Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 23, 2026

8,671 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $341.93/cwt +0.08 vs last sale · ≈ $3,166/hd at 926 lb · 564 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $349.99/cwt -7.26 vs last sale · ≈ $3,023/hd at 864 lb · 552 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $360.12/cwt -3.54 vs last sale · ≈ $2,600/hd at 722 lb · 463 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 8,671 4,954 9,688
Feeder cattle 7,289 4,303 8,577
Slaughter cattle 1,382 651 1,111

For the week steers less than 750 lbs sold unevenly steady, over 750 lbs sold 7.00 to 10.00 lower except a flat 9 weight sold steady. Heifers less than 700 lbs sold 8.00 to 10.00 lower over 700 lbs sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Slaughter steers sold 2.00 lower and heifer sold 7.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher and bull steady. Demand was moderate to good. This time of year a wide variety of kind and type comes through the auction as some cattlemen are cleaning the pens before they start field work. This week saw bawling and weaned fall calves and yearling feeders with a large weight spreads and different frame and muscle scores.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 2 610.00 $610.00 $1,372
305–332 325 4 550.00–600.00 $588.28 $1,912 -34.49
326 unweaned 326 11 620.00 $620.00 $2,021
350–396 373 52 575.00–612.50 $599.26 $2,235 +2.79
350–392 unweaned 382 12 530.00–550.00 $534.59 $2,042
413–448 430 79 525.00–595.00 $572.93 $2,464 -1.80
451–495 474 90 520.00–582.50 $541.84 $2,568 -20.15
475 unweaned 475 4 457.50 $457.50 $2,173 -42.50
511–549 533 180 470.00–540.00 $500.82 $2,669 -2.54
551–598 575 196 450.00–537.50 $478.10 $2,749 +2.91
584 unweaned 584 9 467.00 $467.00 $2,727 +59.50
600–643 618 340 429.00–480.00 $453.59 $2,803 +8.66
656–699 679 350 385.00–447.00 $418.45 $2,841 -4.64
706–743 722 200 369.00–418.00 $398.27 $2,876 +5.04
756 unweaned 756 3 366.00 $366.00 $2,767
751–797 771 348 360.00–390.50 $374.54 $2,888 -9.06
802–847 824 382 342.50–376.50 $365.49 $3,012 -8.50
856 856 13 330.00 $330.00 $2,825 -27.25
852–889 864 539 337.75–356.25 $350.47 $3,028 -6.78
904–948 926 564 317.00–350.50 $341.93 $3,166 +0.08
965–978 973 49 327.50 $327.50 $3,187 +4.51
1250 1250 5 225.00 $225.00 $2,812
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045 1045 1 242.00 $242.00 $2,529
1085–1330 1275 7 225.00–237.00 $232.96 $2,970 -14.07
1310 1310 4 226.00 $226.00 $2,961
1167–1656 1418 64 225.50–239.50 $234.73 $3,328 -2.34
1275–1592 1419 78 228.00–241.50 $234.17 $3,323 -2.90
1484 1484 6 237.00 $237.00 $3,517 -6.48
1255–1670 1533 98 239.00–244.50 $241.08 $3,696
1505–1590 1544 32 234.50–240.00 $235.95 $3,643
1559–1583 1565 13 231.00–233.75 $233.04 $3,647
1628 1628 2 241.00 $241.00 $3,923
1641 1641 7 233.75 $233.75 $3,836
1600–1810 1665 62 231.50–242.00 $238.00 $3,963
1676 1676 9 231.50 $231.50 $3,880
1604–1738 1684 32 240.00–242.25 $240.86 $4,056
1701–1925 1747 21 223.00–242.25 $238.07 $4,159
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1024–1026 1026 84 304.00–318.25 $316.73 $3,250
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473 473 10 502.00 $502.00 $2,374 -1.02
573 573 3 452.50 $452.50 $2,593 +12.02
601–625 620 15 375.00–446.00 $432.24 $2,680
703 unweaned 703 5 345.00 $345.00 $2,425
707 707 3 360.00 $360.00 $2,545 +35.00
751–777 756 26 340.00–376.00 $361.72 $2,735
980 980 3 290.00 $290.00 $2,842

