Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 20, 2021

1,170 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 1,170 688 0
Slaughter cattle 1,170 688 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale toady: No comparison due to last week sale not reported. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1265 1096 13 84.00–111.00 $103.16 $1,131 —
1125–1620 1333 104 111.00–119.50 $116.78 $1,557 +2.09
1285–1677 1444 264 120.00–125.25 $122.01 $1,762 +2.22

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
936–1190 1030 13 91.00–112.50 $104.10 $1,072 +1.91
1045–1558 1243 117 111.00–119.50 $116.51 $1,448 —
1195–1480 1301 93 120.00–126.25 $122.09 $1,588 +9.15

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–2075 1511 75-80% 112 70.00–79.00 $73.21 $1,106 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–1640 1280 80-85% 98 63.00–69.00 $66.00 $845 -0.25
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1220 1059 85-90% 4 34.00–46.00 $40.80 $432 —
845–1525 1123 85-90% 39 50.00–62.00 $57.54 $646 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1770 1374 65-75% 8 82.00–97.00 $88.08 $1,210 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1225 1095 2 62.00–65.00 $63.68 $697 —
1255–2345 1708 9 101.00–107.00 $105.41 $1,800 —
1065–2575 1877 14 76.00–98.00 $89.59 $1,682 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1265 1132 5 71.00–92.00 $82.97 $939 —
1105–1180 1143 2 81.00–85.00 $82.93 $948 —
1160–1645 1410 28 89.00–99.00 $97.06 $1,369 +2.31
1310–1685 1489 68 100.00–109.00 $103.32 $1,538 —

↑ Back to top

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.