Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 27, 2021

841 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 841 1,170 0
Slaughter cattle 841 1,170 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady to .75 lower, Dairy steers .75-1.00 higher, slaughter cows steady. 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
1005–1260 1156 10 98.00–106.00 $103.57 $1,197 —
1115–1592 1389 80 110.00–118.75 $116.91 $1,624 —
1270–1630 1392 232 119.00–125.50 $121.66 $1,694 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1007–1226 1116 35 96.00–109.00 $101.47 $1,132 —
1016–1505 1230 82 112.00–118.50 $116.34 $1,431 -0.17
1225–1493 1328 102 119.50–123.50 $121.38 $1,612 -0.71

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1835 1420 75-80% 52 70.00–77.00 $73.39 $1,042 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1690 1250 80-85% 44 63.00–69.00 $66.82 $835 +0.82
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1560 1106 85-90% 17 51.00–62.00 $57.86 $640 +0.32
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440–1860 1602 65-75% 6 79.00–82.00 $80.00 $1,282 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–2415 1568 10 82.00–96.00 $90.26 $1,415 —
1680–2225 1909 9 100.00–108.00 $103.71 $1,980 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1330 1178 7 85.00–96.00 $90.77 $1,069 —
1225–1605 1412 12 90.50–99.00 $96.78 $1,367 -0.28
1265–1725 1480 43 100.75–107.50 $104.28 $1,543 +0.96

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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.