Name: Sheldon Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-04-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to the sale TWO weeks ago: Choice slaughter steers 7.00-9.00 higher, with steers over 1500 lbs bringing 9.00-12.00 higher. Choice slaughter heifers 10.00 higher. Choice dairy steers 6.00 higher. The auction consisted of several half loads and many smaller strings. Good demand throughout the sale.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Choice	Average	1,629	240.82	3,923	7thin
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,375	229.36	3,154	4thin
Beef/Dairy Steers	Choice	Average	1,694	242.12	4,102	24
Beef/Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	Average	1,647	233.68	3,849	19
Dairy Heifers	Choice	Average	1,473	224.45	3,306	6thin
Dairy Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,498	219.87	3,293	64
Dairy Steers	Choice	Average	1,730	232.64	4,025	13
Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	Average	1,677	223.91	3,755	19
Heifers	Choice	Average	1,488	247.55	3,683	123
Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,403	242.82	3,408	35
Steers	Choice	Average	1,578	248.04	3,913	179
Steers	Select and Choice	Average	1,547	242.58	3,754	41

Every lot, as filed

26 lots · USDA AMS · Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle - Sheldon, 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	Choice	—	1,469	247.52/cwt	244.00–250.25	3,636	101
Heifers	Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed	—	1,218	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	3,136	2
Heifers	ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,600	247.76/cwt	245.00–248.00	3,964	13
Heifers	Select and ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,281	239.55/cwt	238.00–240.00	3,069	4
Heifers	Select and Choice	—	1,398	242.47/cwt	240.00–243.50	3,390	25
Heifers	Select and ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,653	240.98/cwt	240.00–242.00	3,983	4
Dairy Steers	Choice	—	1,730	232.64/cwt	230.00–235.00	4,025	13
Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	—	1,677	223.91/cwt	221.00–225.00	3,755	19
Steers	Select and ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,676	242.16/cwt	239.00–243.50	4,059	14
Steers	Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed	—	1,315	245.50/cwt	245.50–245.50	3,228	3
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Choice	—	1,629	240.82/cwt	239.00–241.50	3,923	7
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Select and Choice	—	1,375	229.36/cwt	225.00–231.00	3,154	4
Dairy Heifers	Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed	—	1,294	225.37/cwt	223.00–231.00	2,916	21
Dairy Heifers	Select and Choice	—	1,597	217.19/cwt	214.00–221.00	3,469	43
Steers	Choice	—	1,559	248.33/cwt	247.50–249.00	3,871	56
Steers	Select and ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,721	241.79/cwt	237.00–243.00	4,161	6
Beef/Dairy Steers	Choice	—	1,694	242.12/cwt	239.00–244.75	4,102	24
Beef/Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	—	1,647	233.68/cwt	230.00–238.00	3,849	19
Steers	Select and Choice	—	1,415	242.29/cwt	240.00–243.50	3,428	12
Steers	ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,678	248.01/cwt	245.25–257.00	4,162	57
Steers	ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,585	247.84/cwt	244.00–249.00	3,928	30
Steers	Select and ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,455	243.47/cwt	242.00–243.75	3,542	6
Steers	ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,475	249.75/cwt	249.00–250.00	3,684	4
Dairy Heifers	Choice	—	1,473	224.45/cwt	223.00–230.00	3,306	6
Heifers	ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,537	247.62/cwt	245.00–248.50	3,806	9
Steers	Choice	—	1,437	247.55/cwt	245.00–249.50	3,557	32

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 →

Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle - Sheldon, IA

Thu Apr 9, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Des Moines, IA (LS-NW)

Receipts 584Last week 554Year ago 321

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
101	—	1,469	244.00–250.25	247.52
Heifers — Select and Choice · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,218	257.50	257.50
Heifers — Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	1,600	245.00–248.00	247.76
Heifers — Select and Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,281	238.00–240.00	239.55
Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
25	—	1,398	240.00–243.50	242.47
Heifers — Select and Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,653	240.00–242.00	240.98
Heifers — Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,537	245.00–248.50	247.62
Dairy Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	1,730	230.00–235.00	232.64
Dairy Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
19	—	1,677	221.00–225.00	223.91
Steers — Select and Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,676	239.00–243.50	242.16
Steers — Select and Choice · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,315	245.50	245.50
Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
56	—	1,559	247.50–249.00	248.33
32	—	1,437	245.00–249.50	247.55
Steers — Select and Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,721	237.00–243.00	241.79
6	—	1,455	242.00–243.75	243.47
Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,415	240.00–243.50	242.29
Steers — Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
57	—	1,678	245.25–257.00	248.01
Steers — Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
30	—	1,585	244.00–249.00	247.84
4	—	1,475	249.00–250.00	249.75
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,629	239.00–241.50	240.82
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,375	225.00–231.00	229.36
Dairy Heifers — Select and Choice · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
21	—	1,294	223.00–231.00	225.37
Dairy Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
43	—	1,597	214.00–221.00	217.19
Dairy Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,473	223.00–230.00	224.45
Beef/Dairy Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
24	—	1,694	239.00–244.75	242.12
Beef/Dairy Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
19	—	1,647	230.00–238.00	233.68

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

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