Name: Sheldon Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to the auction two weeks ago: Choice slaughter steers 1.00-3.00 higher, with steers over 1600 lbs bringing a premium. Choice slaughter heifers 1.00 higher. Mostly smaller strings in the offering 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.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Dairy Heifers	Choice	Average	1,741	241.77	4,209	5thin
Dairy Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,385	228.50	3,165	5thin
Dairy Steers	Choice	Average	1,757	253.81	4,459	17
Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	Average	1,717	240.31	4,126	39
Heifers	Choice	Average	1,472	258.31	3,802	93
Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,483	247.19	3,666	25
Steers	Choice	Average	1,578	259.78	4,100	132
Steers	Select and Choice	Average	1,650	254.27	4,196	14

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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,396	255.89/cwt	255.00–261.00	3,572	6
Dairy Heifers	Choice	—	1,741	241.77/cwt	238.00–243.00	4,209	5
Heifers	Choice	—	1,458	258.31/cwt	256.00–261.75	3,766	80
Steers	ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,471	258.15/cwt	257.00–262.00	3,797	13
Steers	Select and ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,711	254.15/cwt	251.00–257.00	4,349	12
Steers	ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,706	261.81/cwt	259.00–265.25	4,466	32
Steers	ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,625	257.73/cwt	256.50–260.00	4,188	3
Steers	Choice	—	1,550	259.37/cwt	255.00–261.00	4,020	82
Heifers	Select and ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,622	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	4,039	7
Heifers	Select and Choice	—	1,429	246.48/cwt	245.00–255.00	3,522	18
Heifers	ChoiceHeavy Weight	—	1,698	260.32/cwt	256.00–261.00	4,420	7
Dairy Heifers	Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed	—	1,333	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	3,033	3
Steers	Select and ChoiceCertified Prgms	—	1,285	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	3,277	2
Dairy Steers	Select and Choice	—	1,717	240.31/cwt	234.00–245.00	4,126	39
Dairy Heifers	Select and Choice	—	1,463	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	3,365	2
Dairy Steers	Choice	—	1,757	253.81/cwt	248.00–258.50	4,459	17
Steers	Choice	—	1,330	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	3,431	2

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 May 21, 2026

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

Receipts 397Last week 392Year ago 230

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,396	255.00–261.00	255.89
Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
80	—	1,458	256.00–261.75	258.31
Heifers — Select and Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,622	249.00	249.00
Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
18	—	1,429	245.00–255.00	246.48
Heifers — Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,698	256.00–261.00	260.32
Dairy Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,741	238.00–243.00	241.77
Dairy Heifers — Select and Choice · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,333	227.50	227.50
Dairy Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,463	230.00	230.00
Steers — Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	1,471	257.00–262.00	258.15
3	—	1,625	256.50–260.00	257.73
Steers — Select and Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,711	251.00–257.00	254.15
Steers — Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
32	—	1,706	259.00–265.25	261.81
Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
82	—	1,550	255.00–261.00	259.37
2	—	1,330	258.00	258.00
Steers — Select and Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,285	255.00	255.00
Dairy Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
39	—	1,717	234.00–245.00	240.31
Dairy Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
17	—	1,757	248.00–258.50	253.81

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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