Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 16, 2021

886 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 886 833 1,108
Slaughter cattle 886 833 1,108

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.50-3.00 lower, Dairy steers 2.75 lower, slaughter cows .25-1.00 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
1050–1315 1185 9 107.00–117.50 $114.07 $1,352 —
1130–1545 1297 133 113.50–120.75 $118.04 $1,531 -2.92
1215–1667 1429 196 121.00–127.50 $123.78 $1,769 -2.89

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1146–1380 1208 59 115.00–119.50 $117.38 $1,418 -3.59
1115–1305 1215 12 81.00–102.00 $91.97 $1,117 -29.00
1150–1492 1305 150 120.00–126.50 $123.62 $1,613 -2.52

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1885 1464 75-80% 55 71.00–79.00 $74.63 $1,093 —
1365–2045 1643 75-80% 6 80.00–81.00 $80.15 $1,317 -0.35
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1690 1222 80-85% 38 61.00–70.00 $66.51 $813 +2.06
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–1160 1004 85-90% 8 42.00–47.00 $44.27 $444 —
835–1375 1076 85-90% 22 50.00–59.00 $54.41 $585 +12.30
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440 1440 65-75% 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,339 +2.96

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–2005 1384 11 43.00–74.00 $63.75 $882 —
1140–2330 1789 18 74.00–99.00 $86.12 $1,541 —
1845 1845 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,919 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1410 1293 2 93.00–97.00 $94.82 $1,226 —
1285–1515 1389 19 101.00–108.00 $104.76 $1,455 —
1290–1620 1450 22 108.50–116.50 $110.19 $1,598 —

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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.