Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 11, 2026

334 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 334 336 476
Slaughter cattle 334 336 476

Compared to the auction two weeks ago: Choice slaughter steers over 1500 lbs 1.00 lower. Limited numbers on lighter steers. Choice slaughter heifers 1.00 lower. No implant and drug free cattle bringing a premium. Several half loads and plenty of smaller strings in the sale today. Demand good on this offering of quality cattle.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1486 1366 16 254.00–260.50 $255.99 $3,497 -1.69
1380–1445 1423 3 258.50–261.00 $260.19 $3,703
1385–1465 1425 2 248.50–253.00 $250.69 $3,572
1450 1450 5 262.50 $262.50 $3,806 +2.24
1480 1480 2 255.00 $255.00 $3,774 -5.26
1524–1592 1552 42 258.00–263.75 $260.95 $4,050 -0.67
1510–1596 1592 22 252.00–253.00 $252.96 $4,027 -18.34
1622–1774 1668 24 249.00–255.50 $252.71 $4,215 -7.10
1663–1738 1701 49 258.25–263.00 $259.58 $4,415 -1.36

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040 1040 2 251.00 $251.00 $2,610
1215–1380 1287 5 251.00–256.00 $254.52 $3,276 +1.93
1299–1335 1309 7 259.00–263.00 $260.17 $3,406
1339–1340 1339 9 254.00–256.50 $255.39 $3,420
1392 1392 6 266.50 $266.50 $3,710
1140–1563 1477 54 257.00–262.75 $259.24 $3,829

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1575 1448 3 239.00–244.50 $242.51 $3,512

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405 1405 1 246.00 $246.00 $3,456
1670 1670 1 260.50 $260.50 $4,350

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1740 1538 2 240.00–247.00 $243.04 $3,738
1689 1689 5 219.00 $219.00 $3,699

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1340 1273 6 232.50–233.00 $232.75 $2,963
1407–1895 1527 22 235.00–243.00 $237.76 $3,631
1425–1733 1606 9 226.50–233.00 $230.55 $3,703 -18.33
1765 1765 2 248.00 $248.00 $4,377

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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.