Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 18, 2026

220 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 220 334 0
Slaughter cattle 220 334 0

Compared to last Thursday, Choice slaughter steers 5.00-6.00 higher. Choice slaughter heifers 4.00 higher. No implant cattle bringing a premium. Dairy steers 4.00 higher. The auction consisted of mostly smaller strings. Good demand for this light offering.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1225 1108 2 260.00 $260.00 $2,881
1311–1470 1414 23 259.00–265.00 $261.90 $3,703 +1.71
1437 1437 13 257.75 $257.75 $3,704 +7.06
1403–1468 1442 5 270.00–271.00 $270.61 $3,902 +19.92
1535–1596 1583 14 257.00–263.00 $259.67 $4,111 +6.71
1625–1771 1675 25 263.00–265.75 $264.73 $4,434 +12.02
1664–1720 1680 14 254.50–259.50 $255.96 $4,300 +3.25

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1251–1465 1294 5 258.00–258.50 $258.39 $3,344 +3.87
1355 1355 2 269.00 $269.00 $3,645
1203–1545 1380 13 259.00–266.00 $262.86 $3,627 -3.64
1565–1683 1636 5 254.50–263.00 $259.75 $4,250

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1611 1611 14 223.00 $223.00 $3,593
1570–1686 1659 21 227.50–231.00 $227.83 $3,780 +8.83

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1303–1633 1543 11 231.00–237.00 $235.96 $3,641 -1.80
1628–1870 1750 16 238.00–246.00 $241.92 $4,234 -6.08

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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.