Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 30, 2021

375 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 375 407 483
Slaughter cattle 375 407 483

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago choice steers were 1.5 lower, choice heifers 1.00 higher. Demand was good for the

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1128 1065 5 116.00–124.50 $119.10 $1,268 —
1120 1120 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,075 +10.38
1192–1320 1224 4 100.00–107.00 $101.89 $1,247 -14.86
1420–1485 1453 2 92.50–99.00 $95.82 $1,392 -24.29
1333–1655 1468 77 114.00–122.50 $118.66 $1,742 +7.81
1170–1650 1470 24 103.00–112.00 $107.24 $1,576 -3.61
1930 1930 1 109.00 $109.00 $2,104 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1240 1164 7 99.00–102.00 $99.59 $1,159 —
930–1271 1225 12 113.00–120.00 $118.05 $1,446 +4.05
1300 1300 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,248 —
1223–1357 1304 11 105.00–110.00 $106.60 $1,390 -1.90
1074–1635 1375 110 114.00–123.00 $119.52 $1,643 —
1440–1835 1584 4 85.00–90.00 $87.18 $1,381 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1018–1340 1126 7 78.00–88.00 $82.49 $929 —
1263 1263 2 104.00 $104.00 $1,314 +29.59
1127–1526 1287 10 99.00–100.50 $99.71 $1,283 +25.30

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1643 1480 79 105.00–114.00 $109.18 $1,616 —

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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.