Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Iowa reported 130 priced lines covering 9,512 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 9,494 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,134 head.

Mon May 5, 2025

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 9,494Last week 6,768Year ago 7,737

Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,134Last week 940Year ago 1,518

Compared to last week steers less than 700 lbs sold 15.00 to 20.00 higher, over 700 lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher. Heifers sold 10.00 to 20.00 higher. Slaughter steers sold 3.00 to 6.00 higher and slaughter heifers sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady with instances 3.00 lower on lean cows and slaughter bulls sold 3.00 higher. Demand was good to very good for all reported livestock this week. With the upward surge in the market cattlemen continue to pay record prices for cattle going to summer grass, into the backgrounding lot or into the feedlot. Slaughter steers and heifers hit the 230.00 live market at area reporting fat cattle sales this week. Wow! Some rain showers across different areas of the state. Per Nass: Topsoil moisture condition rated 76 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 71 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Corn planted reached 49 percent, 3 days ahead of last year but 2 days behind the 5-year average. Corn emerged reached 10 percent, 2 days ahead of last year's pace and 3 days ahead of normal. Thirty-eight percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, one week ahead of last year and 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybeans emerged reached 5 percent.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	200–250	239	485.00–500.00	490.03
41	300–350	335	455.00–490.00	471.69
154	350–400	377	350.00–487.50	451.77
214	400–450	428	347.50–450.00	424.97
240	450–500	479	350.00–412.00	387.69
439	500–550	527	337.00–410.00	364.09
372	550–600	576	310.00–350.00	335.27
278	600–650	621	296.00–342.50	320.86
321	650–700	684	280.00–317.50	308.55
299	700–750	734	272.25–308.00	296.20
228	750–800	766	248.00–300.25	290.28
242	800–850	819	251.00–292.00	283.13
255	850–900	862	258.00–290.00	275.02
65	900–950	924	275.00	275.00
4	950–1000	985	256.00	256.00
12	1050–1100	1,053	255.00	255.00
9	1150–1200	1,177	206.00	206.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
21	350–400	369	440.00–465.00	452.44
22	400–450	435	400.00–407.50	404.64
108	450–500	472	367.50–384.00	378.67
97	500–550	535	331.00–342.00	340.45
23	550–600	585	315.00	315.00
8	600–650	649	295.00	295.00
6	650–700	680	280.00	280.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
9	450–500	460	345.00	345.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	366	410.00	410.00
35	400–450	432	390.00–407.50	396.08
13	450–500	475	360.00–370.00	366.03
89	500–550	524	325.00–357.00	345.32
29	550–600	584	305.00–320.00	313.36
20	600–650	638	283.00–310.00	295.54
9	650–700	685	275.00–288.00	283.78
30	800–850	829	247.50–257.00	252.65
12	850–900	858	231.00	231.00
17	1050–1100	1,072	215.00	215.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
88	500–550	524	341.00–392.00	372.16
65	650–700	686	302.00–315.00	308.13
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
31	700–750	745	251.00	251.00
4	850–900	865	250.00	250.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
44	300–350	331	470.00–510.00	487.12
97	350–400	381	390.00–515.00	480.51
174	400–450	422	435.00–500.00	474.91
244	450–500	467	400.00–469.00	435.67
311	500–550	523	350.00–440.00	412.19
395	550–600	573	347.00–409.00	391.58
491	600–650	625	334.00–391.50	368.39
340	650–700	664	310.00–370.00	352.50
369	700–750	723	293.00–348.25	330.57
122	750–800	770	285.00–347.50	322.18
402	800–850	827	278.00–315.00	304.94
435	850–900	861	280.50–311.00	304.17
39	900–950	913	242.50–281.50	271.41
25	950–1000	990	257.00–262.00	258.21
6	1000–1050	1,010	237.00	237.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	300–350	334	485.00	485.00
4	350–400	398	460.00	460.00
20	400–450	418	425.00–447.50	437.32
52	450–500	481	390.00–420.00	406.75
66	500–550	530	360.00–390.00	378.68
64	550–600	584	330.00–360.00	346.80
45	600–650	615	324.00–351.00	341.82
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
7	200–250	242	429.00	429.00
5	500–550	546	325.00	325.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	300–350	336	425.00–450.00	435.30
31	350–400	373	354.00–460.00	430.51
49	400–450	427	425.00–460.00	433.69
53	450–500	479	390.00–425.00	407.61
91	500–550	525	300.00–386.00	375.22
57	550–600	584	315.00–357.50	337.62
21	600–650	615	325.00–356.00	337.92
101	650–700	683	281.00–325.00	315.08
75	700–750	730	270.00–316.00	296.07
18	750–800	773	280.00–292.50	286.78
19	800–850	821	252.00–277.00	265.05
10	850–900	863	270.00–280.00	276.93
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
15	500–550	527	381.00	381.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
82	450–500	467	470.00–472.50	470.24
20	600–650	601	391.00	391.00
4	650–700	660	372.00	372.00
88	700–750	717	345.00–348.75	346.50
50	850–900	879	295.50	295.50
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	650–700	685	297.00–299.00	297.51
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	383	370.00	370.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	400–450	426	433.00	433.00
9	550–600	580	355.00	355.00
13	600–650	637	322.50	322.50
5	650–700	679	297.50	297.50

