Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Feeder Cattle Special Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Special)

Sale of Thursday, April 17, 2025

663 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Sheldon Livestock Feeder Cattle Special report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 663 — —

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1036 1036 7 212.50 $212.50 $2,202

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
592 592 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,776
667 667 5 285.00 $285.00 $1,901
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1011 1011 6 212.50 $212.50 $2,148
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
600 600 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,650

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Beef/Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
323 323 12 465.00 $465.00 $1,502
470–484 473 38 327.50–360.00 $334.50 $1,582
504–543 535 54 300.00–330.00 $317.96 $1,701
561–591 578 9 290.00–310.00 $298.63 $1,726
615–630 626 40 300.00–308.00 $306.04 $1,916
669 669 12 279.00 $279.00 $1,867
753–769 764 10 220.00–240.00 $229.54 $1,754
800 800 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,760
862–880 875 11 220.00–225.00 $223.66 $1,957

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Beef/Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
418–447 431 18 345.00–350.00 $347.31 $1,497
495 495 15 330.00 $330.00 $1,634
577–599 583 18 330.00–340.00 $337.15 $1,966
612–624 616 24 320.00–330.00 $323.38 $1,992
660 660 29 305.00 $305.00 $2,013
723 723 4 270.00 $270.00 $1,952
820 820 4 265.00 $265.00 $2,173
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
317 317 16 480.00 $480.00 $1,522
358 358 21 460.00 $460.00 $1,647
516–541 520 42 360.00 $360.00 $1,872
565–591 574 14 360.00–370.00 $366.32 $2,103

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1157–1178 1172 11 173.00–180.00 $178.12 $2,088
1241 1241 7 172.50 $172.50 $2,141
1260 1260 10 191.00 $191.00 $2,407
Small 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
768 768 18 170.00 $170.00 $1,306
965 965 4 155.00 $155.00 $1,496
Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
813 813 6 135.00 $135.00 $1,098
881 881 5 125.00 $125.00 $1,101
1173–1178 1176 9 137.50–155.00 $143.32 $1,685

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
487 487 26 300.00 $300.00 $1,461
518 518 5 315.00 $315.00 $1,632
599 599 13 265.00 $265.00 $1,587
723 723 13 245.00 $245.00 $1,771
820–840 836 14 231.00–250.00 $234.99 $1,965
1010 1010 13 200.00 $200.00 $2,020
1142 1142 18 208.00 $208.00 $2,375
1335 1335 3 190.00 $190.00 $2,536
Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
393 393 6 300.00 $300.00 $1,179
434 434 18 275.00 $275.00 $1,194
504 504 4 270.00 $270.00 $1,361
655 655 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,539
751–795 775 22 222.50–227.00 $224.48 $1,740
Small 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
219 219 13 370.00 $370.00 $810
289 289 4 375.00 $375.00 $1,084

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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.