75-80% 18 178.00–205.00 $189.28 $3,064 +39.52
1575–1905 1768 75-80% 5 140.00–160.00 $153.43 $2,713 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–995 953 80-85% 8 170.00–270.00 $194.27 $1,851 —
1000–1415 1169 80-85% 30 159.00–252.50 $188.11 $2,199 +1.88
940–1685 1367 80-85% 27 145.00–180.00 $159.99 $2,187 —
1515 1515 80-85% 1 134.00 $134.00 $2,030 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–975 892 85-90% 7 118.00–155.00 $133.27 $1,189 —
1000–1350 1136 85-90% 4 142.00–157.50 $150.44 $1,709 —
1000–1620 1219 85-90% 17 128.00–157.50 $141.44 $1,724 +2.77

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–1045 935 2 202.50–222.50 $211.32 $1,976 —
1320–1740 1500 3 210.00–212.50 $211.05 $3,166 —
1565–1900 1733 2 145.00–147.50 $146.37 $2,537 —
1465–2605 1931 10 220.00–280.00 $235.40 $4,546 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1396–1525 1448 5 230.00–235.00 $232.11 $3,361 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390 1390 1 145.00 $145.00 $2,016 —
1490 1490 1 216.50 $216.50 $3,226 —
1410–1625 1543 8 197.00–212.00 $205.46 $3,170 —

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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.