Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 6, 2021

688 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 688 843 0
Slaughter cattle 688 843 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .75-1.25 lower, Dairy steers .50 lower, slaughter cows .25-.50 lower. Trade active. Demand moderate.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–1195 1101 16 83.00–112.50 $104.86 $1,155 —
1125–1635 1332 29 110.00–116.75 $114.69 $1,528 -1.94
1180–1647 1419 134 117.00–125.50 $119.79 $1,700 -0.83

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
896–1275 1016 23 87.00–110.00 $102.19 $1,038 —
1110–1595 1299 68 117.00–125.00 $120.40 $1,564 —
1065–1515 1314 36 110.00–116.75 $112.94 $1,484 -8.75

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1855 1424 75-80% 69 69.50–79.00 $73.53 $1,047 —
1215–1960 1576 75-80% 13 79.00–83.00 $79.91 $1,259 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–1630 1254 80-85% 57 63.00–69.00 $66.25 $831 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 85-90% 1 40.00 $40.00 $310 —
755–1405 1026 85-90% 22 50.00–62.00 $58.46 $600 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1580–1620 1600 65-75% 2 85.00–86.00 $85.49 $1,368 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–2540 1366 9 66.00–78.00 $73.32 $1,002 —
1085–2560 1675 13 82.00–98.00 $91.38 $1,531 —
1820–2215 2031 9 100.00–109.00 $104.82 $2,129 +0.53

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1390 1297 3 81.00–88.00 $84.79 $1,100 —
1280–1665 1407 12 92.00–99.00 $94.75 $1,333 +1.51
1320–1870 1587 32 101.00–107.25 $104.24 $1,654 —

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Reading this report

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.