Sale reports / Iowa / Sheldon Livestock Auction / 2026-05-21

Sheldon Livestock Auction

Name: Sheldon Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-21

Feeder Cattle · Sheldon, Iowa · Thu, May 21

● Final44 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2157

← Apr 16May 21Jun 18 →

Receipts

661 head

▼ 267 vs last sale 928▲ 661 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Also sold hereSlaughter/Replacement CattleThu Oct 22, 2026

View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Dairy-Holstein feeder special sale. No trend applicable, as the last auction was over a month ago. Mostly smaller strings in the offering today. Big crowd in the arena, and good demand throughout the sale.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $483.33/cwt on 9 head, up $1.33 from the prior sale (only 10 head in that comparison). That ranks 4 of 3 comparable sales and sits +59.69 against this barn's trailing median of $423.65.

Average price

$483.33

▲ 1.33 vs prior sale

9 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,629

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$76

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

$50.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−16.77

vs IA average

+8.85 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	530	500.00	2,650	6thin
Medium and Large 1-2	572	450.00	2,574	3thin

One grade step is worth $50.00/cwt here — about $76 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale9 hd

483.33

—

IA average6 barns · 1,327 hd

500.11

−16.77

National average171 barns · 13,387 hd

474.48

+8.85

This barn, trailing median3 sales

423.65

+59.69

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

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.

Every lot

44 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. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers9 lots · lightest first
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1	455	514.20/cwt	500.00–525.00	2,340	23
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	530	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,650	6
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 1-2	572	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,574	3
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	640	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	3,040	5
Steers	700–750	Medium and Large 1	725	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	3,081	5
Steers	750–800	Medium and Large 1	788	330.26/cwt	325.00–360.00	2,602	19
Steers	800–850	Medium and Large 1	822	344.14/cwt	335.00–351.00	2,829	19
Steers	950–1000	Medium and Large 1	975	312.55/cwt	307.00–318.00	3,047	42
Steers	1200–1250	Large 1	1,223	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	2,782	4
Feeder Cattle · Heifers10 lots · lightest first
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1	447	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,324	3
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	514	437.54/cwt	430.00–440.00	2,249	12
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1	597	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,567	10
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1-2	611	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,322	9
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	633	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,912	3
Heifers	750–800	Medium and Large 1	766	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,681	16
Heifers	750–800	Medium and Large 1-2	796	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,468	8
Heifers	800–850	Medium and Large 1-2	810	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,349	5
Heifers	850–900	Medium and Large 1	897	310.38/cwt	310.00–311.00	2,784	13
Heifers	1150–1200	Large 1	1,168	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,593	6
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Heifers11 lots · lightest first
Dairy Heifers	100–150	Small and Medium 3-4	130	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	390	14
Dairy Heifers	150–200	Large 3-4	190	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	475	23
Dairy Heifers	350–400	Large 3	394	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,221	8
Dairy Heifers	850–900	Small and Medium 3-4	868	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,736	4
Dairy Heifers	950–1000	Large 3-4	982	221.53/cwt	215.00–234.00	2,175	18
Dairy Heifers	1000–1050	Large 3-4	1,025	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	2,388	2
Dairy Heifers	1100–1150	Large 3	1,127	242.14/cwt	232.50–249.00	2,729	19
Dairy Heifers	1150–1200	Large 3	1,176	237.48/cwt	224.00–247.00	2,793	22
Dairy Heifers	1200–1250	Large 3	1,233	239.70/cwt	230.00–247.00	2,956	7
Dairy Heifers	1250–1300	Large 3	1,263	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,842	9
Dairy Heifers	1350–1400	Large 3	1,351	233.50/cwt	233.50–233.50	3,155	5
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Heifers5 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 2	411	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,199	7
Beef/Dairy Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 2	468	533.93/cwt	510.00–540.00	2,499	20
Beef/Dairy Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 2	582	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,503	5
Beef/Dairy Heifers	700–750	Medium and Large 2	715	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,431	3
Beef/Dairy Heifers	800–850	Medium and Large 2-3	831	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,285	6
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Steers5 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Steers	150–200	Medium and Large 2-3	152	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	912	5
Beef/Dairy Steers	400–450	Medium and Large 2-3	434	595.65/cwt	590.00–605.00	2,585	18
Beef/Dairy Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 2-3	527	548.65/cwt	535.00–552.50	2,891	23
Beef/Dairy Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 2-3	670	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,747	4
Beef/Dairy Steers	750–800	Medium and Large 2-3	757	359.50/cwt	355.00–365.00	2,721	9
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Steers4 lots · lightest first
Dairy Steers	500–550	Large 3	521	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,084	5
Dairy Steers	550–600	Small and Medium 3-4	561	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,543	6
Dairy Steers	600–650	Large 3	615	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,522	16
Dairy Steers	800–850	Large 3-4	843	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,023	5

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.

Iowa feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Sheldon Livestock Feeder Cattle Special - Sheldon, IA

Thu May 21, 2026

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

Receipts 661Last week 928Year ago 0

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
23	450–500	455	500.00–525.00	514.20
6	500–550	530	500.00	500.00
5	600–650	640	475.00	475.00
5	700–750	725	425.00	425.00
19	750–800	788	325.00–360.00	330.26
19	800–850	822	335.00–351.00	344.14
42	950–1000	975	307.00–318.00	312.55

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	550–600	572	450.00	450.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1200–1250	1,223	227.50	227.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Heifers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
14	100–150	130	300.00	300.00
4	850–900	868	200.00	200.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Heifers — Large 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
23	150–200	190	250.00	250.00
18	950–1000	982	215.00–234.00	221.53
2	1000–1050	1,025	233.00	233.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Heifers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
8	350–400	394	310.00	310.00
19	1100–1150	1,127	232.50–249.00	242.14
22	1150–1200	1,176	224.00–247.00	237.48
7	1200–1250	1,233	230.00–247.00	239.70
9	1250–1300	1,263	225.00	225.00
5	1350–1400	1,351	233.50	233.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
6	800–850	831	275.00	275.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	400–450	411	535.00	535.00
20	450–500	468	510.00–540.00	533.93
5	550–600	582	430.00	430.00
3	700–750	715	340.00	340.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	447	520.00	520.00
12	500–550	514	430.00–440.00	437.54
10	550–600	597	430.00	430.00
3	600–650	633	460.00	460.00
16	750–800	766	350.00	350.00
13	850–900	897	310.00–311.00	310.38

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
9	600–650	611	380.00	380.00
8	750–800	796	310.00	310.00
5	800–850	810	290.00	290.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	1150–1200	1,168	222.00	222.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Beef/Dairy Steers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
5	150–200	152	600.00	600.00
18	400–450	434	590.00–605.00	595.65
23	500–550	527	535.00–552.50	548.65
4	650–700	670	410.00	410.00
9	750–800	757	355.00–365.00	359.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Steers — Large 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
5	800–850	843	240.00	240.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
5	500–550	521	400.00	400.00
16	600–650	615	410.00	410.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Steers — Small and Medium 3-4$ per cwt · actual wt
6	550–600	561	275.00	275.00

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.