Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 29, 2022

299 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 299 644 375
Slaughter cattle 299 644 375

Compared to the sale two weeks ago, choice slaughter steers were steady, dairy steers 1.4 lower. Choice slaughter heifers 1.2 higher. Demand good. Trade active.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1120 1113 4 121.00–125.50 $124.40 $1,385 -22.14
1045–1285 1135 3 130.00–135.00 $132.50 $1,504 -14.04
1245 1245 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,731 +14.00
1320–1460 1375 10 117.00–128.00 $124.71 $1,715
1308–1713 1489 59 139.00–146.50 $142.70 $2,125
1395–1591 1496 18 131.00–137.00 $133.97 $2,004

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1185 1045 4 111.00–123.00 $119.14 $1,245
1137–1265 1165 17 130.50–137.00 $134.36 $1,565 +10.40
1300–1467 1352 77 140.00–146.50 $143.00 $1,933 +1.21
1300–1510 1385 4 112.50–119.00 $116.66 $1,616 -25.13
1345–1498 1454 7 131.00–132.00 $131.74 $1,915 +4.42

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1398 1398 2 95.00 $95.00 $1,328
1475 1475 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,814

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1108–1328 1249 14 98.00–104.00 $102.10 $1,275
1365 1365 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,693 -3.33
1459–1658 1566 67 124.00–131.00 $127.81 $2,002 +6.45
1620 1620 1 102.50 $102.50 $1,660

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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.