Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 3, 2023

515 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 515 484 416
Slaughter cattle 515 484 416

No comparison today. Upward trend. 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
1164 1164 6 171.50 $171.50 $1,996 -9.00
1182 1182 3 180.00 $180.00 $2,128 -0.50
1200–1440 1334 21 168.00–175.00 $171.15 $2,283
1265–1710 1432 192 177.00–188.75 $183.96 $2,634 +7.90

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1171 1127 6 158.00–164.00 $159.26 $1,795
1193 1193 4 182.50 $182.50 $2,177
1199 1199 9 175.00 $175.00 $2,098
1175–1485 1285 19 168.00–177.00 $172.21 $2,213 -8.62
1170–1407 1300 6 150.00–165.00 $160.02 $2,080
1179–1436 1335 61 181.00–188.00 $184.01 $2,457

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1393 1269 11 137.00–149.00 $145.95 $1,852 +19.56
1380 1380 4 152.50 $152.50 $2,104 -3.82
1440–1470 1455 13 151.00–165.00 $155.61 $2,264

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1166–1295 1267 42 142.50–145.00 $142.92 $1,811
1322–1390 1369 20 147.00–154.00 $149.18 $2,042
1375–1389 1386 5 155.00–165.00 $156.98 $2,176
1495–1624 1552 40 155.00–163.50 $159.17 $2,470
1525–1638 1619 6 152.00 $152.00 $2,461 +3.08

↑ Back to top

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.