Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 18, 2024

371 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 371 541 484
Slaughter cattle 371 541 484

Compared to last week: Choice slaughter steers 3.00-5.00 lower. Choice slaughter heifers 1.00 lower. Dairy steers 3.00 lower with limited numbers. CME live cattle futures dropped 2.00 today. Mostly smaller packages in the offering. Demand good throughout the sale.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1176–1328 1253 21 186.00–195.00 $191.57 $2,400
1273–1493 1372 47 193.50–198.50 $194.66 $2,671 -5.02
1375 1375 3 189.50 $189.50 $2,606 -10.18
1342–1431 1393 19 187.00–191.00 $189.46 $2,639 -10.22
1465 1465 3 194.00 $194.00 $2,842
1524–1549 1542 21 193.00–196.00 $195.15 $3,009 +0.15
1544–1548 1545 10 195.75–200.50 $196.70 $3,039 +1.70
1535–1560 1552 3 191.00 $191.00 $2,964
1611–1658 1616 31 195.25–199.25 $198.85 $3,213
1773 1773 2 189.50 $189.50 $3,360

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1198–1235 1217 15 185.00–189.00 $186.58 $2,271 -3.75
1239–1500 1386 31 193.00–198.00 $195.47 $2,709 -1.11
1393–1410 1397 7 191.00–191.50 $191.07 $2,669 -5.51
1653 1653 2 193.00 $193.00 $3,190 +6.00

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1273 1268 24 181.00–187.00 $184.51 $2,340

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1328–1760 1429 11 181.00–185.00 $182.55 $2,609
1515–1709 1666 9 191.50–195.50 $192.31 $3,204

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1218–1300 1253 5 160.00–165.00 $162.34 $2,034 -1.66
1415 1415 12 168.00 $168.00 $2,377
1371–1550 1502 15 159.00–159.50 $159.38 $2,394

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1570 1570 2 171.00 $171.00 $2,685
1636 1636 4 162.00 $162.00 $2,650 -14.54
1694–1729 1714 14 170.00–176.00 $173.46 $2,973

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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.