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
233 233 3 610.00 $610.00 $1,421
261 unweaned 261 4 640.00 $640.00 $1,670
268–295 279 5 585.00–620.00 $605.19 $1,688
327–339 336 24 507.50–595.00 $567.17 $1,906 +57.17
344 unweaned 344 14 540.00 $540.00 $1,858
350–392 368 28 507.50–592.50 $551.22 $2,028 +25.85
411–448 428 70 457.50–526.00 $502.20 $2,149 -4.05
452–496 481 97 455.00–500.00 $483.37 $2,325 +17.94
500–542 526 119 410.00–462.50 $440.11 $2,315 -7.93
554–597 572 323 350.00–450.00 $422.61 $2,417 -15.37
608–648 628 151 354.00–413.00 $387.42 $2,433 -17.42
653–698 673 252 355.00–398.00 $371.29 $2,499 -9.60
701–749 722 463 310.00–375.00 $360.12 $2,600 -2.50
761–794 779 361 288.00–360.00 $342.11 $2,665 -3.20
815–847 831 134 295.00–355.25 $333.01 $2,767 +21.62
853–874 872 91 320.00–330.00 $322.41 $2,811 -9.95
927–945 934 48 302.00–309.00 $306.14 $2,859 +19.07
953 953 31 291.50 $291.50 $2,778
1053 1053 10 298.00 $298.00 $3,138
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1170 1107 8 220.00–240.00 $225.17 $2,493
1025–1242 1133 6 190.00–230.00 $212.21 $2,404
1135–1355 1262 27 221.00–233.00 $231.61 $2,923
1233–1548 1305 16 236.00–241.75 $237.11 $3,094 -0.01
1120–1660 1334 35 230.00–239.00 $236.43 $3,154 -0.69
1210–1600 1418 335 226.00–244.00 $236.81 $3,358 -6.78
1457 1457 3 230.00 $230.00 $3,351
1495 1495 2 238.00 $238.00 $3,558
1652–1655 1653 5 225.00–231.00 $227.40 $3,759
1665–2165 1896 9 190.00–239.00 $208.07 $3,945
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 5 527.00 $527.00 $1,802
376–390 379 23 460.00–533.00 $516.14 $1,956 +20.10
425 425 5 465.00 $465.00 $1,976 +10.00
468–489 480 16 420.00–460.00 $442.07 $2,122 +13.19
503–519 514 12 401.00–424.00 $408.51 $2,100 +28.51
575–586 583 26 381.00–403.00 $387.66 $2,260
603 603 6 365.00 $365.00 $2,201
726 726 7 349.00 $349.00 $2,534 +13.66
759 759 8 330.00 $330.00 $2,505
926–943 937 28 275.00–286.00 $282.66 $2,649
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1208 1208 7 230.00 $230.00 $2,778

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 unweaned 357 4 530.00 $530.00 $1,892
376 376 3 570.00 $570.00 $2,143
410 unweaned 410 6 475.00 $475.00 $1,948
484 unweaned 484 8 457.50 $457.50 $2,214
486 486 3 466.00 $466.00 $2,265
554 unweaned 554 6 405.00 $405.00 $2,244

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1510 1352 75-80% 32 166.00–219.00 $183.53 $2,481 -0.67
800–1850 1497 75-80% 5 140.00–159.00 $149.28 $2,235
1315–1685 1502 75-80% 12 182.00–198.00 $186.68 $2,804
1200–2045 1531 75-80% 45 163.00–182.50 $171.40 $2,624
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1360 1058 80-85% 5 22.50–247.50 $158.61 $1,678
1015–1380 1209 80-85% 38 160.00–250.00 $193.38 $2,338
1050–1765 1334 80-85% 31 155.00–172.50 $161.19 $2,150
1295–1555 1436 80-85% 8 130.00–150.00 $144.23 $2,071
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725–985 895 85-90% 9 122.50–165.00 $144.64 $1,295 +11.37
1005–1450 1191 85-90% 17 120.00–155.00 $142.16 $1,693
1295–1340 1315 85-90% 3 157.00–157.50 $157.33 $2,069

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1185 1058 2 167.50–262.50 $209.27 $2,214
1595–1955 1775 2 100.00–165.00 $129.20 $2,293
1500–2295 1862 14 180.00–212.50 $202.49 $3,770
1585–2325 2025 14 217.00–284.00 $242.01 $4,901

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1510 1380 3 235.00–238.00 $236.09 $3,258

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305 1305 4 218.00 $218.00 $2,845
1450–1781 1690 8 235.00–239.00 $237.36 $4,011

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1448–1540 1493 7 208.00–209.00 $208.72 $3,116
1598 1598 3 226.00 $226.00 $3,611
1420–1738 1632 3 213.00–221.00 $215.32 $3,514

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1302–1367 1335 6 205.00–220.00 $212.68 $2,839
1284–1436 1395 15 207.00–220.00 $216.81 $3,024 +71.81
1325–1790 1630 52 220.00–230.00 $226.40 $3,690
1385–1933 1630 18 206.00–219.00 $214.20 $3,491

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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.