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 3 of 3 comparable sales and sits +58.35 against this barn's trailing median of $423.65.

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.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

3 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $482.00, low $369.39, median $423.65 across 3 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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 median3 sales

423.65

+58.35

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

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Sheldon Livestock Auction