Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 20, 2024

354 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 354 164 330
Slaughter cattle 354 164 330

Limited number of choice slaughter steers and heifers in the previous sale. No trend applicable. Upward trend noted. Dairy steers mostly 4.00 higher today. Most of the auction consisted of smaller groups with plenty of dairy cattle represented. Good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1323 1323 10 191.00 $191.00 $2,527 +7.76
1363–1481 1463 67 191.50–196.00 $193.97 $2,838
1515–1569 1531 27 193.25–194.00 $193.77 $2,967
1517–1592 1573 40 193.00–198.00 $195.20 $3,070 +6.21
1640–1770 1705 6 193.00–195.00 $193.96 $3,307

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1227–1468 1370 17 185.00–191.00 $187.89 $2,574
1323–1503 1429 69 187.00–196.75 $191.76 $2,740 +0.01
1618 1618 6 193.75 $193.75 $3,135

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1373 1373 8 183.00 $183.00 $2,513

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1488 1488 2 159.50 $159.50 $2,373 -3.27

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1542–1674 1578 30 169.00–174.00 $170.16 $2,685
1575–1625 1613 29 157.00–166.00 $161.95 $2,612

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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.