Sale reports / Iowa / Sheldon Livestock Auction / 2026-04-30

Sheldon Livestock Auction

Slaughter Cattle · Sheldon, Iowa · Thu, Apr 30
● Final23 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2154
Receipts
628 head
▲ 373 vs last sale 255▲ 628 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to the sale TWO weeks ago: Choice slaughter steers 10.00-12.00 higher. Choice slaughter heifers 9.00-10.00 higher. The auction consisted of two loads, half loads and plenty of smaller strings. Good demand on this large offering of quality cattle.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Beef/Dairy HeifersChoiceAverage1,542245.513,7865thin
Beef/Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,671250.524,1869thin
Beef/Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,618243.133,9345thin
Dairy HeifersChoiceAverage1,578225.003,5513thin
Dairy HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,624214.273,48029
Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,594227.603,62812
Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,652223.313,68932
HeifersChoiceAverage1,441260.713,756186
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,369256.793,51665
SteersChoiceAverage1,570259.324,071158
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,479254.873,77067

Every lot

23 lots · USDA AMS · Sheldon Livestock Slaughter Cattle - Sheldon, IA
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Slaughter Cattle · Steers10 lots · lightest first
Steers—Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed1,284267.45/cwt264.00–277.003,4348
Steers—ChoiceCertified Prgms1,386258.90/cwt258.00–261.003,58816
Steers—Select and ChoiceCertified Prgms1,388252.01/cwt250.00–262.003,49820
Steers—Select and Choice1,433254.32/cwt254.00–254.503,64421
Steers—Choice1,450258.82/cwt256.00–261.003,75339
Steers—Select and Choice1,550254.01/cwt253.00–255.003,9372
Steers—Choice1,552260.26/cwt258.00–262.504,03926
Steers—ChoiceHeavy Weight1,673258.93/cwt255.00–260.004,33269
Steers—ChoiceCertified Prgms1,693263.00/cwt263.00–263.004,4538
Steers—Select and ChoiceHeavy Weight1,742253.00/cwt253.00–253.004,40716
Slaughter Cattle · Heifers5 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed1,190263.04/cwt255.00–265.503,1309
Heifers—ChoiceCertified Prgms1,334260.13/cwt256.00–261.003,47014
Heifers—Select and Choice1,398255.78/cwt253.00–257.503,57656
Heifers—Choice1,439260.82/cwt258.75–263.503,753162
Heifers—ChoiceHeavy Weight1,619259.74/cwt257.00–260.504,20510
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Steers3 lots · lightest first
Dairy Steers—Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed1,301243.62/cwt235.00–246.003,1695
Dairy Steers—Choice1,594227.60/cwt225.00–231.003,62812
Dairy Steers—Select and Choice1,717219.55/cwt218.00–222.003,77027
Slaughter Cattle · Beef/Dairy Steers2 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Steers—Select and Choice1,618243.13/cwt241.00–244.003,9345
Beef/Dairy Steers—Choice1,671250.52/cwt247.00–252.504,1869
Slaughter Cattle · Beef/Dairy Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Heifers—Choice1,542245.51/cwt243.50–246.003,7865
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Dairy Heifers—Choice1,578225.00/cwt225.00–225.003,5513
Dairy Heifers—Select and Choice1,624214.27/cwt212.00–216.003,48029

This sale against other markets

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.