Name: Sheldon Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2025-10-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-10-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparison today, as the last Holstein dairy feeder sale was a month ago. Many large strings of dairy steers and heifer calves, along with plenty of smaller packages in the offering. The arena was full and demand was good, especially on lightweight calves.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $428.82/cwt on 17 head. That ranks 2 of 2 comparable sales and sits −24.00 against this barn's trailing median of $452.82.

Average price

$428.82

17 head · 585 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,507

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$534

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

$35.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.95

vs IA average

−40.22 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	599	435.00	2,606	14thin
Medium and Large 1-2	518	400.00	2,072	3thin

One grade step is worth $35.00/cwt here — about $534 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale17 hd

428.82

—

IA average4 barns · 138 hd

432.77

−3.95

National average176 barns · 29,227 hd

469.04

−40.22

This barn, trailing median2 sales

452.82

−24.00

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

55 lots · USDA AMS · Sheldon Livestock Feeder Cattle Special - 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
Dairy Heifers	Large 2-3	700–750	706	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,553	6
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	950–1000	963	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,841	5
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	450–500	478	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,816	10
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	650–700	686	297.07/cwt	292.50–300.00	2,038	31
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	750–800	772	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,316	3
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	800–850	825	306.00/cwt	300.00–327.50	2,525	20
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	550–600	590	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,298	3
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	1000–1050	1,028	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	2,185	3
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	250–300	271	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	813	26
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	1000–1050	1,028	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	2,185	3
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	600–650	645	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,774	3
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	750–800	791	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,622	8
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	500–550	524	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,179	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	779	331.63/cwt	330.00–335.00	2,583	54
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	810	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,823	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	599	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,606	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	994	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,734	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	503	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,987	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	371	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	2,133	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	483	472.50/cwt	450.00–495.00	2,282	6
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	716	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,757	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	868	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,517	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	904	302.69/cwt	290.00–307.50	2,736	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	749	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,584	4
Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	579	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,142	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	962	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,924	3
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	316	585.00/cwt	585.00–585.00	1,849	9
Dairy Steers	Large 3-4	850–900	895	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,103	10
Dairy Steers	Large 3	900–950	916	266.76/cwt	260.00–275.00	2,444	9
Dairy Steers	Large 3	850–900	890	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,314	10
Dairy Steers	Large 3	350–400	355	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,331	3
Dairy Steers	Large 3	650–700	699	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,887	8
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	1000–1050	1,013	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,887	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	675	405.42/cwt	385.00–415.00	2,737	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	856	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,568	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	961	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,787	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	581	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,266	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	799	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,357	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	635	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,508	5
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	700–750	742	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,041	6
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	1050–1100	1,080	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,214	3
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	529	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,301	8
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	486	451.10/cwt	450.00–452.50	2,192	14
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	588	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,558	3
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	388	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,979	15
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	1100–1150	1,128	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,538	7
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	769	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,499	4
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	363	566.81/cwt	560.00–575.00	2,058	9
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	468	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,106	12
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	950–1000	993	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,631	10
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	688	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,649	3
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	426	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,024	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,248	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	518	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,072	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	584	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,898	4

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 Feeder Cattle Special - Sheldon, IA

Thu Oct 16, 2025

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

Receipts 890Last week 899Year ago 1,100

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Heifers — Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
6	700–750	706	220.00	220.00
Dairy Heifers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
3	600–650	645	275.00	275.00
3	1000–1050	1,028	212.50	212.50
Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	550–600	579	370.00	370.00
Dairy Steers — Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
10	450–500	478	380.00	380.00
31	650–700	686	292.50–300.00	297.07
3	750–800	772	300.00	300.00
20	800–850	825	300.00–327.50	306.00
5	950–1000	963	295.00	295.00
3	1000–1050	1,013	285.00	285.00
Dairy Steers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
26	250–300	271	300.00	300.00
4	500–550	524	225.00	225.00
3	550–600	590	220.00	220.00
8	750–800	791	205.00	205.00
Dairy Steers — Large 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
10	850–900	895	235.00	235.00
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
3	350–400	355	375.00	375.00
8	650–700	699	270.00	270.00
10	850–900	890	260.00	260.00
9	900–950	916	260.00–275.00	266.76
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
3	1000–1050	1,028	212.50	212.50
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
6	700–750	742	275.00	275.00
10	950–1000	993	265.00	265.00
3	1050–1100	1,080	205.00	205.00
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
15	350–400	388	510.00	510.00
12	450–500	468	450.00	450.00
4	750–800	769	325.00	325.00
7	1100–1150	1,128	225.00	225.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	371	575.00	575.00
6	450–500	483	450.00–495.00	472.50
14	550–600	599	435.00	435.00
16	650–700	675	385.00–415.00	405.42
54	750–800	779	330.00–335.00	331.63
14	850–900	856	300.00	300.00
22	900–950	904	290.00–307.50	302.69
8	950–1000	961	290.00	290.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	518	400.00	400.00
3	700–750	725	310.00	310.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	800–850	810	225.00	225.00
3	950–1000	962	200.00	200.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	500–550	503	395.00	395.00
10	550–600	581	390.00	390.00
5	600–650	635	395.00	395.00
4	700–750	749	345.00	345.00
5	750–800	799	295.00	295.00
3	850–900	868	290.00	290.00
4	950–1000	994	275.00	275.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	550–600	584	325.00	325.00
Beef/Dairy Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
9	300–350	316	585.00	585.00
9	350–400	363	560.00–575.00	566.81
7	400–450	426	475.00	475.00
14	450–500	486	450.00–452.50	451.10
8	500–550	529	435.00	435.00
3	550–600	588	435.00	435.00
3	650–700	688	385.00	385.00
8	700–750	716	385.00	385.00

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.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

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Sheldon Livestock Auction