Cattle Market Pulse

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 30, 2026

4,618 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $398.98/cwt +24.52 vs last sale · ≈ $3,038/hd at 761 lb · 349 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $368.18/cwt +2.69 vs last sale · ≈ $3,056/hd at 830 lb · 288 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $536.70/cwt +35.88 vs last sale · ≈ $2,787/hd at 519 lb · 242 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,618 8,671 10,936
Feeder cattle 4,025 7,289 10,214
Slaughter cattle 593 1,382 722

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week steers less than 550 lbs sold 20.00 to 30.00 higher, over 700 lbs sold 3.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifers less than 550 lbs sold 20.00 higher and over 550 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Slaughter steers and heifers sold 3.00 to 4.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold steady and bulls sold 8.00 higher. Demand was good for the light supply on offer. Weaned and bawling fall calves hit the market this week along with some backgrounded yearling cattle. Slaughter steers and heifers should be in the black for the sellers and making them want to back fill pens in a speedy fashion. Hence, the uptick in the market again this week. The calf and feeder cattle market continues to be very active with several buyers trying to fill orders.

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
291–296 293 16 670.00–680.00 $674.35 $1,976 —
336–337 337 9 620.00–645.00 $631.09 $2,127 +42.81
387 unweaned 387 5 590.00 $590.00 $2,283 +55.41
370–394 390 41 600.00–640.00 $633.16 $2,469 +33.90
401–444 419 74 600.00–650.00 $632.26 $2,649 +59.33
465 unweaned 465 3 540.00 $540.00 $2,511 +82.50
450–496 480 135 552.50–605.00 $572.40 $2,748 +30.56
510 fancy 510 44 571.00 $571.00 $2,912 —
501–547 520 186 512.50–550.00 $530.95 $2,761 +30.13
544 unweaned 544 12 500.00 $500.00 $2,720 —
551–591 566 181 478.00–520.00 $494.49 $2,799 +16.39
559–591 unweaned 578 24 457.50–477.50 $464.89 $2,687 -2.11
600–642 620 43 435.00–500.00 $458.51 $2,843 +4.92
602–635 unweaned 629 19 425.00–460.00 $432.66 $2,721 —
671–688 682 17 425.50–435.00 $429.32 $2,928 +10.87
684 unweaned 684 4 412.50 $412.50 $2,822 —
708–745 730 149 382.50–414.00 $406.33 $2,966 +8.06
750–793 759 304 360.00–412.50 $403.57 $3,063 +29.03
777 777 45 368.00 $368.00 $2,859 -6.54
803–842 830 288 350.00–384.50 $368.18 $3,056 +2.69
860 860 64 351.50 $351.50 $3,023 +1.03
851–894 878 132 339.50–372.00 $361.75 $3,176 +11.28
902 902 131 360.50 $360.50 $3,252 +18.57
983–990 985 35 320.00–328.50 $325.57 $3,207 -1.93
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 7 610.00 $610.00 $1,989 —
362–380 371 6 530.00–580.00 $555.61 $2,061 —
426 unweaned 426 3 560.00 $560.00 $2,386 —
413–444 430 18 570.00–607.50 $584.90 $2,515 —
475–499 490 16 527.50–547.50 $539.05 $2,641 +37.05
514–549 534 39 480.00–505.00 $493.82 $2,637 —
543 unweaned 543 3 430.00 $430.00 $2,335 —
564–587 577 41 462.50–495.00 $481.27 $2,777 +28.77
606–648 618 49 425.00–445.00 $442.70 $2,736 +10.46
723 723 5 351.00 $351.00 $2,538 -9.00
888 888 3 336.00 $336.00 $2,984 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1115 1071 13 232.00–254.00 $245.34 $2,628 —
1130–1238 1210 5 240.00–243.00 $242.22 $2,931 —
1180–1640 1433 15 230.00–241.75 $238.98 $3,425 +4.81
1270–1589 1488 36 234.00–238.50 $236.92 $3,525 -0.08
1455–1508 1497 5 251.00–252.00 $251.81 $3,770 +14.81
1320–1668 1556 76 229.00–248.00 $244.60 $3,806 +11.56
