Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 8, 2021

682 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 682 781 0
Slaughter cattle 682 781 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 4.75-5.00 higher, Dairy steers .75 higher, slaughter cows steady to 1.75 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
1080–1550 1242 13 115.50–119.00 $117.14 $1,455
1195–1635 1428 166 120.00–127.85 $126.10 $1,801 +5.09

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1380 1202 13 113.00–119.50 $115.65 $1,390
1215 1215 2 106.50 $106.50 $1,294
1060–1585 1299 119 120.50–128.35 $125.14 $1,626

↑ Back to top

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1930 1454 75-80% 70 70.00–79.00 $75.60 $1,099 +1.83
1255–1810 1474 75-80% 18 80.00–85.00 $81.30 $1,198 +7.53
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555–1165 913 85-90% 5 27.00–49.00 $41.05 $375
780–1640 1092 85-90% 35 50.00–62.00 $57.48 $628
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–1880 1288 80-85% 39 63.00–69.00 $66.37 $855 -0.71

↑ Back to top

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1675 1478 3 66.00–70.00 $68.22 $1,008
1070–2265 1622 19 83.00–99.00 $91.65 $1,487
1630–2120 1871 8 100.00–109.00 $104.06 $1,947

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1375 1204 11 73.00–100.00 $83.16 $1,001
1235–1865 1463 6 90.00–98.00 $95.04 $1,390 -8.68
1280–1755 1496 48 100.00–110.50 $104.44 $1,562 +0.72

↑ Back to top

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.