Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 4, 2026

6,154 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $457.70/cwt +1.28 vs last sale · ≈ $2,852/hd at 623 lb · 356 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $437.18/cwt +8.18 vs last sale · ≈ $2,525/hd at 578 lb · 345 head

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $519.63/cwt -3.37 vs last sale · ≈ $2,729/hd at 525 lb · 325 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	6,154	9,168	10,628
Feeder cattle	5,227	7,427	9,494
Slaughter cattle	927	1,741	1,134

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week steers sold unevenly steady with instances 5.00 higher on some feeder cattle. Heifers less than 550 lbs sold steady, over 550 lbs sold mostly 8.00 higher. Slaughter steers sold 3.00 higher, heifers sold steady. Slaughter cows sold steady to 4.00 lower and bull sold 4.00 higher. Demand was moderate to good. Offering comprised of bawling and weaned fall calves with a few yearlings in the mix.

→ Feeder cattle: Compared to last week steers sold unevenly steady with instances 5.00 higher on some feeder cattle
→ Feeder heifers: Heifers less than 550 lbs sold steady
▲ Slaughter cattle: Slaughter steers sold 3.00 higher
▼ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows sold steady to 4.00 lower and bull sold 4.00 higher

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
278	278	4	680.00	$680.00	$1,890	-27.18
330	330	3	660.00	$660.00	$2,178	-3.18
354–399	376	61	585.00–637.50	$614.58	$2,311	-13.58
375–398 unweaned	394	18	625.00–640.00	$627.38	$2,472	—
400–447	441	111	550.00–600.00	$589.86	$2,601	-6.26
449 unweaned	449	19	578.00	$578.00	$2,595	—
462–487 unweaned	476	31	550.00–572.50	$556.12	$2,647	+49.89
452–486	477	115	522.50–570.00	$547.97	$2,614	-7.26
508–542 unweaned	520	40	465.00–538.00	$504.37	$2,623	—
501–546	526	285	495.00–552.50	$521.77	$2,745	-1.23
551–586 unweaned	568	37	466.00–490.00	$474.09	$2,693	+29.09
552–598	572	258	473.00–515.00	$498.07	$2,849	+12.79
607–640 unweaned	621	111	417.50–472.00	$455.38	$2,828	+21.81
606–644	624	245	428.00–474.00	$458.75	$2,863	+0.35
655–683 unweaned	663	34	385.00–404.00	$397.98	$2,639	-17.02
650–698	675	198	400.00–460.00	$431.54	$2,913	-10.62
703–747	715	111	389.00–423.00	$414.30	$2,962	-3.33
752–789	765	133	380.50–411.50	$393.52	$3,010	+4.74
817 unweaned	817	6	377.00	$377.00	$3,080	—
800–849	825	212	368.25–388.00	$381.02	$3,143	+6.86
850–888	864	150	356.00–377.25	$374.62	$3,237	+6.88
928	928	54	361.00	$361.00	$3,350	+10.61

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1157–1175	1163	3	225.00–250.00	$241.58	$2,810	—
1200–1210	1207	6	255.00–259.00	$257.67	$3,110	-3.89
1408–1455	1445	28	255.50–260.00	$256.45	$3,706	+7.88
1145–1535	1469	8	239.00–250.00	$248.04	$3,644	-5.90
1210–1697	1481	122	252.00–261.00	$257.35	$3,811	+3.41
1515–1554	1538	17	257.00–259.25	$258.34	$3,973	—
1550–1555	1554	7	250.00–252.00	$251.72	$3,912	-8.54
1604–1797	1653	38	256.50–261.00	$258.56	$4,274	-0.37
1586–1718	1662	24	255.50–261.25	$257.78	$4,284	-1.15
1513–1854	1741	31	250.75–253.75	$252.08	$4,389	-0.92
1703–1855	1764	7	240.00–259.00	$253.68	$4,475	+7.20
1635–1804	1790	12	251.00–252.00	$251.08	$4,494	+4.60

