Sale reports / Iowa / Sheldon Livestock Auction / 2026-04-16

Sheldon Livestock Auction

Slaughter Cattle · Sheldon, Iowa · Thu, Apr 16
● Final17 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2154
Receipts
255 head
329 vs last sale 584 41 vs year ago 214 · +19.2%
Also sold hereFeeder Cattle SpecialThu Jun 18, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Thursday; Choice slaughter steers steady to 1.00 lower, with steers over 1500 lbs steady to 1.00 higher. Choice slaughter heifers 3.00 higher. Dairy steers mostly steady. No implant cattle bringing a premium. The auction consisted of mainly smaller strings today. Good demand.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Beef/Dairy HeifersChoiceAverage1,288242.353,12114
Beef/Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,568249.503,9122thin
Beef/Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,251238.762,9877thin
Dairy HeifersChoiceAverage1,666218.843,64611
Dairy HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,635207.233,3889thin
Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,636232.023,7967thin
Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,624223.913,63612
HeifersChoiceAverage1,447250.473,62460
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,534237.003,6365thin
SteersChoiceAverage1,528249.153,80673
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,651239.753,9588thin

Every lot, as filed

17 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
HeifersChoiceCertified Prgms1,394250.72/cwt247.00–253.003,49520
HeifersSelect and ChoiceHeavy Weight1,618235.00/cwt235.00–235.003,8023
HeifersChoice1,473250.35/cwt247.00–251.503,68840
HeifersSelect and Choice1,408240.00/cwt240.00–240.003,3792
SteersChoice1,402246.06/cwt244.50–249.003,45015
SteersChoice1,552249.17/cwt247.00–251.503,86722
Beef/Dairy SteersChoice1,568249.50/cwt249.50–249.503,9122
Beef/Dairy SteersSelect and Choice1,251238.76/cwt238.00–240.002,9877
Beef/Dairy HeifersChoice1,271241.82/cwt240.25–245.003,07412
Beef/Dairy HeifersChoiceCertified Prgms1,388245.50/cwt245.50–245.503,4082
SteersChoiceHeavy Weight1,744248.24/cwt247.00–250.004,32918
SteersSelect and ChoiceHeavy Weight1,651239.75/cwt239.75–239.753,9588
SteersChoiceCertified Prgms1,386252.63/cwt249.00–254.003,50118
Dairy HeifersChoice1,666218.84/cwt217.00–223.503,64611
Dairy HeifersSelect and Choice1,635207.23/cwt206.00–212.003,3889
Dairy SteersChoice1,636232.02/cwt227.00–234.503,7967
Dairy SteersSelect and Choice1,624223.91/cwt219.00–226.003,63612

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.