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
33	—	1,562	150.00–178.00	160.90
4	—	1,561	132.00–137.00	134.49
34	—	1,468	140.00–153.00	147.02
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
35	—	1,348	131.00–147.00	138.02
2	—	1,328	123.00–126.00	124.32
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
22	—	1,143	146.50–211.00	163.47
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	925	172.50–197.50	182.66
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
18	—	1,254	109.00–132.00	123.51
5	—	1,022	60.00–104.00	94.35
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	933	117.50–138.00	131.74
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
24	—	1,318	139.00–193.00	157.80
Beef/Dairy Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,630	216.00–220.00	217.30
6	—	1,497	224.00–226.00	225.00
Beef/Dairy Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,755	200.00–209.00	205.02
4	—	1,410	214.00	214.00
Beef/Dairy Steers — Select and Choice · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,238	210.00	210.00
Heifers — Choice and Prime$ per cwt · actual wt
74	—	1,360	227.00–232.00	228.91
Heifers — Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,550	230.00	230.00
Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
112	—	1,356	218.00–230.00	226.44
Heifers — Select · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,041	183.00–222.50	209.81
Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,206	205.00–218.00	212.80
14	—	1,389	221.00–223.00	222.18
Heifers — Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,640	225.00	225.00
Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
69	—	1,545	226.50–229.50	227.72
38	—	1,418	218.00–226.00	223.48
43	—	1,429	221.00–227.00	225.74
Steers — Choice and Prime · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,720	228.00–231.00	228.75
Steers — Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
56	—	1,657	226.50–232.00	228.33
Steers — Choice and Prime$ per cwt · actual wt
139	—	1,472	227.00–235.00	229.58
Steers — Select and Choice · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	1,644	217.00–223.00	220.21
Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,337	210.00–217.00	214.31
Steers — Select · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	1,145	201.00–226.00	213.49
Steers — Choice · Certified Prgms$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,625	224.50–230.00	227.47
Dairy Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
62	—	1,622	187.50–212.00	192.47
Dairy Steers — Select$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,417	148.00–175.00	167.72
Dairy Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
26	—	1,560	179.00–189.50	185.22
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,643	225.50	225.50
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,522	204.00–212.00	209.04
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,144	187.50–229.00	201.79
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	2,073	131.00–138.00	135.84
14	—	1,783	150.00–191.00	175.83
4	—	1,906	190.00–200.00	194.44
Dairy Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,304	190.00–196.00	191.27

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.

Source: USDA AMS, as filed — nothing recomputed and nothing rounded. This summary aggregates the same sales the Iowa barn reports cover, so it must never be added to a state total built from those barns.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Iowa Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

The state in one line