Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 15, 2021

948 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 948 682 0
Slaughter cattle 948 682 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.00-2.50 higher, Dairy steers 1.25-1.50 higher, slaughter cows Breakers .75 higher, boner and lean were 3.50-4.00 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
985–1365 1188 11 101.00–112.50 $109.11 $1,296
1040–1602 1299 72 113.00–122.75 $120.31 $1,563
1222–1610 1407 176 123.00–130.25 $126.72 $1,783 +0.62

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1350 1110 8 98.00–110.50 $106.90 $1,187
1041–1602 1284 43 114.00–122.50 $119.37 $1,533 -5.77
1065–1615 1318 229 123.50–132.50 $127.63 $1,682

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–1860 1300 80-85% 93 65.00–74.00 $70.12 $912
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1810 1413 75-80% 52 74.00–79.00 $76.31 $1,078
1340–1725 1503 75-80% 13 80.00–87.00 $82.07 $1,234
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–1270 998 85-90% 12 36.00–54.00 $47.09 $470
840–1650 1241 85-90% 29 53.00–65.00 $61.78 $767

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–2295 1881 9 80.00–99.00 $93.11 $1,751 -10.95
1470–2200 1940 5 101.00–107.00 $103.83 $2,014

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1833 1520 49 100.00–109.00 $105.89 $1,610
1305–1910 1536 10 87.00–99.00 $96.91 $1,489
1520–1670 1595 2 68.50–78.00 $73.47 $1,172

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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.