Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 28, 2021

919 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 919 656 918
Slaughter cattle 919 656 918

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .75-1.25 higher, Dairy steers no comparison, slaughter cows 2.50-3.00 higher. 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
940–1315 1176 9 107.00–119.50 $113.54 $1,335
1085–1540 1334 57 116.25–124.50 $122.72 $1,637 +2.83
1215–1710 1443 285 125.00–136.50 $130.84 $1,888

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1290 1208 3 115.00–116.00 $115.34 $1,393
1115–1490 1252 27 117.25–127.50 $122.17 $1,530 +3.83
1090–1640 1339 186 125.00–133.25 $129.56 $1,735 +0.64

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–1425 1130 85-90% 27 20.00–47.00 $40.37 $456
855–1980 1251 85-90% 46 47.00–57.00 $52.40 $656
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1750 1316 80-85% 46 58.00–68.00 $64.12 $844 +4.97
1200–1835 1493 80-85% 12 51.00–57.00 $53.98 $806
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440 1440 75-80% 1 82.00 $82.00 $1,181
1205–2030 1546 75-80% 30 69.00–78.00 $72.87 $1,127

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–2065 1537 13 74.00–99.00 $84.52 $1,299
800–2341 1541 8 40.00–72.00 $61.45 $947

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1290 1223 3 92.00–105.00 $98.84 $1,209
1295–1500 1369 6 100.00–110.00 $106.94 $1,464
1301–1565 1378 5 111.00–114.50 $111.86 $1,541

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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.