Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 30, 2023

729 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 729 757 615
Slaughter cattle 729 757 615

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.00-3.00 higher, Dairy Steers 2.25 lower, slaughter cows steady. 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
1111–1175 1137 5 159.00–164.00 $161.93 $1,841
1125–1485 1273 26 152.00–166.50 $162.79 $2,072 +20.70
1165–1705 1416 137 167.00–177.25 $172.70 $2,445 +11.55

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
998–1136 1068 13 140.00–161.00 $154.83 $1,654 +10.35
1095–1440 1257 14 149.00–167.00 $161.06 $2,025
1120–1690 1343 109 168.00–177.75 $173.05 $2,324 +13.77

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1820 1388 75-80% 67 99.00–107.00 $103.61 $1,438 +0.96
1265–1765 1458 75-80% 28 108.00–117.50 $109.97 $1,603
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890–1760 1286 80-85% 83 89.00–99.00 $94.01 $1,209
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780–1715 1149 85-90% 29 70.00–89.00 $82.70 $950

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–2390 1674 14 94.00–116.00 $109.16 $1,827
1235–2655 1922 20 118.00–135.00 $123.87 $2,381

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1360 1355 2 129.00 $129.00 $1,748
1250–1660 1429 8 130.00–140.00 $135.82 $1,941
1245–1705 1580 13 141.00–148.00 $145.37 $2,297 -2.48

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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.