Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 13, 2022

1,257 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 1,257 722 0
Slaughter cattle 1,257 722 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .25-.50 higher, Dairy steers steady to .25 lower, slaughter cows 2.00 lower. 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
1020–1330 1162 8 111.00–128.00 $119.06 $1,383
1205–1570 1335 54 120.00–135.50 $131.27 $1,752
1197–1682 1474 274 135.50–146.75 $141.00 $2,078 +0.58

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1280 1142 8 105.00–122.50 $114.59 $1,309 -2.55
1120–1560 1342 54 120.50–135.50 $130.89 $1,757 -0.41
1130–1665 1361 266 136.00–144.50 $140.26 $1,909

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1910 1363 80-85% 104 57.00–67.00 $62.11 $847
1280–1525 1421 80-85% 8 48.00–56.00 $53.33 $758
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700–1920 1151 85-90% 18 30.00–45.00 $40.02 $461
830–1605 1189 85-90% 54 46.00–57.00 $51.29 $610
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1460 1370 75-80% 4 77.00–82.00 $78.91 $1,081
1215–1900 1551 75-80% 42 68.00–75.00 $70.60 $1,095

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1970 1709 5 42.00–61.00 $55.94 $956
1240–2375 1730 34 66.00–95.00 $78.32 $1,355
1830–2285 2058 2 99.00 $99.00 $2,037

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1295 1211 7 105.00–112.00 $106.91 $1,295
1245–1303 1270 9 112.00–114.75 $113.17 $1,437
1200–1485 1384 4 101.00–109.00 $107.02 $1,481
1375–1690 1505 36 111.50–116.00 $113.95 $1,715 -0.46

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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.