Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 22, 2021

815 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 815 948 0
Slaughter cattle 815 948 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.50-2.50 lower, Dairy steers 1.25 lower, slaughter cows 3.00-3.50 lower. 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
985–1375 1136 4 97.00–106.00 $99.74 $1,133 —
1080–1592 1239 26 115.00–121.25 $118.36 $1,466 —
1230–1705 1424 201 122.00–127.50 $125.22 $1,783 -1.50
1700–1800 1741 8 115.75–117.25 $116.53 $2,029 —

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950 950 1 83.00 $83.00 $788 —
925–1040 1010 4 87.00–99.00 $92.84 $938 —
1114–1563 1318 113 122.50–127.75 $125.06 $1,648 -2.57
1070–1555 1335 44 113.00–121.75 $118.87 $1,587 -8.76

↑ Back to top

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–2040 1472 75-80% 92 70.00–79.00 $73.32 $1,079 —
1555–1835 1660 75-80% 4 80.00–94.00 $83.55 $1,387 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1945 1393 80-85% 80 63.00–69.00 $66.51 $926 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–1400 970 85-90% 12 25.00–48.00 $39.48 $383 -7.61
780–1440 1100 85-90% 29 51.00–62.00 $57.17 $629 —

↑ Back to top

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1510 1160 3 64.00–73.00 $70.57 $819 —
1315–1800 1634 5 100.00–106.00 $101.75 $1,663 —
955–2455 1682 17 78.00–97.00 $88.59 $1,490 —

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 1 73.00 $73.00 $883 —
1160–1625 1376 7 90.00–99.00 $96.90 $1,333 —
1320–1677 1539 29 100.00–108.75 $104.55 $1,609 +7.64

↑ 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.