1625 1625 1 228.50 $228.50 $3,713 -12.50
1600–1845 1739 12 233.00–248.00 $242.88 $4,224 +4.81
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1027 1027 4 328.00 $328.00 $3,369 +11.27
1061 1061 20 316.00 $316.00 $3,353 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272–299 291 10 640.00 $640.00 $1,862 +34.81
341 341 9 580.00 $580.00 $1,978 +12.83
370 unweaned 370 3 455.00 $455.00 $1,684 —
357–391 371 38 540.00–590.00 $574.48 $2,131 +23.26
408–430 unweaned 420 11 475.00–515.00 $493.41 $2,072 —
407–445 422 98 500.00–560.00 $545.99 $2,304 +43.79
461–490 472 132 470.00–530.00 $502.99 $2,374 +19.62
486 unweaned 486 16 455.00 $455.00 $2,211 —
506 fancy 506 14 490.00 $490.00 $2,479 —
503–544 521 126 440.00–477.50 $463.00 $2,412 +22.89
531 unweaned 531 9 430.00 $430.00 $2,283 —
561 unweaned 561 11 415.00 $415.00 $2,328 —
550–588 565 116 397.50–450.00 $427.71 $2,417 +5.10
600–643 615 30 355.00–419.00 $390.94 $2,404 +3.52
623 unweaned 623 5 377.50 $377.50 $2,352 —
660–698 687 71 360.00–386.00 $373.90 $2,569 +2.61
705–746 712 97 342.50–372.00 $368.01 $2,620 +7.89
752–795 773 156 334.00–361.25 $351.80 $2,719 +9.69
805–846 815 113 319.00–345.50 $341.03 $2,779 +8.02
861 861 72 339.00 $339.00 $2,919 +16.59
905–911 908 26 309.00 $309.00 $2,806 +2.86
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
330 330 3 2,175.00 $2,175.00 —
368 368 4 2,100.00 $2,100.00 —
415 415 6 2,525.00 $2,525.00 —
783–795 789 64 2,925.00–3,175.00 $3,059.75 —
801–843 818 137 2,925.00–3,025.00 $2,994.59 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045 1045 1 238.00 $238.00 $2,487 —
1117–1160 1131 3 225.00–245.00 $231.84 $2,622 +19.63
1170 1170 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,808 —
1070–1470 1354 11 233.00–240.50 $237.12 $3,211 —
1100–1615 1391 94 228.00–248.00 $240.58 $3,346 —
1395–1480 1443 3 218.00–223.00 $221.32 $3,194 -15.49
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357–399 378 22 480.00–545.00 $513.63 $1,942 -2.51
410 410 5 525.00 $525.00 $2,152 +60.00
423 unweaned 423 3 455.00 $455.00 $1,925 —
457–488 477 26 430.00–480.00 $458.74 $2,188 +16.67
510–548 537 37 420.00–435.00 $427.83 $2,297 +19.32
585 585 8 395.00 $395.00 $2,311 +7.34
729 729 11 330.00 $330.00 $2,406 -19.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
826 826 4 300.00 $300.00 $2,478 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1580 1379 75-80% 19 169.00–198.00 $181.73 $2,506 -1.80
1440–1755 1570 75-80% 10 181.00–195.00 $185.80 $2,917 —
1280–1900 1592 75-80% 33 165.00–180.00 $171.17 $2,725 —
1585–2005 1723 75-80% 4 135.00–155.00 $142.39 $2,453 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–995 914 80-85% 8 185.00–290.00 $241.40 $2,206 —
1015–1360 1162 80-85% 32 30.00–274.00 $203.37 $2,363 —
1025–1850 1462 80-85% 25 155.00–170.00 $162.01 $2,369 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720–995 887 85-90% 7 115.00–164.00 $139.95 $1,241 -4.69
1040–1520 1200 85-90% 20 122.50–154.00 $139.50 $1,674 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1285 1250 2 170.00–190.00 $180.28 $2,254 —
1350–2310 1876 30 185.00–222.50 $210.65 $3,952 +8.16
1770–2325 2066 9 225.00–272.50 $244.65 $5,054 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1395–1752 1546 17 230.00–244.50 $240.70 $3,721 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–1605 1485 3 210.00–218.00 $214.72 $3,189 —
1505–1830 1652 13 222.00–228.00 $225.61 $3,727 —

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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.