Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 8, 2022

1,164 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 1,164 1,227 1,237
Slaughter cattle 1,164 1,227 1,237

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 6.00-7.00 lower, Dairy steers .75 higher, slaughter cows steady to .50 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
1050–1135 1097 3 97.00–129.00 $109.79 $1,204
1140–1555 1389 59 143.00–149.00 $146.91 $2,041
1250–1667 1502 279 150.00–159.50 $154.04 $2,314

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1220 1079 16 120.00–147.00 $136.95 $1,478
1025–1500 1315 57 140.00–149.50 $147.07 $1,934
1189–1541 1372 234 150.00–158.00 $154.82 $2,124 -6.19

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1405 1076 85-90% 16 27.00–49.00 $38.67 $416
845–1795 1243 85-90% 81 50.00–62.00 $56.63 $704
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1955 1484 75-80% 60 74.00–83.50 $77.57 $1,151
1275–1825 1630 75-80% 21 84.00–94.00 $85.48 $1,393 -0.40
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1665 1334 80-85% 74 63.00–73.50 $68.68 $916

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1795 1359 4 70.00–78.00 $74.35 $1,010
1180–2250 1558 6 106.00–122.00 $113.00 $1,761
1040–2450 1824 24 75.00–102.50 $93.08 $1,698

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1530 1452 12 120.00–130.00 $125.35 $1,820
1270–1875 1608 26 132.00–144.00 $138.84 $2,233

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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.