Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 6, 2023

663 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 663 729 941
Slaughter cattle 663 729 941

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 4.75-5.00 higher, Dairy steers 1.75 higher, slaughter cows steady to .75 lower. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1600 1331 17 159.00–172.00 $169.00 $2,249 —
1175–1820 1472 80 173.00–184.00 $177.86 $2,618 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1280 1199 4 145.00–158.00 $151.28 $1,814 —
1025–1550 1283 9 160.00–169.00 $166.17 $2,132 +5.11
1150–1562 1361 130 173.00–183.50 $177.86 $2,421 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1890 1358 80-85% 96 89.00–98.50 $93.55 $1,270 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1820 1420 75-80% 77 99.00–106.50 $102.62 $1,457 —
1235–1815 1531 75-80% 13 107.00–117.00 $109.42 $1,675 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635–1140 858 85-90% 7 30.00–59.00 $46.36 $398 —
805–1550 1106 85-90% 59 71.00–88.00 $82.07 $908 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1705 1705 65-75% 1 122.00 $122.00 $2,080 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–2405 1826 12 119.00–133.00 $124.03 $2,265 —
1220–2295 1872 13 96.00–117.00 $110.31 $2,065 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,162 —
1165–1440 1299 11 130.00–140.00 $134.43 $1,746 —
1300–1395 1348 2 127.00–129.00 $128.04 $1,726 —
1325–1870 1502 23 141.00–151.00 $147.13 $2,210 —

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Reading this report

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.