Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 15, 2020

625 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction report →

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 625 721 0
Slaughter cattle 625 721 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady to .75 higher, Dairy steers .50 higher, slaughter cows steady. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1270 1110 6 95.00–105.00 $99.63 $1,106 -2.07
1181–1525 1253 40 96.00–103.25 $102.38 $1,283
1100–1685 1456 202 103.50–110.50 $108.04 $1,573
1710–1920 1789 4 85.00–99.00 $92.88 $1,662

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1127 1105 3 93.00–97.00 $94.28 $1,042
1135–1460 1307 10 100.50–103.00 $101.99 $1,333
1136–1505 1318 166 103.50–111.50 $107.64 $1,419

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1420 1212 85-90% 9 35.00–43.00 $38.98 $472
995–1660 1250 85-90% 23 44.00–51.00 $47.78 $597 -0.47
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1805 1338 80-85% 28 52.00–59.00 $55.00 $736 +0.14
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1910 1486 75-80% 17 60.00–69.00 $63.23 $940 -0.03
1805 1805 75-80% 1 72.00 $72.00 $1,300

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1475 1270 3 60.00–65.00 $62.74 $797
1010–2500 1704 16 70.00–94.00 $82.79 $1,411

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370 1370 1 74.00 $74.00 $1,014 -11.15
1230–1635 1417 7 82.00–89.50 $85.75 $1,215
1255–1665 1426 18 90.50–96.50 $93.99 $1,340

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What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.