Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 25, 2021

1,013 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,013 652 0
Slaughter cattle 1,013 652 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 3.00-3.50 lower, dairy steers 2.50 lower, slaughter cows Premium Whites .50 higher, breaker, boner, lean cows were .50-.75 lower. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1285 1062 11 90.00–112.00 $101.99 $1,083 —
1000–1520 1323 43 102.00–112.25 $110.53 $1,462 —
1175–1735 1404 247 112.50–116.25 $114.85 $1,612 -3.40

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1185 1047 5 96.00–108.00 $103.55 $1,084 —
1015–1475 1308 21 105.00–111.50 $109.94 $1,438 +1.68
1040–1580 1362 228 112.00–116.50 $114.89 $1,565 -3.55

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–2000 1365 80-85% 110 60.00–69.00 $65.47 $894 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–1370 1137 85-90% 3 40.00–49.00 $43.31 $492 —
795–1600 1197 85-90% 40 51.00–59.00 $56.47 $676 +0.55
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1535 1306 75-80% 4 82.00–86.00 $84.78 $1,107 —
1200–1905 1450 75-80% 32 70.00–76.00 $71.93 $1,043 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1685 1491 65-75% 4 88.00–106.00 $96.20 $1,434 +0.79

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–2185 1731 9 100.00–111.00 $104.26 $1,805 —
1185–2265 1752 23 83.00–99.00 $92.18 $1,615 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1480 1366 8 87.00–97.00 $92.08 $1,258 -7.72
1262–1715 1387 11 91.00–95.00 $93.85 $1,302 -5.95
1375–1755 1550 20 96.50–103.00 $99.20 $1,538 —

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Reading this report

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.