Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 22, 2020

898 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 898 625 0
Slaughter cattle 898 625 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 3.25-3.75 lower, Dairy steers 1.00 higher. 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
1076–1245 1128 32 91.00–102.00 $97.90 $1,104 -1.73
1145–1540 1275 36 95.50–102.00 $100.30 $1,279 -2.08
1170–1615 1460 398 102.25–106.00 $104.18 $1,521 -3.86
1730–1790 1767 3 98.00–99.00 $98.34 $1,738 +5.46

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1245 1139 17 85.00–97.50 $92.43 $1,053 -1.85
1015–1570 1245 34 95.50–102.00 $98.46 $1,226
1095–1530 1312 233 102.50–106.10 $104.41 $1,370 +2.42

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1305 1182 3 74.00–79.00 $76.43 $903
1125–1540 1282 9 82.00–89.00 $85.81 $1,100
1237–1615 1479 25 90.50–98.50 $95.40 $1,411

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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.