Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 18, 2021

760 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 760 1,017 0
Slaughter cattle 760 1,017 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .25-.75 higher, Dairy steers 2.50-3.00 higher ,slaughter cows breaker and boners 1.75-2.00 higher, lean cows were steady. 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
945–1130 1061 18 105.50–109.00 $107.39 $1,139 +6.51
1145–1570 1230 25 108.00–112.25 $111.26 $1,368 +2.68
1180–1672 1406 203 112.50–119.00 $115.73 $1,627 +0.61

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
947–1180 1033 9 104.00–110.50 $107.21 $1,107 —
997–1450 1149 34 106.00–112.25 $110.88 $1,274 —
1100–1540 1321 180 112.50–118.75 $115.74 $1,529 +0.19

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1880 1479 75-80% 64 70.00–77.00 $74.05 $1,095 +4.00
1250–2065 1508 75-80% 12 78.00–86.00 $80.67 $1,217 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1870 1412 80-85% 29 60.00–69.00 $65.82 $929 +1.70
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–1005 930 85-90% 3 43.00 $43.00 $400 —
840–1450 1058 85-90% 10 50.00–59.00 $55.35 $586 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1605 1605 65-75% 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,493 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1870 1438 4 60.00–75.00 $70.47 $1,013 —
1080–2115 1699 19 78.00–98.00 $87.53 $1,487 —
1590–2070 1860 3 99.00–103.00 $101.17 $1,882 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1295 1280 2 66.00–68.00 $66.99 $857 —
1185–1350 1287 3 91.00–97.00 $94.81 $1,220 —
1380 1380 1 86.00 $86.00 $1,187 —
1380–1805 1549 29 94.50–103.00 $99.64 $1,543 +2.93

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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.