Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 2, 2023

388 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 388 505 461
Slaughter cattle 388 505 461

Compared to the sale two weeks ago, choice slaughter steers were steady to 2.00 lower. Choice slaughter heifers steady. Limited numbers of dairy cattle. Dairy steers sold with a higher undertone. Several large groups offered today. Demand good. Active trade.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1288–1315 1291 9 168.00–173.50 $172.88 $2,232
1330–1492 1397 19 169.00–178.50 $175.79 $2,456
1294–1467 1402 22 180.00–185.00 $182.00 $2,552 -2.04
1352–1433 1407 26 181.00–185.50 $183.75 $2,585 -0.29
1556–1611 1576 11 186.00–186.75 $186.47 $2,939 +1.22
1500–1645 1583 13 170.50–175.00 $171.91 $2,721 -13.34
1512–1797 1624 62 178.00–187.50 $183.42 $2,979
1869 1869 4 179.00 $179.00 $3,346
1888 1888 2 171.00 $171.00 $3,228

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1153 1153 3 172.00 $172.00 $1,983
1124–1342 1269 12 165.00 $165.00 $2,094 -11.48
1295 1295 1 165.00 $165.00 $2,137 -11.48
1302–1418 1336 16 186.50–190.25 $187.14 $2,500 +25.15
1175–1455 1360 65 174.00–181.50 $178.55 $2,428 -6.69
1319–1471 1381 25 183.00–187.25 $185.24 $2,558 ±0.00
1500–1635 1524 19 175.50–187.00 $184.53 $2,812
1585 1585 1 181.00 $181.00 $2,869 -1.39

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1255 1180 4 132.50–138.00 $136.54 $1,611
1380 1380 1 151.00 $151.00 $2,084
1500 1500 1 156.00 $156.00 $2,340

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1387 1387 3 155.00 $155.00 $2,150 +19.38
1230–1660 1459 9 141.00–148.00 $146.83 $2,142
1615–1850 1669 5 154.00–159.00 $156.67 $2,615
1365–1823 1694 16 163.00–168.00 $164.87 $2,793

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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.