Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 15, 2024

327 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 327 275 533
Slaughter cattle 327 275 533

Compared to the sale two weeks ago: Not enough choice slaughter steers last sale for comparison. Choice slaughter heifers 3.00 lower. Dairy steers 1.00 lower. CME live cattle futures 1.00 lower today. Many small groups, along with a load lot of heifers in the offering. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405 1405 2 188.50 $188.50 $2,648 -7.50
1377–1568 1461 26 191.50–197.00 $193.56 $2,828
1501–1670 1515 24 191.50–193.25 $193.09 $2,925 -3.66
1520–1589 1563 25 191.00–196.00 $193.34 $3,022
1651 1651 4 189.00 $189.00 $3,120 -9.09
1647–1737 1674 23 191.00–193.00 $192.32 $3,219 -5.77

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270 1270 3 192.50 $192.50 $2,445 -3.21
1326 1326 13 188.75 $188.75 $2,503 -2.16
1264–1452 1370 48 190.00–195.25 $192.85 $2,642
1531 1531 39 180.00 $180.00 $2,756
1573 1573 2 182.00 $182.00 $2,863

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1209 1209 6 181.00 $181.00 $2,188

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1193 1193 8 185.75 $185.75 $2,216
1548 1548 6 189.75 $189.75 $2,937

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1397–1450 1402 11 161.00–166.00 $161.47 $2,264 -6.03
1605–1724 1699 27 174.50–179.50 $176.36 $2,996 -2.46
1720 1720 9 171.50 $171.50 $2,950

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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.