Name: Sheldon Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-09-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Dairy-Holstein feeder cattle sale. No comparison, as the last sale was a month ago. Lower trend noted. Mostly smaller strings of young calves in the offering today. Smaller crowd and lighter offering, as harvest has begun in the area. Good demand.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $321.71/cwt on 13 head, down $14.95 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −63.68 against this barn's trailing median of $385.39.

Average price

$321.71

▼ 14.95 vs prior sale

13 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,778

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$413

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

$49.36/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−72.66

vs IA average

−32.60 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	573	344.49	1,974	7thin
Medium and Large 1-2	529	295.13	1,561	6thin

One grade step is worth $49.36/cwt here — about $413 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

4 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $461.14, low $321.71, median $385.39 across 4 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 sale13 hd

321.71

—

IA average6 barns · 829 hd

394.36

−72.66

National average171 barns · 9,246 hd

354.31

−32.60

This barn, trailing median4 sales

385.39

−63.68

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

42 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	302.90/cwt	300.00–305.00	2,166	7
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,115	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,676	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	573	344.49/cwt	330.00–355.00	1,974	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	755	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,152	4
Dairy Steers	Large 3-4	150–200	170	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	510	3
Dairy Steers	Large 3	150–200	176	780.59/head	750.00–800.00	781	14
Dairy Steers	Large 3	200–250	235	1,089.24/head	800.00–1,200.00	1,089	39
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	250–300	274	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	617	4
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	550–600	595	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,666	4
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	950–1000	990	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,475	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	433	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,884	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	265	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,259	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	621	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,236	9
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	735	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	2,223	6
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	399	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,835	4
Beef/Dairy Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	385	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,733	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	452	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,288	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	529	295.13/cwt	290.00–300.00	1,561	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	768	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,728	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	909	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	2,563	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	399.85/cwt	380.00–418.00	1,911	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	542	369.39/cwt	365.00–390.00	2,002	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	706	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,418	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	880	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,596	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	100–150	103	750.00/head	750.00–750.00	750	3
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	850–900	869	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,608	4
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	900–950	920	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	1,674	8
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	750–800	797	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,395	6
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 3-4	400–450	419	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	922	5
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	300–350	318	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,034	6
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	350–400	387	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,393	3
Dairy Heifers	Small and Medium 4	750–800	755	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,095	7
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 4	400–450	400	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,100	7
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 4	300–350	318	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	827	5
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 4	350–400	385	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	943	10
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	150–200	161	660.00/head	660.00–660.00	660	27
Dairy Steers	Small and Medium 3-4	200–250	226	810.00/head	810.00–810.00	810	9
Dairy Steers	Large 3	250–300	268	1,228.81/head	1,075.00–1,335.00	1,229	14
Dairy Steers	Large 3	200–250	214	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,038	5
Dairy Steers	Large 3	450–500	470	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,410	3
Steers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,088	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	2,796	4
Heifers	Large 1	1000–1050	1,034	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	2,657	11

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 Sep 17, 2026

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

Receipts 651Last week 939Year ago 0

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
13	450–500	478	380.00–418.00	399.85
7	550–600	573	330.00–355.00	344.49
9	600–650	621	360.00	360.00
7	700–750	715	300.00–305.00	302.90
4	750–800	755	285.00	285.00
15	900–950	909	282.00	282.00
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	1000–1050	1,034	257.00	257.00
3	1100–1150	1,115	240.00	240.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
13	450–500	452	285.00	285.00
6	500–550	529	290.00–300.00	295.13
Dairy Steers — Large 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
3	150–200	170	300.00	300.00
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per head · actual wt
14	150–200	176	750.00–800.00	780.59
39	200–250	235	800.00–1,200.00	1,089.24
5	200–250	214	485.00	485.00
14	250–300	268	1,075.00–1,335.00	1,228.81
3	450–500	470	300.00	300.00
Dairy Steers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
27	150–200	161	660.00	660.00
9	200–250	226	810.00	810.00
6	300–350	318	325.00	325.00
3	350–400	387	360.00	360.00
Dairy Steers — Small and Medium 4$ per cwt · actual wt
5	300–350	318	260.00	260.00
10	350–400	385	245.00	245.00
7	400–450	400	275.00	275.00
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
4	250–300	274	225.00	225.00
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	399	460.00	460.00
6	700–750	735	302.50	302.50
Beef/Dairy Steers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
4	550–600	595	280.00	280.00
3	950–1000	990	250.00	250.00
Beef/Dairy Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	350–400	385	450.00	450.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	100–150	103	750.00	750.00
3	250–300	265	475.00	475.00
4	400–450	433	435.00	435.00
17	500–550	542	365.00–390.00	369.39
6	700–750	706	342.50	342.50
4	850–900	880	295.00	295.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	750–800	768	225.00	225.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1050–1100	1,088	257.00	257.00
Dairy Heifers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
5	400–450	419	220.00	220.00
6	750–800	797	175.00	175.00
4	850–900	869	185.00	185.00
8	900–950	920	182.00	182.00
Dairy Heifers — Small and Medium 4$ per cwt · actual wt
7	750–800	755	145.00	145.00

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.

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Sheldon Livestock Auction