Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 6, 2022

722 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 722 684 0
Slaughter cattle 722 684 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 3.25-4.75 lower, Dairy steers steady, slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 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
942–1267 1083 6 118.00–120.00 $119.06 $1,289 —
1105–1580 1355 34 125.50–135.50 $131.21 $1,778 —
1280–1660 1464 178 136.50–145.50 $140.42 $2,056 -4.86

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
804–1249 1115 16 104.00–128.00 $117.14 $1,306 —
1145–1575 1337 182 136.00–146.00 $139.99 $1,872 +6.13
1115–1550 1346 33 120.50–135.75 $131.30 $1,767 -2.56

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–2135 1496 75-80% 50 68.00–76.00 $72.25 $1,081 —
1465–2055 1720 75-80% 9 77.00–81.00 $78.37 $1,348 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1885 1336 80-85% 33 58.00–67.00 $64.08 $856 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1040 915 85-90% 4 29.00–42.00 $35.27 $323 —
1010–1485 1215 85-90% 14 45.00–56.00 $50.66 $616 +1.85
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435–1930 1675 65-75% 16 83.00–99.00 $86.75 $1,453 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–2095 1699 5 53.00–64.00 $58.99 $1,002 -18.92
1105–2360 1860 15 68.00–89.00 $79.65 $1,481 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315 1315 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,407 —
1435–1710 1505 12 113.00–116.75 $114.41 $1,722 +0.22

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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.