Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 21, 2025

311 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 311

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1262 1262 5 235.50 $235.50 $2,972
1273–1450 1333 11 235.00–240.00 $237.59 $3,167 +6.80
1379 1379 5 240.00 $240.00 $3,310 +1.36
1357–1448 1382 40 242.00–247.00 $244.24 $3,375 +5.60
1263–1471 1390 18 245.50–246.50 $245.91 $3,418 +7.27
1505–1568 1540 14 239.00–241.50 $240.85 $3,709
1541–1585 1546 9 247.50–249.00 $247.67 $3,829
1525–1562 1556 29 243.50–247.75 $246.80 $3,840 +9.30
1604–1687 1636 16 242.00–247.00 $246.02 $4,025 +8.52
1640 1640 1 237.00 $237.00 $3,887 -0.50

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1034 1034 5 238.50 $238.50 $2,466
1168–1412 1258 53 235.00–241.00 $237.80 $2,992
1193–1296 1275 10 237.00–239.50 $237.47 $3,028
1317–1595 1381 24 243.00–248.50 $246.84 $3,409
1585–1665 1656 9 230.00–238.00 $230.85 $3,823

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1234–1535 1284 6 205.00–210.00 $209.00 $2,684

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1458–1503 1479 15 224.00–230.00 $227.15 $3,360 -12.85
1497–1770 1552 13 207.00–211.00 $210.65 $3,269

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–1457 1433 4 226.00–229.00 $226.71 $3,249
1480–1590 1552 5 213.00–216.00 $213.77 $3,318

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440–1650 1513 13 234.00–239.25 $237.86 $3,599 +35.21
1598–1712 1674 6 220.00–228.00 $223.74 $3,745

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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.