Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 29, 2021

843 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 843 815 0
Slaughter cattle 843 815 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 3.25-4.50 lower, Dairy steers .25 higher, slaughter cows steady to .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
1075–1260 1157 9 88.00–107.00 $101.06 $1,169
1100–1545 1343 160 111.50–118.50 $116.63 $1,566
1277–1680 1432 145 118.75–124.50 $120.62 $1,727 -4.60

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1315 1142 9 91.00–109.00 $101.37 $1,158
1035–1445 1224 66 110.25–118.25 $115.29 $1,411
1200–1565 1320 52 119.00–125.00 $121.69 $1,606 -3.37

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1910 1338 80-85% 97 63.00–69.00 $65.93 $882
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1925 1503 75-80% 57 70.00–79.00 $73.66 $1,107
1420–2045 1702 75-80% 3 85.00–88.00 $86.24 $1,468
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600–1340 953 85-90% 9 34.00–49.00 $41.77 $398 +2.29
760–1560 1174 85-90% 21 52.00–62.00 $58.96 $692

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–2390 1480 13 84.00–99.00 $93.42 $1,383
1715–2295 2015 11 101.00–110.00 $104.29 $2,101

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885–1260 1111 4 83.00–87.00 $84.36 $937
1275–1570 1418 11 87.00–99.25 $93.24 $1,322
1200–1855 1520 43 100.00–109.00 $104.86 $1,594 +0.31

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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.