Early access, free.
Cownty

Home › Iowa › O'Brien County

O'Brien County, IA

Cattle prices near O'Brien County, Iowa. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Worthing SD in Worthing, SD, about 60 miles away. On Nov 9, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $412.35 per hundredweight on 49 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Not listedFSA 2026 list Burn ban Checkcall the county Worthing SD 5-wt steers $412per cwt

O'Brien County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of O'Brien County, IA showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map. Rain has run 112% of normal over the last 30 days (near normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain) and Friday carries the week's highest rain chance at 87% (high 57°). FSA has not added O'Brien County to its 2026 LFP list, and Worthing SD is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 60 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 112% of normal
  • Last 60 days 130% of normal
  • Last 90 days not read yet

NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 15, 2026. Source.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 49°, low 32°, 0% rain, wind 5–15 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 52°, low 38°, 0% rain, wind 15–20 mph
  3. Tuesday Partly Sunny, high 53°, low 43°, 0% rain, wind 15–20 mph
  4. Wednesday Partly Sunny, high 57°, low 39°, 11% rain, wind 15–30 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 51°, low 37°, 15% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  6. Friday Light Rain Likely, high 57°, low 43°, 87% rain, wind 10–15 mph
  7. Saturday Light Rain Likely, high 50°, low 30°, 73% rain, wind 15–20 mph

National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.

PRF pasture insurance: sign up by Dec 1, 2026

The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for O'Brien County is Dec 1, 2026, 16 days from today. PRF (Rainfall Index) pays on a rainfall index for your grid, not on your own rain gauge. You buy it through a crop insurance agent.

How PRF works · PRF 2027 sign-up · Find your grid on RMA's PRF tool

Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.

O'Brien County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in O'Brien County grew about 1,623 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 110% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,481 pounds per acre. That was the 9th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2021 at 1,926 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 548.

Pounds per acre of new grass and forbs each year on rangeland and pasture, from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (satellite-based estimates). See every year on the Land tab.

Open loss windows

No open loss windows in O'Brien County right now. A 30-day window opens when the county first hits severe drought (D2), jumps to D3 or D4, or after a blizzard, extreme heat or cold, flood or ice warning, a wildfire, or a USDA disaster designation. Keep a Drought Ledger.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag IRS list

O'Brien County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (severe or worse drought, Sep 1, 2025 to Aug 31, 2026).

Why it matters: if you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock because of drought, the tax code may let you put off the gain (more time to buy replacement animals, or report the extra-sale income a year later). Your tax preparer decides whether either applies.

Work out your numbers and print a page for your preparer

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. Ask your tax preparer. FSA decides program eligibility. IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

5-wt steers, nearest barns

Steers 500–599 lb, $/cwt, weekly average.

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
Worthing SD 60 miNov 9$412
Denison IA 75 miNov 12$410
Dunlap IA 85 miNov 6$377
How to read this

Each line is one barn's head-weighted average for 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) in that week; gaps are weeks with no sale or no lots that size. Past sales, not a bid.

Dollars per hundredweight ($/cwt, per 100 lb), calculated from USDA AMS Market News sale reports (Medium & Large 1 and 1-2). Not a USDA-published average. ≈ $/head = $/cwt × the middle of the weight class ÷ 100.

Guide: How to read a USDA sale barn report

Price history · Barn map · Fed vs feeder cattle

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

Worthing SD 60 mi

Worthing, SD
Sale of Nov 9, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb36437.61$1,970
Heifers 500-599 lb23411.74$2,260
Heifers 600-699 lb26312.40$2,030
Heifers 700-799 lb13318.00$2,380
Steers 400-499 lb21507.93$2,290
Steers 500-599 lb49412.35$2,270
Steers 600-699 lb43372.46$2,420
Steers 700-799 lb11336.35$2,520

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Denison IA 75 mi

Denison, IA
Sale of Nov 12, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb35396.90$1,790
Heifers 500-599 lb98352.12$1,940
Heifers 600-699 lb108363.21$2,360
Heifers 700-799 lb36296.00$2,220
Steers 400-499 lb12430.83$1,940
Steers 500-599 lb90410.35$2,260
Steers 600-699 lb232387.93$2,520
Steers 700-799 lb72363.75$2,730

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Dunlap IA 85 mi

Dunlap, IA
Sale of Nov 6, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb15388.68$1,750
Heifers 500-599 lb57341.25$1,880
Heifers 600-699 lb21300.18$1,950
Heifers 700-799 lb20299.15$2,240
Steers 500-599 lb45376.52$2,070
Steers 600-699 lb77336.36$2,190
Steers 700-799 lb91335.69$2,520

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

6 more within 200 mi: West Point (102 mi), Mitchell SD (129 mi), Tama IA (174 mi), Ericson (180 mi), Lamoni IA (191 mi), Russell IA (191 mi).

Text me O'Brien County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Sioux Falls Regional Livestock Inc. Worthing, SD 60 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Denison Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Denison, IA 75 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  3. Dunlap Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Dunlap, IA 85 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 6, 2026
  4. West Point Livestock (feeder cattle) West Point, NE 102 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 2, 2026
  5. Mitchell Livestock Mitchell, SD 129 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026

Miles are straight-line from the county center. Sale days come from the barns' recent USDA AMS reports; call the barn to confirm. All barns

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in Iowa

Common questions and nearby counties

Is O'Brien County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Nov 5, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in O'Brien County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of O'Brien County was in no drought, and the worst part was no drought on 0% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in O'Brien County?

No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Iowa; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.

What sale barns are near O'Brien County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Worthing SD (60 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Denison IA (75 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Dunlap IA (85 mi), last report Nov 6, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Whole Farm Revenue Protection 2027: last day to buy crop insurance. FSA program dates not posted officially are marked "confirm at source" on the calendar.

Source: official agency pages (see Calendar)

Information only; not financial or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Always check the linked official source.