Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 19, 2023

639 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 639 1,163 656
Slaughter cattle 639 1,163 656

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.25-2.50 lower, Dairy steers no comparison, slaughter cows steady -1.00 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
980–1259 1187 14 122.00–163.00 $151.67 $1,800
1260–1570 1413 63 148.00–158.50 $157.14 $2,220
1270–1685 1509 86 159.00–164.50 $161.31 $2,434

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1625 1334 76 148.00–158.75 $155.65 $2,076 -0.17
1175–1573 1413 126 159.00–163.50 $161.34 $2,280

↑ Back to top

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705–1470 1043 85-90% 18 34.00–55.00 $47.70 $498 +0.55
890–1555 1163 85-90% 51 56.00–69.00 $64.50 $750
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1680 1426 75-80% 28 80.00–85.00 $82.62 $1,178
1320–1770 1549 75-80% 16 85.50–91.00 $87.10 $1,349 -9.11
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1550 1292 80-85% 39 70.00–79.50 $75.76 $979

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1665 1366 5 64.00–77.00 $71.75 $980
1150–2355 1594 21 80.00–116.50 $100.35 $1,600
1705–1865 1792 3 119.00–128.00 $124.80 $2,236

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1570 1413 8 136.00–140.00 $138.45 $1,956 -7.37
1305–1555 1421 4 125.00–136.00 $132.26 $1,879 -13.56

↑ Back to top

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.