Name: Sheldon Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-04-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Dairy-Holstein feeder special sale. No trend applicable, as there hasn't been a recently reported sale, Mostly smaller strings in the offering today, with many consignments of Jerseys. Good demand throughout the sale.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $482.00/cwt on 10 head. That ranks 2 of 2 comparable sales and sits +29.18 against this barn's trailing median of $452.82.

Average price

$482.00

10 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,626

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$295

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

$30.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−28.65

vs IA average

−6.35 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	561	500.00	2,805	4thin
Medium and Large 1-2	534	470.00	2,510	6thin

One grade step is worth $30.00/cwt here — about $295 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale10 hd

482.00

—

IA average4 barns · 760 hd

510.65

−28.65

National average180 barns · 13,019 hd

488.35

−6.35

This barn, trailing median2 sales

452.82

+29.18

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

60 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
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	384	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	2,112	4
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	743	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,935	3
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	584	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	3,008	7
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	350–400	370	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,147	3
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	300–350	336	355.43/cwt	340.00–360.00	1,194	12
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	650–700	670	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,608	5
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	950–1000	954	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	2,934	9
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	350–400	368	362.52/cwt	350.00–375.00	1,334	6
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	750–800	785	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,591	5
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	531	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,965	10
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	402	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,090	3
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	509	461.79/cwt	440.00–490.00	2,351	7
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	900–950	914	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,605	5
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	750–800	774	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,477	5
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	405	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,985	6
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	400–450	446	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,516	5
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	900–950	910	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	3,049	3
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	850–900	866	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	2,849	12
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	800–850	844	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,490	13
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	593	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,224	4
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	516	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,806	4
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	450–500	469	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,782	4
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	950–1000	958	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,730	8
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	489	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,152	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	652	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,738	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	529	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,566	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	584	450.53/cwt	430.00–460.00	2,631	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	646	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,649	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	423	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	2,242	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	466	483.73/cwt	475.00–490.00	2,254	7
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	450–500	467	291.95/cwt	280.00–300.00	1,363	25
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	500–550	528	286.29/cwt	265.00–295.00	1,512	34
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	200–250	213	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	26
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	500–550	530	327.24/cwt	325.00–330.00	1,734	16
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	650–700	674	311.98/cwt	310.00–315.00	2,103	18
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	700–750	705	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	2,178	22
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	950–1000	995	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	2,667	31
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	400–450	407	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,425	3
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	350–400	399	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,496	7
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	900–950	906	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,582	8
Dairy Steers	Large 3-4	550–600	594	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,841	9
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	400–450	415	310.05/cwt	290.00–320.00	1,287	12
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	800–850	817	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	1,532	9
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	200–250	241	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	627	21
Dairy Heifers	Large 2-3	1150–1200	1,163	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,908	3
Dairy Heifers	Large 3-4	400–450	433	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,126	6
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	600–650	628	316.47/cwt	315.00–320.00	1,987	10
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	300–350	303	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,439	12
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	550–600	553	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,106	5
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	750–800	756	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,399	6
Dairy Heifers	Large 3-4	450–500	485	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,261	19
Dairy Heifers	Large 3-4	550–600	560	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,400	3
Dairy Heifers	Large 3-4	1100–1150	1,130	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,317	4
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	250–300	253	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	506	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	732	380.18/cwt	350.00–395.00	2,783	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	2,533	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	561	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,805	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	534	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,510	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	429	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,145	7
Dairy Heifers	Large 2-3	550–600	597	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,642	7

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 Apr 16, 2026

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

Receipts 928Last week 890Year ago 1,106

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Beef/Dairy Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	384	550.00	550.00
3	400–450	402	520.00	520.00
7	500–550	509	440.00–490.00	461.79
7	550–600	584	515.00	515.00
3	700–750	743	395.00	395.00
Beef/Dairy Steers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
6	350–400	368	350.00–375.00	362.52
5	400–450	446	340.00	340.00
10	500–550	531	370.00	370.00
5	750–800	785	330.00	330.00
12	850–900	866	329.00	329.00
3	900–950	910	335.00	335.00
9	950–1000	954	307.50	307.50
Dairy Steers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
12	300–350	336	340.00–360.00	355.43
3	350–400	370	310.00	310.00
12	400–450	415	290.00–320.00	310.05
25	450–500	467	280.00–300.00	291.95
34	500–550	528	265.00–295.00	286.29
5	650–700	670	240.00	240.00
Dairy Steers — Large 2-3$ per head · actual wt
26	200–250	213	1,600.00	1,600.00
12	300–350	303	475.00	475.00
7	350–400	399	375.00	375.00
3	400–450	407	350.00	350.00
16	500–550	530	325.00–330.00	327.24
10	600–650	628	315.00–320.00	316.47
18	650–700	674	310.00–315.00	311.98
22	700–750	705	309.00	309.00
8	900–950	906	285.00	285.00
31	950–1000	995	268.00	268.00
Dairy Steers — Large 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
9	550–600	594	310.00	310.00
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
4	450–500	469	380.00	380.00
4	500–550	516	350.00	350.00
4	550–600	593	375.00	375.00
5	750–800	774	320.00	320.00
13	800–850	844	295.00	295.00
5	900–950	914	285.00	285.00
8	950–1000	958	285.00	285.00
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	405	490.00	490.00
4	450–500	489	440.00	440.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	450–500	478	530.00	530.00
4	550–600	561	500.00	500.00
7	650–700	652	420.00	420.00
9	700–750	732	350.00–395.00	380.18
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	400–450	429	500.00	500.00
6	500–550	534	470.00	470.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	423	530.00	530.00
7	450–500	466	475.00–490.00	483.73
4	500–550	529	485.00	485.00
9	550–600	584	430.00–460.00	450.53
4	600–650	646	410.00	410.00
Dairy Heifers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
21	200–250	241	260.00	260.00
9	250–300	253	200.00	200.00
5	550–600	553	200.00	200.00
6	750–800	756	185.00	185.00
9	800–850	817	187.50	187.50
Dairy Heifers — Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
7	550–600	597	275.00	275.00
3	1150–1200	1,163	250.00	250.00
Dairy Heifers — Large 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	433	260.00	260.00
19	450–500	485	260.00	260.00
3	550–600	560	250.00	250.00
4	1100–1150	1,130	205.00	205.00

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

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

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Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

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Sheldon Livestock Auction