Sale reports / Iowa / Sheldon Livestock Auction / 2026-05-07

Sheldon Livestock Auction

Slaughter Cattle · Sheldon, Iowa · Thu, May 7
● Final19 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2154
Receipts
392 head
236 vs last sale 628 17 vs year ago 409 · 4.2%
Also sold hereFeeder Cattle SpecialThu Aug 20, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Thursday: Choice slaughter steers were steady to 2.00 lower. Choice slaughter heifers 3.00-4.00 lower. No implant and steers over 1600 lbs bringing a premium today. CME live cattle futures down 3.00. The auction consisted of a load lot of heifers, several half loads and many smaller strings. Good demand for this moderate offering of quality cattle.

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 SteersChoiceAverage1,390237.823,30610
Dairy HeifersChoiceAverage1,327226.043,0004thin
Dairy HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,507219.473,3074thin
Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,751234.714,1109thin
Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,617228.713,69910
HeifersChoiceAverage1,451257.073,730103
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,242252.153,13230
SteersChoiceAverage1,582257.804,079107
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,688252.324,26054

Every lot, as filed

19 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
SteersChoiceCertified Prgms1,662257.78/cwt255.50–261.254,28424
SteersChoiceHeavy Weight1,653258.56/cwt256.50–261.004,27438
SteersSelect and ChoiceCertified Prgms1,741252.08/cwt250.75–253.754,38931
SteersChoice1,538258.34/cwt257.00–259.253,97317
Dairy SteersSelect and Choice1,551228.58/cwt226.00–229.003,5457
SteersSelect and ChoiceReturn to Feed1,210259.00/cwt259.00–259.003,1344
Dairy SteersChoice1,751234.71/cwt232.00–237.004,1109
Dairy HeifersSelect and Choice1,507219.47/cwt219.00–220.003,3074
Dairy HeifersChoice1,327226.04/cwt223.00–227.003,0004
SteersSelect and Choice1,554251.72/cwt250.00–252.003,9127
Beef/Dairy SteersChoice1,390237.82/cwt235.00–240.003,30610
SteersSelect and ChoiceHeavy Weight1,790251.08/cwt251.00–252.004,49412
Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceCertified Prgms1,772229.00/cwt229.00–229.004,0583
SteersChoice1,445256.45/cwt255.50–260.003,70628
HeifersChoiceCertified Prgms1,478257.40/cwt254.00–259.253,80419
HeifersSelect and Choice1,361249.42/cwt248.00–253.503,39511
HeifersChoiceHeavy Weight1,653255.50/cwt255.50–255.504,2232
HeifersSelect and ChoiceReturn to Feed1,173253.73/cwt250.00–265.002,97619
HeifersChoice1,440257.03/cwt255.25–259.753,70182

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.