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
363	363	12	600.00	$600.00	$2,178	+13.46
377 unweaned	377	6	500.00	$500.00	$1,885	-40.00
444	444	8	562.50	$562.50	$2,498	-7.50
458–489	475	37	480.00–527.50	$501.68	$2,383	+0.66
504–543	516	20	470.00–511.50	$495.61	$2,557	+9.62
565–588	579	51	425.00–477.50	$454.86	$2,634	+7.10
638–647	643	17	433.00–437.50	$435.10	$2,798	+4.53
671–693	686	20	376.00–415.00	$387.44	$2,658	+2.44
740	740	7	370.00	$370.00	$2,738	+0.06
806–807	806	22	350.00–354.00	$352.54	$2,841	-3.46
864	864	8	342.00	$342.00	$2,955	-3.82
954	954	7	310.00	$310.00	$2,957	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
956	956	7	325.00	$325.00	$3,107	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
337–346	341	9	500.00–515.00	$508.24	$1,733	-91.76
348 unweaned	348	3	525.00	$525.00	$1,827	-45.00
356–386	373	30	525.00–590.00	$558.85	$2,085	-21.10
373 fancy	373	4	610.00	$610.00	$2,275	—
391 unweaned	391	14	532.50	$532.50	$2,082	-31.54
400–448	427	104	490.00–545.00	$519.19	$2,217	-40.92
411–435 unweaned	428	17	520.00–545.00	$537.94	$2,302	—
462–481 unweaned	472	34	467.00–502.50	$486.60	$2,297	+21.60
468–493	485	90	473.00–515.00	$503.13	$2,440	+1.93
519 unweaned	519	24	455.00	$455.00	$2,361	+65.00
501–544	523	225	443.00–500.00	$461.54	$2,414	-5.95
565–585 unweaned	570	86	400.00–445.00	$434.38	$2,476	+22.49
551–599	580	259	410.00–450.00	$438.11	$2,541	+8.59
606–612 unweaned	610	33	395.00–400.00	$396.81	$2,421	+49.31
605–642	615	172	374.00–427.00	$405.46	$2,494	+7.69
653–698	672	203	367.50–408.00	$379.71	$2,552	-1.03
673 unweaned	673	7	320.00	$320.00	$2,154	-47.50
707–712	709	66	372.50–374.00	$373.05	$2,645	+7.92
732 unweaned	732	9	329.50	$329.50	$2,412	—
769–796	772	85	325.00–357.25	$351.24	$2,712	-6.68
786	786	5	300.00	$300.00	$2,358	-57.92
800–835	817	42	325.00–341.00	$330.75	$2,702	-7.10
851–875	854	27	328.00–332.50	$328.51	$2,805	—
904–945	925	8	285.00–290.00	$287.56	$2,660	-18.44
990	990	3	307.50	$307.50	$3,044	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1040	1040	1	254.00	$254.00	$2,642	—
1050–1225	1173	19	250.00–265.00	$253.73	$2,976	-9.31
1025–1535	1301	8	234.00–250.00	$244.40	$3,180	-2.24
1220–1498	1361	11	248.00–253.50	$249.42	$3,395	—
1210–1678	1416	173	254.00–260.00	$257.19	$3,642	-0.27
1369–1613	1478	19	254.00–259.25	$257.40	$3,804	—
1653	1653	2	255.50	$255.50	$4,223	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
394–398	396	7	450.00–490.00	$472.76	$1,872	-88.84
412–439	430	22	450.00–499.00	$485.35	$2,087	-14.16
466–493	484	36	415.00–470.00	$459.84	$2,226	-10.15
501–548	526	48	400.00–445.00	$427.05	$2,246	-8.23
553–555	554	16	360.00–427.50	$406.35	$2,251	-6.18
612–636	628	31	347.50–383.00	$366.58	$2,302	+3.96
648 unweaned	648	5	359.00	$359.00	$2,326	—
702–716	708	13	340.00–357.50	$349.34	$2,473	—
778	778	5	315.00	$315.00	$2,451	-2.50

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1144	1144	5	239.00	$239.00	$2,734	—
1156	1156	8	250.00	$250.00	$2,890	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
402	402	5	520.00	$520.00	$2,090	—
581	581	5	363.00	$363.00	$2,109	—
708 unweaned	708	4	340.00	$340.00	$2,407	—
788	788	4	300.00	$300.00	$2,364	-42.50

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1235–1760	1383	75-80%	35	156.00–195.00	$182.13	$2,519	-1.10
1380–1755	1508	75-80%	20	184.00–196.00	$187.42	$2,826	—
1235–1820	1545	75-80%	32	170.00–182.00	$176.73	$2,730	—
1465–1745	1605	75-80%	2	147.50–162.00	$155.38	$2,494	-33.21

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
850–995	940	80-85%	4	167.00–225.00	$191.53	$1,800	—
1010–1440	1164	80-85%	27	161.00–247.50	$185.78	$2,162	-22.41
1030–1670	1359	80-85%	24	150.00–170.00	$162.62	$2,210	-3.36

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
710–955	858	85-90%	6	117.00–142.00	$133.21	$1,143	—
1040–1430	1171	85-90%	17	119.00–159.00	$140.65	$1,647	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
910–1160	1077	5	200.00–245.00	$222.74	$2,399	+18.50
1320–2580	1840	14	175.00–230.00	$210.73	$3,877	—
1440–2525	1967	12	225.00–251.00	$239.43	$4,710	—

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1377–1424	1397	12	250.00–253.25	$251.87	$3,519	—

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1304–1685	1454	15	235.00–250.00	$241.49	$3,511	—

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1280–1343	1327	4	223.00–227.00	$226.04	$3,000	—
1345–1593	1507	4	219.00–220.00	$219.47	$3,307	—

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1420–1800	1557	11	220.00–231.00	$227.74	$3,546	—
1260–1803	1605	44	232.00–244.25	$237.91	$3,818	+4.33
1772	1772	3	229.00	$229.00	$4,058	—

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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.