Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 9, 2023

746 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 746 1,151 756
Slaughter cattle 746 1,151 756

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.50-3.75 higher, Dairy steers 2.25 higher, slaughter cows steady to 1.00 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
1030–1245 1148 6 122.00–157.00 $142.17 $1,632
1215–1590 1348 59 153.00–164.50 $161.49 $2,177 +1.71
1272–1690 1447 166 165.00–177.50 $170.86 $2,472

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1290 1140 4 125.00–140.00 $128.77 $1,468
1135–1500 1298 17 150.00–164.00 $157.88 $2,049 -2.20
1180–1545 1376 129 165.00–176.50 $173.28 $2,384

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1495 1216 80-85% 14 89.00–97.50 $92.41 $1,124 +1.85
945–1760 1302 80-85% 35 83.00–89.50 $86.09 $1,121
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1820 1467 75-80% 22 96.50–105.00 $99.27 $1,456 -0.68
1135–1835 1489 75-80% 21 91.00–95.50 $93.72 $1,395 -6.23
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690–1235 999 85-90% 8 34.00–66.00 $53.42 $534
890–1370 1148 85-90% 21 65.00–82.00 $75.68 $869

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1570 1396 4 50.00–80.00 $72.61 $1,014
950–2055 1550 13 97.00–114.50 $106.46 $1,650
1565–2190 1865 6 118.00–128.00 $123.11 $2,296

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–1440 1388 7 117.00–126.00 $122.97 $1,707
1225–1595 1406 19 130.00–139.50 $136.72 $1,922
1300–1720 1524 22 140.00–152.50 $147.06 $2,241

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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.