Creston Livestock market report — October 7, 2026

Creston, IA · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/07/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

1,440

Last sale (Aug 26) 2,376 (−936)
Last year —

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$422.45 /cwt

$2,223 per head · 40 hd
vs last week —

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$351.66 /cwt

$2,644 per head · 118 hd
vs last week —

No recent special yearling - feeder calf auction for comparison to today. Available today were many load lots of green yearling steers and heifers along with high quality, home - raised new crop calves. Many calves were just of the cow but on a strong vaccination program. Demand was very good. Active internet bidding. The next scheduled feeder special is Nov. 4
USDA Market News reporter, October 7, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 7

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. No sale last week to compare. Last year = sale of Oct 1. Unweaned = calves sold straight off the cow. These are kept out of the main price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Unweaned $/cwt
300–399 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$561.88 (16 hd)
400–499 lb	13	488 lb	$447.08	$2,182	—	−56.35	$471.52 (58 hd)
500–599 lb	40	526 lb	$422.45	$2,223	—	−10.96	$429.03 (114 hd)
600–699 lb	38	640 lb	$373.47	$2,389	—	−28.70	—
700–799 lb	118	752 lb	$351.66	$2,644	—	−24.52	—
800–899 lb	221	848 lb	$335.54	$2,845	—	−26.77	—
900–999 lb	119	951 lb	$317.52	$3,019	—	−21.13	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 7

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. No sale last week to compare. Last year = sale of Oct 1. Unweaned = calves sold straight off the cow. These are kept out of the main price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Unweaned $/cwt
300–399 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$426.00 (7 hd)
400–499 lb	5	474 lb	$402.00	$1,905	—	−21.96	$405.71 (46 hd)
500–599 lb	34	579 lb	$347.63	$2,013	—	−55.12	$371.26 (75 hd)
600–699 lb	47	654 lb	$316.64	$2,072	—	−32.36	—
700–799 lb	28	748 lb	$299.95	$2,244	—	−47.95	—
800–899 lb	198	861 lb	$310.01	$2,671	—	−11.71	—
900–999 lb	11	908 lb	$276.50	$2,511	—	−34.16	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 7

No slaughter cows reported at the latest sale.

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 5, 2026): $422.45/cwt
4-week average: $422.45
13-week average: $409.55
4-week vs 13-week: +3.2%

52-wk low $396.13high $545.00

Sales in 2 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 5, 2026): $351.66/cwt
4-week average: $351.66
13-week average: $359.05
4-week vs 13-week: −2.1%

52-wk low $335.27high $415.77

Sales in 3 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 5, 2026): $347.63/cwt
4-week average: $347.63
13-week average: $360.54
4-week vs 13-week: −3.6%

52-wk low $347.63high $456.14

Sales in 3 of the last 13 weeks.

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2019

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Jun and Mar and lowest in Nov and Sep.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	+0.2%	60%	5
Feb	+4.0%	100%	5
Mar	+5.4%	100%	5
Apr	+3.5%	100%	6
May	+4.3%	83%	6
Jun	+6.3%	80%	5
Jul	—	—	1
Aug	+1.7%	60%	5
Sep	−4.6%	33%	3
Oct	−3.4%	25%	4
Nov	−5.5%	0%	6
Dec	−3.4%	17%	6

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Aug and Jun and lowest in Apr and Dec.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	−1.0%	40%	5
Feb	+2.5%	80%	5
Mar	+0.5%	40%	5
Apr	−3.7%	17%	6
May	+1.8%	67%	6
Jun	+5.9%	60%	5
Jul	—	—	2
Aug	+6.3%	80%	5
Sep	+2.9%	67%	3
Oct	+2.0%	50%	4
Nov	−2.6%	33%	6
Dec	−3.3%	33%	6

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Wed Oct 7	1,440	$422.45	$351.66	$347.63
Wed Aug 26	2,376	$396.64	$343.25	$350.89
Wed Jul 15	723	—	$382.24	$383.09

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Iowa sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Clarinda Livestock, Clarinda	41 mi	Oct 22	$440.43	$355.41
Dunlap Livestock, Dunlap	84 mi	Oct 23	$458.70	$350.00
Bloomfield Livestock, Bloomfield	104 mi	Oct 21	$443.00	$376.96
Tama Livestock, Tama	112 mi	Sep 14	$420.73	$335.06
Kalona Livestock, Kalona	141 mi	Oct 22	—	—
Sheldon Livestock, Sheldon	165 mi	Aug 15	$284.69	$267.50

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Feeder Cattle	October 7, 2026	1,440	18	AMS_2160

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Creston Livestock Feeder Cattle - Creston, IA” (AMS_2160). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.