Cattle Market Pulse

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Sheldon, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 17, 2026

422 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 422 370 0
Slaughter cattle 422 370 0

Compared to last Thursday: Choice steers mostly steady, with steers over 1500 lbs reaching 2.00-3.00 higher. No implant steers bringing a premium. Choice slaughter heifers 2.00 higher. Several half loads, and many smaller packages in the offering today. Good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1285 1258 9 217.00–221.00 $219.72 $2,764 —
1230–1468 1369 5 211.00–217.00 $213.75 $2,926 -13.97
1313–1483 1417 32 222.00–224.50 $223.22 $3,163 —
1311–1488 1429 26 219.00–223.00 $221.86 $3,170 —
1520–1595 1558 2 210.00–216.00 $213.07 $3,320 —
1538–1590 1560 33 220.50–224.50 $223.37 $3,485 —
1603–1637 1629 9 218.75–220.00 $219.56 $3,577 —
1516–1684 1633 51 223.00–225.50 $223.96 $3,657 —
1610–1668 1652 26 221.00–226.00 $223.66 $3,695 +2.99

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1148 1077 3 248.00–250.00 $248.58 $2,677 —
1192–1425 1343 38 215.00–219.50 $217.53 $2,921 -6.93
1345–1374 1368 13 218.00–223.00 $220.53 $3,017 -1.08
1204–1468 1372 81 220.50–226.00 $223.77 $3,070 +2.16

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240 1240 3 210.00 $210.00 $2,604 —
1696 1696 9 218.50 $218.50 $3,706 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1506–1745 1554 5 205.00–213.00 $206.80 $3,214 -12.49
1423–1920 1733 16 217.50–220.50 $219.22 $3,799 +4.17

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 2 207.00 $207.00 $2,339 —
1328 1328 2 213.00 $213.00 $2,829 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1389–1725 1494 14 214.00–219.00 $216.49 $3,234 —
1741 1741 7 207.00 $207.00 $3,604 —

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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.