Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 29, 2021

536 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 536 881 667
Slaughter cattle 536 881 667

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.25-2.50 higher, Dairy steers .25 higher, slaughter cows .25-.75 higher. 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
860–1360 1108 9 101.00–123.25 $113.72 $1,260 +6.47
1060–1420 1237 29 117.25–123.75 $121.35 $1,501 —
1150–1670 1369 160 124.00–131.25 $127.51 $1,746 +2.43

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1250 1047 6 91.00–115.75 $105.98 $1,110 —
1000–1280 1155 20 116.50–123.00 $120.36 $1,390 —
1055–1615 1250 70 124.25–129.50 $127.34 $1,592 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–2375 1406 75-80% 35 73.00–79.00 $76.70 $1,078 —
1230–1700 1464 75-80% 30 80.00–85.00 $82.13 $1,202 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1750 1247 80-85% 22 65.00–71.00 $67.05 $836 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1530 1276 85-90% 18 51.00–64.00 $60.65 $774 —
1130–1370 1285 85-90% 3 45.00–49.00 $46.41 $596 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–2080 1695 65-75% 5 86.00–88.00 $87.09 $1,476 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–2125 1660 13 79.00–99.00 $92.99 $1,544 +25.64
1535–2245 1837 6 100.00–106.00 $103.36 $1,899 -1.67

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1450 1304 4 85.00–101.00 $96.18 $1,254 —
1390 1390 1 81.00 $81.00 $1,126 —
1225–1830 1520 32 105.00–118.00 $110.96 $1,687 +0.24

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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.