Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 7, 2021

588 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 588 708 721
Slaughter cattle 588 708 721

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers 2.00 higher, choice heifers 1.25 higher, Dairy steers 1.25 higher, slaughter cows steady. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1235 1089 4 112.00–114.00 $113.43 $1,235
1100–1510 1277 37 113.00–121.50 $119.02 $1,520 +1.30
1135–1870 1458 196 122.00–135.00 $128.22 $1,869

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1072–1145 1092 4 96.00–115.50 $106.22 $1,160 -0.97
1095–1645 1280 119 122.50–130.00 $126.63 $1,621
1050–1525 1282 12 112.75–121.50 $118.81 $1,523

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
870–1780 1335 80-85% 28 62.00–70.00 $66.00 $881
1260–1500 1387 80-85% 5 55.00–61.00 $58.09 $806
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–2015 1478 75-80% 24 71.00–79.00 $74.87 $1,107 -6.76
1545–1705 1616 75-80% 4 80.00–82.00 $80.77 $1,305
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1405 1209 85-90% 6 40.00–48.00 $44.98 $544
955–1605 1313 85-90% 13 50.00–61.00 $55.15 $724

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1490 1364 4 66.00–73.00 $70.04 $955
735–2340 1435 12 76.00–95.00 $86.99 $1,248 +16.99
1435–1845 1543 5 100.00–104.00 $101.52 $1,566

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1290 1172 9 94.00–110.00 $106.45 $1,248
1090–1735 1477 14 105.00–111.00 $108.03 $1,596
1165–1605 1492 24 113.00–118.50 $115.23 $1,719

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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.