Sale reports / Iowa / Sheldon Livestock Auction / 2026-05-07

Sheldon Livestock Auction

Slaughter Cattle · Sheldon, Iowa · Thu, May 7
● Final19 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2154
Receipts
392 head
▼ 236 vs last sale 628▼ 17 vs year ago 409 · −4.2%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Thursday: Choice slaughter steers were steady to 2.00 lower. Choice slaughter heifers 3.00-4.00 lower. No implant and steers over 1600 lbs bringing a premium today. CME live cattle futures down 3.00. The auction consisted of a load lot of heifers, several half loads and many smaller strings. Good demand for this moderate 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 SteersChoiceAverage1,390237.823,30610
Dairy HeifersChoiceAverage1,327226.043,0004thin
Dairy HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,507219.473,3074thin
Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,751234.714,1109thin
Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,617228.713,69910
HeifersChoiceAverage1,451257.073,730103
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,242252.153,13230
SteersChoiceAverage1,582257.804,079107
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,688252.324,26054

Every lot

19 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 · Steers8 lots · lightest first
Steers—Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed1,210259.00/cwt259.00–259.003,1344
Steers—Choice1,445256.45/cwt255.50–260.003,70628
Steers—Choice1,538258.34/cwt257.00–259.253,97317
Steers—Select and Choice1,554251.72/cwt250.00–252.003,9127
Steers—ChoiceHeavy Weight1,653258.56/cwt256.50–261.004,27438
Steers—ChoiceCertified Prgms1,662257.78/cwt255.50–261.254,28424
Steers—Select and ChoiceCertified Prgms1,741252.08/cwt250.75–253.754,38931
Steers—Select and ChoiceHeavy Weight1,790251.08/cwt251.00–252.004,49412
Slaughter Cattle · Heifers5 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed1,173253.73/cwt250.00–265.002,97619
Heifers—Select and Choice1,361249.42/cwt248.00–253.503,39511
Heifers—Choice1,440257.03/cwt255.25–259.753,70182
Heifers—ChoiceCertified Prgms1,478257.40/cwt254.00–259.253,80419
Heifers—ChoiceHeavy Weight1,653255.50/cwt255.50–255.504,2232
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Steers3 lots · lightest first
Dairy Steers—Select and Choice1,551228.58/cwt226.00–229.003,5457
Dairy Steers—Choice1,751234.71/cwt232.00–237.004,1109
Dairy Steers—Select and ChoiceCertified Prgms1,772229.00/cwt229.00–229.004,0583
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Dairy Heifers—Choice1,327226.04/cwt223.00–227.003,0004
Dairy Heifers—Select and Choice1,507219.47/cwt219.00–220.003,3074
Slaughter Cattle · Beef/Dairy Steers1 lot · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Steers—Choice1,390237.82/cwt235.00–240.003,30610

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.