Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 6, 2026

470 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 470 545 0
Slaughter cattle 470 545 0

Compared to the sale two weeks ago: Choice slaughter steers 2.00 higher, with steers over 1500 lbs 3.00-4.00 higher. Choice slaughter heifers 3.00 higher. The auction consisted of one full load, three half loads and many smaller strings. Good demand for this offering of high quality cattle.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1285 1260 2 244.00–246.00 $244.98 $3,087
1308 1308 3 241.50 $241.50 $3,159 +1.84
1339–1490 1422 37 238.50–244.00 $241.01 $3,427 +2.16
1250–1483 1439 13 230.00–237.75 $234.58 $3,376 -4.27
1520–1593 1559 21 241.00–245.00 $242.49 $3,780 +8.63
1574–1593 1580 20 235.00–238.50 $236.06 $3,730 -3.83
1525–1653 1635 7 238.00–239.00 $238.13 $3,893 -0.66
1606–1813 1673 99 240.50–244.25 $242.34 $4,054

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1408 1303 39 233.00–237.75 $236.28 $3,079 +2.99
1319–1365 1328 5 237.50–242.00 $241.08 $3,202 +1.56
1278–1552 1428 58 240.00–244.00 $242.49 $3,463
1494 1494 4 236.00 $236.00 $3,526
1677–1686 1681 9 238.50–242.75 $240.86 $4,049

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1520 1387 3 224.00–229.00 $226.85 $3,146
1568 1568 5 239.00 $239.00 $3,748

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1053 1053 3 227.00 $227.00 $2,390
1556–1602 1576 7 225.00–228.00 $226.31 $3,567
1650–1816 1776 7 235.00–239.50 $238.54 $4,236

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1626–1634 1629 26 209.00–217.00 $213.53 $3,478

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1347–1675 1512 11 228.00–232.00 $229.67 $3,473
1571–1722 1658 14 222.00–225.00 $223.74 $3,710
1460–1865 1682 5 237.00–239.00 $237.62 $3,997

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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.