Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 17, 2020

899 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 899 1,193 0
Slaughter cattle 899 1,193 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .25-.50 higher, Dairy steers 1.50 lower. 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
1030–1350 1220 80 87.00–103.50 $99.77 $1,217 +5.28
1154–1555 1288 26 91.00–101.00 $97.98 $1,262
1205–1617 1426 266 102.00–107.25 $105.02 $1,498 +0.29
1603–1790 1675 18 77.00–101.00 $94.22 $1,578

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1175 1096 7 80.00–101.00 $90.06 $987
1010–1510 1231 19 91.00–101.50 $98.10 $1,208 -0.02
1107–1585 1329 272 102.00–107.85 $105.25 $1,399 +0.45

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1475 1340 3 65.00–79.00 $70.44 $944
1090–1607 1412 26 80.00–89.50 $87.21 $1,231 +1.89
1235–1740 1513 27 90.00–95.25 $92.94 $1,406

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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.