Name: Central Plains Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-02-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-02-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparison stated for today's feeder calf and yearling auction as the previous sale was in January. Today's light offering consisted of green, home - raised, LTW'd feeder calves /yearling cattle from reputation herds. Internet bidding was very active. Demand was very good. Trade was active.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $461.84/cwt on 28 head, down $10.32 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −9.19 against this barn's trailing median of $471.03.

Average price

$461.84

▼ 10.32 vs prior sale

28 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,509

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$300

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2

$37.57/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−24.23

vs IA average

−25.51 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	550	472.58	2,597	20
Medium and Large 1-2	528	435.00	2,297	8thin

One grade step is worth $37.57/cwt here — about $300 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

4 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $474.63, low $461.84, median $471.03 across 4 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale28 hd

461.84

—

IA average7 barns · 1,171 hd

486.07

−24.23

National average178 barns · 13,390 hd

487.35

−25.51

This barn, trailing median4 sales

471.03

−9.19

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

25 lots · USDA AMS · Central Plains Stockyards Livestock Auction - Humeston, IA

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	600–650	621	408.00/cwt	408.00–408.00	2,534	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	800–850	841	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,628	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	800–850	823	360.25/cwt	360.25–360.25	2,965	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	700–750	700	421.25/cwt	421.25–421.25	2,949	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	650–700	678	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,915	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	900–950	942	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	3,062	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	718	411.75/cwt	411.75–411.75	2,956	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	586	452.00/cwt	452.00–452.00	2,649	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	513	493.15/cwt	480.00–525.00	2,530	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	777	378.58/cwt	371.00–390.50	2,942	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	685	414.82/cwt	407.00–426.50	2,842	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	675	369.40/cwt	367.00–375.00	2,493	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	533	442.30/cwt	430.00–465.00	2,357	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	623	426.17/cwt	423.00–427.00	2,655	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	566	422.43/cwt	412.50–435.00	2,391	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	477	448.06/cwt	440.00–452.50	2,137	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	428	522.57/cwt	495.00–535.00	2,237	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	818	344.81/cwt	341.00–350.00	2,821	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	728	378.00/cwt	375.00–380.00	2,752	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	850–900	860	359.75/cwt	359.75–359.75	3,094	66
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	459	482.67/cwt	470.00–500.00	2,215	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,297	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	634	399.43/cwt	399.00–400.00	2,532	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	532.50/cwt	530.00–535.00	2,540	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	836	327.33/cwt	325.00–329.00	2,736	12

How this sale compares

Iowa weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Iowa auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Iowa feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →