Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 1, 2021

781 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 781 1,086 0
Slaughter cattle 781 1,086 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.75-3.75 higher, Dairy steers 2.50 higher, slaughter cows .75-1.50 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
1005–1180 1122 13 104.00–112.50 $106.93 $1,200
1145–1570 1346 29 108.00–116.50 $114.68 $1,544
1185–1663 1446 183 117.00–124.75 $121.01 $1,750 +3.98
1697–1990 1727 26 106.00–112.50 $109.88 $1,898

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1208 1112 9 83.00–109.00 $101.51 $1,129
1105–1625 1343 116 116.50–124.00 $120.36 $1,616 +2.72
1100–1575 1387 28 110.00–115.50 $111.99 $1,553

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–2105 1474 75-80% 76 70.00–79.00 $73.77 $1,087 -10.79
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–1915 1264 80-85% 63 63.00–69.00 $67.08 $848
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630–1045 852 85-90% 5 31.00–49.00 $41.80 $356
630–1490 1031 85-90% 36 51.00–62.00 $57.58 $594 +15.71

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1990 1437 3 72.00–76.00 $74.79 $1,075
1150–2620 1733 26 78.00–99.00 $88.85 $1,540 +1.39
1890–2110 1972 3 101.00–105.00 $103.39 $2,039

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250 1250 1 77.50 $77.50 $969
1255–1270 1263 2 95.00–100.50 $97.77 $1,235
1270–1835 1479 20 100.00–105.00 $103.72 $1,534 +13.81
1545–1670 1628 3 93.00–93.50 $93.34 $1,520

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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.